Historian Ruby Lal chats about her new book “Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan.”

The first annual Distinguished Lecture in Women and Gender Studies, The American University in Beirut.

Isn’t this Representation? The Question of the Archive and the Great Woman Mughal, Nur Jahan.

Public Discussion Hosted by American University Beirut,  Women & Gender Studies and Aaliya’s Books

Featuring a reading by Ruby Lal and conversation with Devyani Saltzman

A conversation about the Reign of Nur Jahan over the Islamic Mughal Empire in the seventeenth century and the role of women leaders throughout history with guest Ruby Lal.

January 25th, 2019
Empress: Nur Jahan and the Women of the Mughal Empire

Ira Mukhoty and Ruby Lal in conversation with Parvati Sharma

‘In 1611, 34-year-old Nur Jahan, daughter of a Persian noble and widow of a subversive official, became the 20th and favourite wife of the Emperor Jahangir who ruled the Mughal Empire. An astute politician as well as a devoted partner, she issued imperial orders and coins of the realm bore her name. When Jahangir was imprisoned by a rebellious nobleman, the Empress led troops into battle and rescued him. The only woman to acquire the stature of empress in her male-dominated world, Nur was also a talented dress designer and innovative architect whose work inspired her stepson’s Taj Mahal. Her confident assertion of talent and power is revelatory and far exceeded the authority of her female contemporaries, including Elizabeth I. In Ruby Lal’s acclaimed biography, she finally receives her due in a deeply researched study. Here Lal discusses Nur Jahan and the other surprisingly powerful women of the Mughal Empire with Ira Mukhoty, author of Daughters of the Sun: Empresses, Queens and Begums of the Mughal Empire, in a discussion chaired by Parvati Sharma, author of the remarkable new biography Jehangir.’

January 25th, 2019
In Defence of History

Dan Jones, Richard Evans, Ruby Lal, Sanjeev Sanyal and Stewart Gordon in conversation with David Olusoga

‘In this session, Sir Richard Evans, formerly Regius Professor of Modern History at Cambridge University, offers a defence of the importance of his craft. At a time of deep scepticism about our ability to learn anything from the past, Evans shows us why history is both possible and necessary. His demolition of the wilder claims of postmodern historians, who deny the possibility of any realistic grasp of history, is witty and well-balanced. He takes us into the historians’ workshop to show us just how good history gets written and explains the deadly political dangers of losing a historical perspective on the way we live our lives. Evans discusses his craft with historians Dan Jones, Ruby Lal, Sanjeev Sanyal and Stewart Gordon in a conversation moderated by David Olusoga’

January 26th, 2019
Delhi to the Deccan: On the Mughals and the Marathas

Audrey Truschke, Manu Pillai, Parvati Sharma, Rana Safvi and Ruby Lal in conversation with William Dalrymple

‘There has recently a renaissance in the writing of Mughal and Maratha history and a spectacular outpouring of books that have brought early modern India to vivid new life. Five of the most celebrated practitioners talk about their work in conversation with William Dalrymple.’

Details

September 22nd
Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan
Ruby Lal in conversation with William Dalrymple
Four centuries ago, a woman ruled the Mughal Empire. Her multifaceted personality was both celebrated and reviled for her political acumen and diplomatic skill. She led troops, issued imperial orders, and had coins of the realm in her name. Acclaimed historian Ruby Lal, in conversation with William Dalrymple, brings to life the complex personality of a woman ahead of her times.

September 22nd
The Biographer’s Ball
Ruby Lal, Maya Jasanoff, Simon Winchester and Wade Davis in conversation with William Dalrymple
How do you research and write someone else’s life and pin that life to the page? Biographers of figures as diverse as Nur Jehan, Joseph Conrad, George Mallory, Joseph Needham and W.C. Minor discuss techniques and obsessions with William Dalrymple.

Lecture and discussion

Between the covers of these writers’ latest histories, you can travel from 1600s Persia, to the Industrial Revolution in the U.K., to the Wild West borderlands between America and Mexico in the 1850s. Join  Ruby Lal, Scott Martelle and Priya Satia for a conversation about researching and writing their epic histories.

Schedule

Book Prizes