Emory Professor Publishes Biography Of India’s Only Empress

There are many stories of women in positions of power and leadership — a new documentary on Ruth Bader Ginsburg comes to mind, as well as the dramatization of the life of Queen Elizabeth the second in the Netflix series “The Crown.” A new book offers the story of one powerful woman from four centuries ago.

“Empress” is the biography of Nur Jahan, a Muslim woman who became the ruler of the vast Mughal Empire. She was the only woman in Indian history to ascend to the position of empress.

The book was written by Ruby Lal, professor of history and south Asian studies at Emory University. She tells City Lights host Lois Reitzes that she was inspired to write Jahan’s story by stories that her mother used to tell her about the ruler.