The Ottoman and Mughal Empires: Social History in the Early Modern World (Library of Ottoman Studies)

For many years, Ottomanist historians have been accustomed to study the Ottoman Empire and/or its constituent regions as entities insulated from the outside world, except when it came to ‘campaigns and conquests’ on the one hand, and ‘incorporation into the European-dominated world economy’ on the other. However, now many scholars have come to accept that the Ottoman Empire was one of the – not very numerous – long-lived ‘world empires’ that have emerged in history. This comparative social history compares the Ottoman to the another of the great world empires, that of the Mughals in the Indian subcontinent, exploring source criticism, diversities in the linguistic and religious fields as political problems, and the fates of ordinary subjects including merchants, artisans, women and slaves. Cover page Halftitle page Title page Copyright page Dedication Contents Acknowledgements A Note on Spelling and Transliteration Figures Maps Introduction In the context of world history: Empire building by Mughals and Ottomans Questions of time and place Inter-empire contacts Situating the problem: The politics behind historiography Ottoman–Mughal connections and the long shadow of Marshall Hodgson Outlining the present project Part One Approaching the Sources 1 Texts in Context: Relating Primary to Secondary Sources The medieval setting: Adopting Islam, the Persian language and a new script aesthetic Establishing what a text is, and what it is not Intertextuality: Politically motivated, at least on occasion Unearthing ‘invisible’ content Troublesome tropes and fictitious histories Fictions36 in the archives Constituting archives and permitting access – or perhaps rather not Combining multiple sources, and thereby ‘inventing’ new ones Constructing socio-political histories: A matter of common concern A very provisional conclusion 2 The Trouble with Imagery1 The ambiguities inherent in Ottoman painting The patrons of Ottoman illustrated manuscripts Commissioning paintings: Ottoman artists Patronage and artists in the Mughal world Commissioning miniatures: A survey of favourite subjects Imagined women on the pages of real books Favoured by the elites: Portraiture in a courtly ambience A favourite at court: Cartography as a fine art Of some interest to monarchs and grandees: Plants and animals depicted Not especially favoured, but present nonetheless: Scenes from non-elite lives Illustrated volumes made by and for Ottoman Christians Conclusion: The broader appeal of Mughal artwork in India Part Two Running Two Empires: Diversity and Disagreement as Political Problems 3 Geopolitical Constraints, Military Affairs and Financial Administration On the borders of empire, the sultan’s opponents – and, occasionally, his allies Mughal expansion and contraction in the subcontinent, between 1526 and 1739 Rulers and their armies: Recruiting military manpower within the empires and without Military technology Royal courts and capital cities as centres of power Deciphering the meaning of the term ‘conquest’ Collecting revenue Revenue collection, without thought for the consequences? The ‘circle of justice’ and the meaning of wajabi Conclusion 4 Legitimizing Monarchic Rule Amid Religious and Linguistic Diversity Political advantages as legitimizing factors Stability’, ‘socio- political change’, or else ‘decline’? Debating Ottoman rule and society ‘Harmony’ and ‘protection of the subjects’ as legitimizing discourses The prestige of the dynasty in the Ottoman and Mughal worlds The monarch’s presence, visible or invisible ‘Inherent holiness’ as a legitimizing device in the Ottoman world ‘Inherent holiness’ as a legitimizing device in the Mughal world Eschatology in Mughal and Ottoman legitimizing discourses Sunni Islam and the pilgrimage to Mecca as legitimizing factors Muslims and non-Muslims in legitimizing discourses Languages: Means of integration and exclusion in the Ottoman world Mughal multilingualism To conclude Part Three ‘Ordinary People’ in Business and at Work 5 Towns and Cities Preconditions: The possibilities and limitations imposed by nature Preconditions: A certain level of population density Imperial intervention: Promoting capital cities Imperial intervention: Promoting pilgrimage centres and commercial venues Projecting and conceiving the city: Town quarters and streets in the Ottoman world Planning the city: Town quarters and streets in the Mughal world Fortifications Gardens and summerhouses Caravan and riverine cities The promises and dangers of the sea Small towns on overland routes In conclusion: Urban hierarchies 6 Investigating the Business of Merchants Primary sources from the Ottoman world Foreign traders active in the Ottoman world Records on trade in the Indian context The differing perspectives of outsiders and insiders Ottoman merchants at their business Dealing in grain Ottoman traders: Vitality and limitations In Mughal India: Jewel traders and others Ottoman and Indian merchants: Trade and politics Ottomans and Indians in contact: Importing Indian goods Ottoman consumers and Indian prints The means of transport Money matters Economic expansion and its limits In conclusion: ‘Incorporation into a capitalist world system’ 7 Early Modern Crafts in the Ottoman and Indian Orbits The sources: The fleeting traces of artisans The long shadow of Abū’l-Fazl ‘Allāmī Relating Ottoman crafts to the Indian situation: Court workshops Relating Ottoman crafts to the Indian situation: Artisans’ incomes The social organization of crafts: (Sub-)castes and guilds The moral economy of artisans Artisan migrations Artisans working for exporting merchants Craft history and ethnography In conclusion 8 Rural Life in the Indian and Ottoman Environments The sources, such as they are The natural settings Control of the land: The Ottoman world Control of the land, control of the peasants: The Mughal orbit Land revenues, disputed or not, accruing to the elites: The Ottoman case Land revenues, disputed or not, accruing to the elite in the Mughal world Sharecroppers in both empires Peasant dues in kind and the Ottoman money economy Mughal peasants, the money economy, and its discontents Migrations in the Ottoman rural world Migrations in northern India Conclusion: Back to the cash nexus 9 On the Margins of Society: Women, Servants, Low-Caste People and Slaves Sources on ‘the second sex’5 Women of the Ottoman subject class, earning money in the market and elsewhere Women of the subject classes in the Mughal and post-Mughal worlds In service: The Ottoman ambiance Performing service in the Mughal world Being of low caste in Mughal India Women ‘off the straight path’ in the Ottoman world In the Mughal world: The twilight situation of female musicians and dancers In conclusion Conclusion History, historiography, (non-)accommodation and legitimacy The world of the subjects: Traders, artisans and peasants The world of the subjects: Women and slaves Crisis and dissolution: Political economy vs. political culture To conclude a conclusion Timeline Glossary Notes Bibliography Index "For many years, Ottomanist historians have been accustomed to study the Ottoman Empire and/or its constituent regions as entities insulated from the outside world, except when it came to 'campaigns and conquests' on the one hand, and 'incorporation into the European-dominated world economy' on the other. However, now many scholars have come to accept that the Ottoman Empire was one of the - not very numerous - long-lived 'world empires' that have emerged in history. This comparative social history compares the Ottoman to another of the great world empires, that of the Mughals in the Indian subcontinent, exploring source criticism, diversities in the linguistic and religious fields as political problems, and the fates of ordinary subjects including merchants, artisans, women and slaves."--Bloomsbury Publishing.