The Mughal Empire (The New Cambridge History of India, Volume 1, Part 5)

The Mughal empire was one of the largest centralized states in the premodern world and this volume traces the history of this magnificent empire from its creation in 1526 to its breakup in 1720. Richards stresses the dynamic quality of Mughal territorial expansion, their institutional innovations in land revenue, coinage and military organization, ideological change and the relationship between the emperors and Islam. He 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 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 Frontmatter List of maps and tables (page xii) General editor's preface (page xiii) Preface (page xv) Introduction (page 1) 1 Conquest and stability (page 6) 2 The new empire (page 29) 3 Autocratic centralism (page 58) 4 Land revenue and rural society (page 79) 5 Jahangir 1605-1627 (page 94) 6 Shah Jahan 1628-1658 (page 119) 7 The War of Succession (page 151) 8 Imperial expansion under Aurangzeb 1658-1689 (page 165) 9 The economy, societal change, and international trade (page 185) 10 Maratha insurgency and Mughal conquest in the Deccan (page 205) 11 The Deccan Wars (page 225) 12 Imperial decline and collapse, 1707-1720 (page 253) Conclusion (page 282) Glossary (page 298) Bibliographical essay (page 304) Index (page 311) Some vols. paperback editions. Includes bibliographies and indexes. v. 2. Indian states and the transition to colonialism: pt. 1. Indian society and the making of the British Empire / C.A. Bayly -- v. 2. pt. 3. The Sikhs of the Punjab / J.S. Grewel -- v. 3. The Indian empire and the beginnings of modern society: pt. 3. The economy of modern India, 1860-1970 / B.R. Tomlinson -- v. 3. pt. 4. Ideologies of the Raj / Thomas R. Metcalf -- v. 4. The evolution of contemporary India: pt. 1. The politics of India since independence / Paul R. Brass -- v. 4. pt. 3. Caste, society and politics in India from the eighteenth century to the modern age / Susan Bayly This traces the history of the Mughal empire from its creation in 1526 to its breakup in 1720. It stresses the quality of Mughal territorial expansion, their innovation in land revenue, military organization, and the relationship between the emperors and I The Mughal Empire was one of the largest centralised states in the pre-modern world and this volume traces the history of this magnificent empire from its creation in 1526 to its break up in 1720 The legacy of the Indo-Muslim frontier, the medieval Indian economy, and new connections with Europe helped to create conditions favorable to the rise of an imperial state in North India. John F. Richards. Originally Published: 1993. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 304-310) And Index.