I consider this book by Rumer Godden to be a good introduction to Gulbadan's story. Rumer Godden was not a historian and may have been excited when she read the "Humayun-Nama," written by Gulbadan-his sister.
The narrative is sparse, and you get glimpses of Gulbadan's character. Rumer Godden's British heritage the writing, especially when she writes about Gulbadan's (and Hamida's) reactions to Hindu customs.
While not an excellent or authoritative book, it is a good enough introduction to Gulbadan Begum's fascinating life. ( )

Short account (152 p, of which many are colour illustrations) of the life of Gulbadan, daughter of the first Moghul Emperor, Babur. Descended from both Tamerlane and Genghis Khan, Babur's career began in Uzbekistan, from where he advanced to Kabul and ultimately to rule India.
Court life in the 16th century was full of intrigue and ceremony. Adopted early in life by a more senior wife, Gulbadan travelled with the royals, a member of the haram. Aged 8, her elder half brother succeeded to the throne; later on, Gulbadan lived - not always approvingly- through the reign of his son in turn; a man who forgot his muslim roots by marrying into a local Hindu family.
Gives the reader a good overview of the Mughal empire. ( )

A quick read, and unlike the other Rumer Godden books I've read; this one is non-fiction. Tells the story of Gulbadan Begum ("Rosebody Princess"), the daughter of Babur (the first Moghul emperor) who watched the empire evolve over three generations from a front row seat in the Mogul court harem. She lived to be 80, and recorded history for the Akbar-nama (emperor Akbar's biography).

Rumer Godden tells the story of the then-little-known princess in a plain, linear manner, punctuated by relevant full colour prints of miniature paintings from the time. The source material Godden uses & quotes - the Babur-nama, the Akbar-nama, other historical accounts, and Gulbadan's own writings - are not new, but the focus of the book is unique: it is strictly concerned with Gulbadan's life, and tells very little of the surrounding & successive events. Considering the limitedly references Godden had to work with, the end result is an illuminating - albeit not intimately revealing - 'portrait' of an important yet overlooked character of the moghal courts. What gaps there are in the narrative, Rumer Godden supplies with her own inferences and imagination of what 'might have been' or 'probably' occurred. The effect is that the book reads like an admiring, almost dreamy, account of some obscure figure from history. Rumer Godden honouring another nearly forgotten female writer. . . ( )