State and Locality in Mughal India

This examination of the interaction between state and society greatly contributes to our understanding of medieval India. The Mughal empire, one of the most powerful states in pre-British India with an impressive administrative structure and an aristocratic high culture, has long held a fascination for historians. Exploring the Mughal State on the basis of extant local documents not previously treated by historians, this book demonstrates that the state was deeply entangled with social forces.

1. Introduction; 2. Conquest and sovereignty; 3. The system of rule; 4. Order and disorder; 5. Women, kin and shari'a; 6. The state and the local complexes of power; 7. The fiscal system; 8. Conclusion; Bibliography.