India in the Persianate Age, 1000–1765

520 Pages·2019·46.243 MB·English

by  Richard M. Eaton

India in the Persianate Age
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For family, friends old and new, villagers, farm-hands,
musicians, and in memory of fields of golden grain,
horses, cows, and dogs (Sadie and Cam),
at 100 Lovers Lane, Bainbridge
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RICH ARD M. EATON
India in the Persianate Age
1000– 1765
ALLEN LANE
an imprint of
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ALLEN LANE
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First published 2019
001
Copyright © Richard M. Eaton, 2019
The moral right of the author has been asserted
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Printed and bound in Great Britain by Clays Ltd, Elcograf S.p.A.
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Contents
List of Illustrations ix
List of Maps xi
Acknowledgements xiii
Introduction 3
Stereotypes and Challenges 3
Two Transregional Worlds: Sanskrit and Persianate 10
1 The Growth of Turkic Power, 1000–1300 19
A Tale of Two Raids: 1022, 1025 19
Political Culture in the Sanskrit World 23
Political Culture in the Persianate World 30
The Ghurid Conquest of North India, 1 192– 1206 37
The Delhi Sultanate under the Mamluks, or Slave Kings 45
Conclusion 57
2 The Diffusion of Sultanate Systems, 1200–1400 62
Imperial Expansion Across the Vindhyas 62
Settlers, Shaikhs and the Diffusion of Sultanate
Institutions 73
The Early Bengal Sultanate 76
Sultanates of the Deccan: the Bahmanis and
Vijayanagara 80
The Early Kashmir Sultanate 88
The Decline of the Tughluq Empire 92
Conclusion 97
v
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Contents
3 Timur’s Invasion and Legacy, 1400–1550 100
Overview 100
Upper India 105
Bengal 111
Kashmir 114
Gujarat 119
Malwa 122
Emerging Identities: the Idea of ‘Rajput’ 128
Writing in Vernacular Languages 133
Conclusion 138
4 The Deccan and the South, 1400–1650 142
Links to the Persianate World 142
Successors to the Bahmani State 149
Political and Cultural Evolution at Vijayanagara 157
Gunpowder Technology in the Deccan 167
Cultural Production in the Gunpowder Age 173
Vijayanagara’s Successors and South India 175
Conclusion 190
5 The Consolidation of Mughal Rule, 1526–1605 195
Overview 195
Babur 198
Humayun 206
Akbar’s Early Years 215
Emerging Identities: Rajputs 217
Mughal Expansion Under Akbar 224
Akbar’s Religious Ideas 233
Conclusion 239
vi
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Contents
6 India under Jahangir and Shah Jahan, 1605–1658 244
Jahangir 244
The View from the Frontier 252
The Deccan: Africans and Marathas 259
Emerging Identities: the Idea of ‘Sikh’ 264
Assessing Jahangir 271
Shah Jahan 273
Conclusion 282
7 Aurangzeb – from Prince to Emperor ‘Alamgir, 1618–1707 288
Prince Aurangzeb –  Four Vignettes 288
War of Succession, 1657– 9 301
‘Alamgir’s Early Reign 309
Emerging Identities: the Marathas from Shahji
to Tarabai 314
‘One Pomegranate to Serve a Hundred Sick Men’ 325
Religion and Sovereignty Under ‘Alamgir 327
Conclusion 338
8 Eighteenth century Transitions 340
Political Changes, 1707– 48 340
Maratha Uprisings 350
Sikh Uprisings 355
Emerging Identities: Muslims in Bengal and Punjab 361
Early Modern Globalization 368
Conclusion 377
Conclusion and Epilogue 380
India in the Persianate World 380
The Mughals in the Sanskrit World 386
vii
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Contents
The Lotus and the Lion 390
Towards Modernity 393
Notes 399
Index 461
viii
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List of Illustrations
1. Bronze image of Śiva as Nataraja, Pala dynasty (c.750–1161). Śiva
temple, Śri Amirthakadeśvara, Mela Kadambur, South Arcot,
Chidambaram. Seized from Bengal by Rajendra Chola, c.1022. (©
Institut français d’Indologie de Pondichéry).
2. Silver coin of Ajaya Raja II Chauhan (r. c.1110–35) (© Anthony
A.J. Hilgevoord and World of Coins). Gold coin of Muhammad
Ghuri (r. 1192–1206) (© CoinIndia.com).
3. Warangal fort: interior of Tughluq audience hall, the so-called
‘Khush Mahal’ (1323) (author).
4. Vijayanagara (modern Hampi): northern gateway to the Viru-
paksha Temple (established twelfth century) (© dbimages/Alamy
Stock Photo).
5. Emperor Timur (d. 1405) enthroned. Pen and wash in Indian ink
on Japanese paper, by Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–69) (Louvre,
Paris, France/Bridgeman Images).
6. Bidar: the madrasa of Mahmud Gawan (completed 1472) (Anne
Feldhaus).
7. Shahr-i Sabz, Uzbekistan: the Aq Saray, palace of Timur (com-
pleted 1396) (© dbimages/Alamy Stock Photo).
8. Yadgir: wrought-iron cannon on a hill in the centre of the fort
(late 1550s) (author).
9. Calicut: Mishkal Mosque (said to date to the fourteenth century,
subsequently renovated) (© Hemis/Alamy Stock Photo).
10. Raichur: Krishna Raya with female attendants, depicted on a
frieze in the Naurangi Darwaza’s inner courtyard (1520)
(author).
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List of Illustrations
11. Detail of Surjan Singh submitting to Akbar, from a painting by
Mukund in the Akbar-nama (c.1595) (© V&A Museum,
London).
12. Vrindavan: interior of the Govinda Deva Temple (completed
1590) (© Robyn Beeche).
13. Nur Jahan loading a musket. Painting attributed to Abu’l-Hasan
(1620) (© Raza Library, Rampur, India).
14. Jahangir taking aim at the head of Malik Ambar. Painted by
Abu’l-Hasan (1616) (© Chester Beatty Library, Dublin).
15. Amritsar: Harmandir, or Golden Temple (1589) (© Steve Allen/
Getty Images).
16. Jahangir conversing with Jadrup. Painted by Govardhan (c.1616–
20) (© The Picture Art Collection/Alamy Stock Photo).
17. Prince Aurangzeb attacking a raging elephant. Painting in the
Padshah-nama (1633) (© Royal Collection Trust).
18. Lahore: Badshahi Mosque (1671–73) (© DEA / W. BUSS / Con-
tributor/Getty Images).
19. Shah Jahan enthroned, with his son Dara Shukoh. Watercolour
and gold on paper, by Govardhan (c.1630–40) (© The History
Collection/Alamy Stock Photo).
20. Prince Aurangzeb, probably painted while governor of the Dec-
can (1653–57) (© Ashmolean Museum, Oxford).
21. Kolhapur, Kavala Naka Square: equestrian statue of Tarabai
(erected 1981) (author).
x
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