The volume provides a complex portrait of the chieftains of Bihar and their relationship with the Mughal Empire as well as their role in the consolidation and expansion of the Mughal Empire in India. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

From the mid-16th to the early 18th centuries the Mughal empire was the dominant power in the Indian subcontinent. Contrary to what is sometimes suggested, John Richards argues that this centralised state was dynamic and skillfully run. The studies here consider its links with the wider early modern world, and focus on three related aspects of its history. The first concerns the nature of imperial authority, in terms both of the dynastic ideology created by Akbar and his successors, and the extent to which this authority could be enforced in the countryside. The second aspect is that of fiscal and monetary policy and administration: how did the Mughals collect, track and expend their vast revenues, and what effects did this have? Finally, the author asks why the system could not cope with the changes it had helped engender, and what were the weaknesses and pressures that led to the breakup of the empire in the first decades of the 18th century. De la moitié du 16e siècle au début du 18e, l’empire moghol était le pouvoir dominant du sous-continent indien. Contrairement à ce qui peut parfois être suggéré, John Richards soutient que cet état centralisé était dynamique et adroitement mené. Les études examinent ses liens avec le reste du monde moderne et se concentrent sur trois aspects de son histoire. Le premier concerne la nature de l’autorité impériale, en termes d’idéologie dynastique, telle qu’elle avait été créée par Akbar et ses successeurs et du point jusqu’auquel cette autorité pouvait être imposée dans les milieux ruraux. Le second aspect est celui de l’administration et de la politique fiscale et monétaire: comment les Moghols faisaient-ils pour collecter, retrouver et dépenser leurs vastes revenus et quel était l’effet d’une telle politique? Enfin, l’auteur cherche à savoir pourquoi ce système n’arrivait pas à faire face aux changements qu’il avait contribué à engendrer et quelles avaient été

The Book Attempts To Offer Within The Convenient Compass Of Single Cover, A Comprehensive Record Of The Main Facts And Subsidiary Details Of Mughal Sover¬Eignty Which Are To Be Found Both In Original Sources And In The Numerous And Occasionally Costly Works Of Modern Writers.As Regards The Political And Administra¬Tive Features Of The Period, The Account Is Primarily Based Upon Well-Known Origi¬Nal Sources - The Memoirs Of Babur, The Memoirs Of Jahangir, The Immortal Work Of Abul-I-Fazl, And So Forth. It Shows Incidentally That Religious Intolerance, Which Is Usually Supposed To Have Had Its Origin In The Bigotry Of Aurangzeb, Was Not Wholly Unknown In The Reigns Of Jahangir And Shah Jahan. The Later Chapters Make Use Of The Records Of Early European Merchants And Travellers In Respect Of The General Circumstances Of The Mughal Empire.The Book Will Be Found Of Great Use For The Students Of The Medieval History Who Do Not Have The Time To Read The Original Works. It Will Also Be Great Interest To The Layman Interested In History Of Mughal Empire.