History Of The Mughal Empire

The Mughal dynasty reigned from the early 16th century to the mid-18th century and is one of the most famous Empires that maintained great control of the diversified northern part of India during the medieval era. Akbar, the third ruling emperor of the Mughal Empire, understood that for his dynasty to long survive him, he must legitimate his rule and establish Mughal superiority in the eyes of all of his subjects. And so, by reinventing the institution of kingship through Mughal paintings and implementing rituals such as the eating of the salt and the creation of the land revenue system, provided successors of Akbar such as Jahangir and Aurangzeb, the foundation to secure their legitimacy as a sovereign and the fealty of their conquered subjects for centuries to come.

In the reading, Peering through the cracks in Baburnana: the texturized lives of Mughal Sovereigns, author Azfar Moin, an assistant professor in south Asian history at Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, explores the “intertwined literary and political processes that moulded the texts of Mughal sovereigns” through the life of Akbar. Moin argues that the texts “participated” in the making of the new institutions of kingship and sainthood. One can make the argument that Mughal paintings were used as a means to express royal power and dynastic legitimacy. For example, early in the life of Akbar, he enjoyed hearing stories of his grandfather’s (Amir Hamza) military expeditions. He loved them so much that once he had became an emperor, Akbar gathered artists and writers to produce the story of Amir Hamza military expedition of him dominating Iran through bravery and war (changing it from Zoroaster to Islam) to depict him as a brave warrior. And so, 1400 folio...

... middle of paper ...

...ing rituals such as eating of the salt, secured the loyalty of warriors who played a significant role in the process of the Mughal Emperors military campaigns and territorial expansions. Lastly, the economic theory of the revenue system allowed classes such as the peasants, merchants and elites to live a happy, stable and prosperous life within the Mughal Empire and as a result, subjects were content with the rule of their given emperor at the time. Overall, what we can learn in regards to the Mughal Empire and emperors is that Mughal nobility was very unique because it not only depended on religious legitimacy as we have learned through the relationship of Sufi Saints and Sultan, but also involved aspects of literature, political policies and economic systems in order to sustain legitimacy, security and prosperity in the Mughal Empire for approximately 200 years.