Badass Begums

The Mughal court is usually remembered through its emperors, yet many of its women held real influence from behind the purdah. They struck deals, advised rulers, built and designed parts of Delhi, carved out private spaces for other women, led troops into battle and pushed back against a world run by men. Badass Begums, by Anoushka Jain, brings ten of them out of the margins of history.

The book follows women whose lives were full of ambition, romance, intrigue and stubborn resilience. Jahanara Begum, Shah Jahan's favourite daughter, designed Chandni Chowk. Her sister Roshanara Begum was a firebrand who schemed with Aurangzeb to seize their father's empire. Begum Samru, a tawaif who became a ruler, commanded her own army in battle. Maham Anga and Mubarak Begum gave counsel that rivalled that of chief ministers, and Qudsia Begum laid out gardens along the river only to watch rebellions batter them.

Jain builds these stories into a lively narrative and adds walking tour maps of the places the women lived in or shaped, so readers can trace their traces through the city. The research is thorough and the tone is warm, making this a journey through the legacies that still sit in the by-lanes of Delhi.