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Rehab's Words

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Celia Farber Jun 19, 2025 Share I don’t know her age, and I will never meet her, and if I did, I would probably not tell her that she is a poet, only because, that would be the absolute least of her concerns, having lost everything. All these children who have lost their mothers, have lost everything. James Elder reads Rehab’s words  here, at the end. I heard them, and they stayed in my mind for the next 24 hours, and were again on my mind this morning when I woke up, and again now. They killed my mother. I used to be beautiful. Now I cannot wash; What do you want me to say? --Rehab They killed my mother. I used to be beautiful. Now I cannot wash. What do you want me to say? —Rehab Poetry Knowers There are guardians of poetry, as there are guardians of everything. They have conferences, grants, journals and panel discussions, to discuss what poetry is or is not. I would be so curious how many of them would stop cold in the corridor upon hearing those four lines from ...

The Urdubegis — Female Guards of the Zenana and the Mughal Emperor

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  History Uncategorized October 22, 2022 Article Written By EIH Researcher And Writer Aadrit Banerjee When Babur, the first Mughal Emperor, arrived in 1526, and defeated Ibrahim Lodi to establish what was to become the famous Mughal Rule in India, his harem came with him. To ensure the protection of the women he created the Urdubegis. The Urdubegis were a group of armed women who were responsible for guarding the Mughal zenana & the emperor. The mention of the Urdubegis have been found since the times of Emperor Babur and Humayun. They were trained in the use of long-range weapons such as bows and arrows, and spears, as well as short daggers and swords. These women fighters had to be trustworthy, loyal and dedicated for they guarded not just the queen, and rest of the harem, but also the king, specially ensuring his safety in his harem, the place where he spent the most time, where the male guards could never enter, and thus, where the emperor was the most vulnerable. They also...