Shit I Have to Teach in Twenty Minutes
A podcast for history teachers or anyone in a hurry. Eric and Rob interview historians about what are the important concepts about a given topic and they provide free lesson plans aligned with that discussion.
Shit I Have to Teach in Twenty Minutes
26. The Mughal Empire with Ruby Lal
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Dr. Ruby Lal visits with Eric and Rob to discuss how to best teach the Mughal Empire. Dr. Lal is a professor of history at Emory University and she is one of the world’s foremost experts on the Mughal Empire. She starts by noting that the Mughal Empire existed before the time of formal nation states. The origin of the empire was shaped by the founders' movement across various territories and cultures. She provides an overview of how the first Mughal Emperor, Babur, exemplifies the peripatetic origins of the empire and she also points out the role of Babur’s daughter, Gulbadan, who served as a historian of this time period. She also expands on the traditional approach of teaching the six male emperors of the empire by noting the importance of Nur Jahan, the wife of the 4th emperor Jahangir, who ruled alongside him during his reign. She discusses the importance of the 3rd emperor, Akbar, who institutionalized the empire and expanded the empire strategically through the military, economic policy, and political marriages to women from the most powerful kingdoms of India. His son and successor, Jahangir, was born of a Sunni Muslim father and a Hindu mother. Jahangir’s son, Shah Jahan (the builder of the Taj Mahal) also had a Hindu mother. She finishes by providing more information about Nur Jahan.
Lesson Plans and resources:
The Best Mughal Emperor lesson can be found at https://bit.ly/4cQ8epN
What’s in a Title lesson can be found at https://bit.ly/4hByo29
Other Resources
Dr. Lal’s Website with links to her various publications can be found at https://rubylal.com/
Credits
Opening theme music, “Bossa Bossa,” created by Clare Howard www.clarehoward.com Music supported by the National Council for History Education www.ncheteach.org
Transition theme music, “The Clock is Ticking,” created by Emily Hahn.
Logo artwork created by Jessica Goldman.
Shit I Have to Teach in 20 Minutes is produced by Eric Hahn and Rob Good. Audio and video editing by Sebastian Rosales.
Email us at historyintwenty@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@historyintwenty
Instagram:historyintwenty