The Mughal Empire, Part 1, Volume 5The Mughal empire was one of the largest centralized states known in pre-modern world history. It was founded in the early 1500s and by the end of the following century the Mughal emperor ruled almost the entire Indian subcontinent with a population of between 100 and 150 millions. As well as military success, the Mughal emperors displayed immense wealth and the ceremonies, etiquette, music, poetry, and exquisitely executed paintings and objects of the imperial court fused together to create a distinctive aristocratic high culture. In this volume, Professor John Richards traces the history of this magnificent empire from its creation in 1526 to its breakup in 1720. He stresses the dynamic quality of Mughal territorial expansion, their institutional innovation in land revenue, coinage and military organization, ideological change, and the relationship between the emperors and Islam. Professor Richards also analyzes institutions particular to the Mughal empire, such as the jagir system, and explores Mughal India's links with the early modern world. The Mughal Empire offers a concise and up-to-date synthesis of this spectacular period in the history of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. It will be widely read by students and specialists of South Asian history and civilization and will be of interest to travellers wishing to know more about the background to the great Mughal monuments. |
Contents
Conquest and stability | 6 |
The new empire | 29 |
Autocratic centralism | 58 |
Land revenue and rural society | 79 |
Jahangir 16051627 | 94 |
Shah Jahan 16281658 | 119 |
The War of Succession | 151 |
Imperial expansion under Aurangzeb 16581689 | 165 |
Maratha insurgency and Mughal conquest in the Deccan | 205 |
The Deccan Wars | 225 |
Imperial decline and collapse 17071720 | 253 |
Conclusion | 282 |
Glossary | 298 |
304 | |
311 | |
The economy societal change and international trade | 185 |
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Common terms and phrases
administration Afghan Agra Ahmadnagar Ahom Akbar amirs Aurangzeb Bahadur Shah bakhshi battle became Bengal Bhonsla Bihar Bijapur Burhanpur campaign capital cavalry central century chief commanders conquest court Dara Deccan provinces Delhi diwan East India Company elite Farrukhsiyar Fatehpur Sikri faujdar force fortress Golconda governor Gujarat Hindu History Humayun Hyderabad Ibid imperial Indo-Muslim Islam jagirs Jahangir Jumla Kabul Khan's Khandesh Khurram kingdom Lahore lands lineage mansabdars Maratha military million rupees Mir Jumla Mirza Mughal army Mughal emperor Mughal empire Mughal India Muhammad Murshid Quli Khan Muslim nobility nobles North India Nur Jahan pargana peasants Persian political Prince Punjab Qandahar Qutb Shah raiding Raja Rajaram Rajasthan Rajput rank Rathor region reign revenue river royal ruler Safavid Sarkar Sayyid sent Shah Jahan Shahuji Shambhaji Shivaji siege Sikh Singh subcontinent Sufi Sultan Surat throne Timurid trade treasury troops ulema Uzbek village wazir zamindars Zulfikar Khan