The Crisis of Empire in Mughal North India Awadh and Punjab, 1707-48 Second Edition (Oxford India Perennials Series)

The period following the death of Aurangzeb has been viewed as the beginning of the decline and decay of the Mughal empire. Examining two contrasting regions of north India-Awadh and Punjab-this pioneering work shows how the period 1707-48 saw the emergence of a new order with local and regional idioms. Muzaffar Alam focuses on the interplay of imperial collapse with regional restructuring. He contends that even as the empire declined, there emerged a new, regionally-based political order, maintained and controlled by former Mughal rulers. From agrarian uprisings to the jagirdari system, the Sikhs to the Zamindars, this book presents a bold new interpretation of an important transition in this period. This edition comes with a new introduction. This book is an important reading for students, scholars, and teachers of Mughal history and early modern India. Cover 1 Title Pages 2 Dedication 4 Maps 5 Acknowledgements 6 Introduction to the Second Edition 8 Note on Transliteration 51 Abbreviations 53 Introduction 56 Abstract and Keywords 56 Historiographical Perspective on the Mughal Decline 57 Empire and the Province 63 The Zamindars, the Jagirdars and Imperial Decline 65 Social and Political Base of Eighteenth Century Provincial States 65 The Imperial Court in the Eighteenth Century 67 Notes: 68 1: Breakdown of Imperial Organization 71 Abstract and Keywords 71 I 1707–12 73 The Nobility 73 Muzahpar Alam 71 Problem of Jagir Administration and Finance 75 II 1713–19 79 Famine and Zamindar Uprisings 79 Jagir, Ijara and the Economy 81 The Nobility 85 III 1729–39 86 The Emperor and the Nobility 86 Imperial Decline and the Province 88 Towards a New Imperial Framework 89 IV 1739–48 90 Financial Collapse and Restatement of the Imperial Myth 90 Notes: 93 2: The Changing Position of the Governor 108 Abstract and Keywords 108 I Awadh 108 The Position of Subadar 109 Extension of the Governor’s Power 110 The Beginnings of the New Subadari 112 II The Punjab 117 The Punjab and the Case for Imperial Control 117 Towards Provincial Independence 119 Notes: 125 3: The Zamindars, the Madad-i Ma‘ash Holders and Mughal Administration in Awadh c. 1707–1722 140 Abstract and Keywords 140 The Zamindar Uprisings 142 Position of the Madad-i Ma‘ash Holders 152 Conflict between the Madad-i Ma‘ash Holders and the Zamindars 156 II 158 Consolidation and Creation of Loyal Zamindars 159 Changes in Jagir Administration 160 Notes: 166 4: Mughal Power, the Sikhs and other Local Groups in the Punjab 177 Abstract and Keywords 177 The Sikhs, the Zamindars and the Madad-i Wa‘ash Holders 179 The Hill Chiefs, the Sikhs and Mughal Power 190 Notes: 204 5: The Punjab after 1715, the Zamindars and the Problems Facing the Provincial Government 216 Abstract and Keywords 216 Conflict between Mughal Officials and the Chiefs, c. 1714–1748 222 Imperial Control over the Jagir and Local Administration 225 Notes: 235 6: Growth of Nawabi Rule in Awadh and its Relations with Local Social Group 242 Abstract and Keywords 242 The Jagir Administration 243 Notes: 264 7: The Imperial Court, the New Subadars and the Region 278 Abstract and Keywords 278 I Awadh 279 Burhan-ul-Mulk and Politics at the Court 279 The New Subadar and the Regions around Awadh 281 Burhan-ul-Mulk and the Governorship of Allahabad 287 Burhan-ul-Mulk and Chandela Chief 290 Saudar Jang and the Eangash Afghans of Farrukhaead 290 Saudar Jang and the Rohillas of the Moradabad-Eareilly Region 292 The Maratha Question 293 Saudar Jang and the Marathas 295 Safdar Jang and the Bundela and Bhadauria Chiefs 297 Invasion of Nadir Shah and Burhan-ul-Mulk 297 Safdar Jang and the Imperial Court 298 II The Punjab 302 Abd-us-Samad Khan and the Neighbouring Provinces 303 The Governor of the Punjab and the North-Western Frontier 305 Political Developments in the Punjab after 1745 308 Notes: 309 Conclusion 329 Bibliography 346 Primary Sources 347 European Works 364 Modern Works 366 Urdu Works 383 Index 385 The,Crisis,of,Empire,in,Mughal,North,India In the backdrop of the decline of the Mughal empire, this book studies two contrasting regions in north India-Awadh and Punjab. It offers a bold new interpretation of the period by focussing on the agrarian uprisings, the jagirdari system, and the emergence of a new regionally-based political order. This edition includes a new introduction. In the backdrop of the decline of the Mughal empire, this text studies two contrasting regions in north India - Awadh and Punjab. It offers a bold new interpretation of the period by focussing on the agrarian uprisings, the jagirdari system, and the emergence of a new regionally-based political order