070125 GR Guided Reading [GR] (2013S)

The Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent exemplified not only power, territorial extent, stable administration but also systematic incorporation of diverse indigenous and foreign elements. These elements are worth studying for the students of early modern Indian history. The course will trace the various facets of the Empire by examining the political, social and religious processes and institutions. The major themes that will be dealt with are: political ideology, Central Asian past, court culture, conversions to Islam, Mughal harem, nobility, language and literature and inter cultural interactions. These themes will illuminate further discussions on complex issues like accommodation in a multi-ethnic and multi - religious environs, conflict and coexistence, tolerance and coercion, and cultural assimilation. In addition to reading the primary sources of the contemporary Mughal authors, European travellers and missionaries, the students will also be introduced to modern tools of analysing the Mughal Empire. The communal interpretation of the Mughal Empire in the modern Indian scenario will also be discussed.