Born into a poor family, Mubarak Begum initially pursued a career as a dancing girl in Pune, before converting to Islam.
Because of her love for Urdu and Persian poetry, she was a regular participant in the mushairas held in the courtyard of Delhi College.
Raised by Mubarak, the girl married her cousin, a nephew of the famous Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib.
At one point, it was reported that "Mubarak Begum, alias Generalee Begum, fills the [Delhi] papers with accounts of the Nizars and Khiluts [gifts and dresses of honor] given and taken by her in her transactions with the Vacquils [ambassadors of the different Indian powers] - an extraordinary liberty, if true.
Her unpopularity combined with her background as a dancing girl ensured that no Mughal gentleman would use her structure.
To this date, the tomb is still referred to by the local inhabitants of the old city as the "Randi ki Masjid".