The decline of the Mughal Empire / edited by Meena Bhargava.

The Mughal Empire is a fascinating mosaic in the history of India. The 'decline' of the Mughal Empire, along with its power, wealth, stability, territoriality, and exquisite and surreal character, has engaged historians for several decades in a complex and contentious debate. This volume explores the divergent views and discussions that surround the withering of this empire and focuses on the different paradigms and assumptions that have shaped the interpretations of this decline. A part of the Debates in Indian History and Society series, this volume tackles questions regarding the Mughal Empire. Was the decline a mere deterioration of power over a period of roughly thirty to fifty years or did the decentralizing tendencies of the empire become more apparent and aggressive during these particular years? Did the decline of the Mughal Empire lead to a 'dark age', or notwithstanding the decline and the political collapse of the centre, did the Indian economy and polity continue to flourish? This book will be of interest to students, teachers, and scholars of medieval and modern Indian history.

From From Akbar to Aurangzeb: a study in Indian economic history / W.H. Moreland -- The Jagirdari crisis: a fresh look / Satish Chandra -- The agrarian causes of the fall of the Mughal Empire / Irfan Habib -- The imperial crisis in the Deccan / John F. Richards -- Shivaji and the decline of the Mughal Empire / Michael N. Pearson -- The 'great firm' theory of the decline of the Mughal Empire / Karen Leonard -- The passing of the empire: the Mughal case / M. Athar Ali -- The structure of administration / Chetan Singh -- The formation of a regionally oriented ruling group in Bengal, 1700-1740 / Philip B. Calkins -- From The crisis of empire in Mughal north India, Awadh and the Punjab, 1707-1748 / Muzaffar Alam -- From Rulers, townsmen and bazaars: north Indian society in the age of British expansion, 1770-1870 / Christopher A. Bayly -- The slow conquest: administrative integration of Malwa into the Maratha empire, 1720-60 / Stewart Gordon.

SERIES EDITORS' NOTE ; PREFACE ; ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ; INTRODUCTION MEENA BHARGAVA ; 1. THE ECONOMIC INFLUENCE OF THE ADMINISTRATION (EXCERPTS) & SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION (EXCERPTS) W.H. MORELAND ; 2. THE JAGIRDARI CRISIS, A FRESH LOOK SATISH CHANDRA 3. THE AGRARIAN CAUSES OF THE FALL OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE IRFAN HABIB ; 4. THE IMPERIAL CRISIS IN THE DECCAN JOHN F. RICHARDS ; 5. SHIVAJI AND THE DECLINE OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE MICHAEL N. PEARSON ; 6. THE 'GREAT FIRM' THEORY OF THE DECLINE OF THE MUGHAL EMPIRE KAREN LEONARD ; 7. THE PASSING OF THE EMPIRE, THE MUGHAL CASE M. ATHAR ALI ; 8. THE STRUCTURE OF ADMINISTRATION CHETAN SINGH ; 9. THE FORMATION OF A REGIONALLY ORIENTED RULING GROUP IN BENGAL, 1700-1740 PHILIP CALKINS ; 10. FROM THE CRISIS OF EMPIRE IN MUGHAL NORTH INDIA: AWADH AND PUNJAB, 1707-48 MUZAFFAR ALAM ; 11. FROM RULERS, TOWNSMEN AND BAZAARS: NORTH INDIAN SOCIETY IN THE AGE OF BRITISH EXPANSION 1770-1870 CHRISTOPHER A. BAYLY ; 12. THE SLOW CONQUEST: ADMINISTRATIVE INTEGRATION OF MALWA INTO THE MARATHA EMPIRE, 1720-60 STEWART GORDON ; ABOUT THE EDITOR AND CONTRIBUTORS ; INDEX

Includes bibliographical references and index.