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

Contents: The Islamic frontier in the East: expansion into South Asia; Outflow of precious metals from early Islamic India; The formulation of imperial authority under Akbar and Jahangir; Norms of comportment among imperial Mughal officers; Mughal state finance and the pre-modern world economy; The 17th-century crisis in South Asia; The Hyderabad Karnatik, 1687-1724; Mughal retreat from Coastal Andhra; Banditry in Mughal India: historical and folk perceptions; Kinship and pargana in 18th-century Khandesh; Official revenues and money flows in a Mughal province; The imperial crisis in the Deccan; Index.