because of her late date and her social status, more is known about Mirabai

than about earlier Indian women poets. She was born in Rajasthan to a Rajput
noble family, and was married in about 1516 to the heir-apparent of the ruler of
Mewar. Her husband died before he could attain the throne, and he left no heir.

In 1527, the Rajputs opposed a Muslim invasion from Afghanistan. Mirabai's

father was killed in battle; her father-in-law was wounded in the same battle
and died the next year. Mewar got a new child-ruler, who with his mother,
made life at the court difficult for Mirabai.

Tradition says that Mirabai left the court in her 30s and became a wandering
mendicant, and that she was rejected by traditional gurus because she was a
woman. Her poems show her a devotee of Vishnu in his incarnation as Krishna
(whom she calls Giridhara or Girdhar --- literally, "lifter of mountains").

Modern scholars accept over 200 poems (bhajans) as hers, but more than 1300
have been attributed. She may have written in Gujarati, but her poems were
almost immediately translated into Hindi and other languages, and sung at first
over the north, later in the south. She has remained immensely popular
throughout India, and many English translations of her poems have been made.