The first edition of the book aimed at presenting a mass of critically analysed material on the agrarian conditions of pre-colonial India - a subject which till then had received little attention. This revised and updated edition has much that is new in both descrition and perception. There is an expanded bibliography, a new descriptive index and new illustrations and maps.

The first edition of this book, published in 1963, presented a mass of critically analyzed material on the agrarian condition of pre-colonial India--a subject which until then had received little attention. Many of its key findings, particularly those concerning administrative institutions and the position of the zamindars, have become standard tools in the field. This revised and updated edition draws on extensive new research by the author and others, and it presents much that is new in both description and perception. It also includes an expanded bibliography, a new descriptive index, and new illustrations and maps.

Between the mid-sixteenth and early nineteenth century, the Mughal Empire was an Indo-Islamic dynasty that ruled as far as Bengal in the east and Kabul in the west, as high as Kashmir in the north and the Kaveri basin in the south. The Mughals constructed a sophisticated, complex system of government that facilitated an era of profound artistic and architectural achievement. They promoted the place of Persian culture in Indian society and set the groundwork for South Asia's future development. In this volume, two leading historians of early modern South Asia present nine major joint essays on the Mughal Empire, framed by an essential introductory reflection. Making creative use of materials written in Persian, Indian vernacular languages, and a variety of European languages, their chapters accomplish the most significant innovations in Mughal historiography in decades, intertwining political, cultural, and commercial themes while exploring diplomacy, state-formation, history-writing, religious debate, and political thought. Muzaffar Alam and Sanjay Subrahmanyam center on confrontations between different source materials that they then reconcile, enabling readers to participate in both the debate and resolution of competing claims. Their introduction discusses the comparative and historiographical approach of their work and its place within the literature on Mughal rule. Interdisciplinary and cutting-edge, this volume richly expands research on the Mughal state, early modern South Asia, and the comparative history of the Mughal, Ottoman, Safavid, and other early modern empires.

Highlights The Dynamic Role Of The Jats During The Later Period Of The Mughal Empire. The Author Has Assembled Some Of The Rarest Evidence Available And Turned Them Into A Readable And Historic Analysis.

Leading economic historians present a groundbreaking series of country case studies exploring the formation of fiscal states in Eurasia.

The late Professor M. Athar Ali was one of the foremost authorities on Mughal history. This book is a selection of some of his best essays on a wide range of themes from the realm of ideas (including religion) to polity, administration, society and culture of the Mughal period (sixteenth to eighteenth centuries). Some essays are interpretative, others represent detailed research, and rest share both elements. What unites them is his critical approach and consistence proximity to the Persian source material. The book includes a critique of 'revisionist' approaches in the study of the Mughal polity, and a section on sources.