Mughal Empire Islamic India 1526–1857 Art Culture Military Daily Life Taj Mahal

  The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture by Annemarie Schimmel.

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  DESCRIPTION:  Softcover.  Publisher: Reaktion Books (2006.  Pages: 352  Size:  9¾ x 7½ x 1 inch; 2¼ pounds.       Long viewed as an exotic wonderland of unimaginable treasures, the Mughal Empire (1526–1857) was, in reality, the mightiest Islamic empire in the history of India. In “The Empire of the Great Mughals”, historian Annemarie Schimmel describes the political, military, and economic rise of the Mughals, the incredible unfolding of the empire’s power and splendor, and the empire’s gradual collapse at the hands of the British. 

Beginning with a concise historical overview, Schimmel paints a detailed picture of daily life in the empire: the role of rank in this strictly hierarchical society, the life of women, and the various religions, languages, and styles of literature of the era. She pays particular attention to the remarkable accomplishments and techniques of artists at the Mughal court—including the Taj Mahal, the most impressive demonstration of the Mughal rulers’ refined sense of beauty.

The capstone to the career of Annemarie Schimmel, whom the New York Times called “one of the 20th century’s most influential scholars of Islam, “The Empire of the Great Mughals” is a fascinating portrait of an exquisitely rich and refined civilization. With 118 illustrations, 92 in color.

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PLEASE SEE PUBLISHER, PROFESSIONAL, AND READER REVIEWS BELOW.

  PUBLISHER REVIEWS: 

  REVIEW:  Here is the worldof the Mughals – that exotic, treasure-filled empire mruled by the mightiest Islamic dynasty in the history of India – set forth in a superb account by Annemarie Schimmel. “The Empire of the Great Mughals” explores the political, military and economic rise of the Mughals in the early sixteenth century, their system of rule, the remarkable unfolding of their power and splendor, and their gradual collapse, until they were finally supplanted by the British colonial empire in 1957.

  Annemarie Schimmel paints a detailed picture of life at the Mughal court. She discusses the nature of rank and status in this strictly hierarchical society, women’s lives, the various religions, languages and literatures that enriched the Mughal era, and the munificent patronage of the arts by successive rulers. Who has not heart of the Taj Mahal, the glittering mausoleum that Shah Jahan built for his wife at Agra?  This spectacular edifice of white marble, inlaid with a filigree of precious stones, is an impressive demonstration of the refined sense of beauty of the Mughal rulers. Indeed the entire court culture of the Mughals; painting literature and landscape architecture as well as buildings; testifies to an aesthetic sensibility within which they strove to harmonize all aspects of life.

  “The Empire of the Great Mughals” is a richly illustrated and fascinating portrait of an advanced South Asian civilization, the historical and cultural legacy of which still inspires universal admiration today.

REVIEW:  The Mughal empire (1526-1857) has long been viewed as a wonderland of unimaginable treasure; it was in fact the mightiest Islamic empire in the history of India. In this comprehensive cultural history, now available in paperback, Annemarie Schimmel describes the political, military and economic rise of the Mughals, their system of rule, the incredible unfolding of their power and splendor, and their gradual collapse, finally supplanted by the British colonial empire in 1857.

  Beginning with a concise historical overview, she paints a detailed picture of life at court: of rank and status in this strictly hierarchical society; of the life of women; of the various religions, languages and literatures of the Mughal era; of the patronage of the arts by the rulers; and the remarkable accomplishments and techniques of artists at the Mughal court. Who, for example, has not heard of the Taj Mahal, the renowned mausoleum that the emperor Shah Jahan constructed for his wife in the Indian city of Agra?

  This amazing edifice of white marble, inlaid with a filigree of precious stones, is an impressive demonstration of the refined sense of beauty of the Mughal rulers. Building and landscape architecture, painting and literature, indeed, the entire court culture of the Mughals, all testify to an aesthetic sensibility within which they strove to harmonize all aspects of life. "The Empire of the Great Mughals" is a richly illustrated and fascinating portrait of an advanced civilization, the historical and cultural legacy of which still inspires universal admiration today.

REVIEW:  The Mughal Empire was the most powerful Islamic empire in the history of India, and it has lived for centuries in the Western imagination as a wonderland of unimaginable treasures, symbolized most clearly by the breathtaking beauty of the Taj Mahal. This richly illustrated cultural history dispels the air of exoticism and mystery with which Westerners have often viewed the Mughals, but in doing so The Empire of the Great Mughals reveals that the cultural and artistic achievements of the Mughal Empire are no less astonishing when viewed in the cold light of historical fact.

  Ranging from the founding of the empire in 1526 through its absorption into the British Empire in 1857, The Empire of the Great Mughals explores all aspects of the culture of this mighty civilization. Annemarie Schimmel paints a detailed picture of life at court, particularly for women, and the fine gradations of rank and status in the strictly hierarchical Mughal society. She details the interplay of the various religions, languages, and literatures of the era and the role played by imperial patronage in the creation of Mughal artwork, especially the creation of the Taj Mahal, built as a mausoleum for the wife of the emperor Shah Jahan. Throughout, Schimmel shows how a clear aesthetic sensibility permeated every aspect of Mughal court culture through which the Mughals attempted to bring all facets of life into harmony.

  Infused with illustrations depicting the greatest works of Mughal art and architecture, The Empire of the Great Mughals is an incomparable portrait of a refined society whose achievements still inspire awe and admiration today.  With 118 illustrations, 92 in color.

  REVIEW:  The Mughal Empire (1526-1857) has long been viewed as a wonderland of unimaginable treasure. Annemarie Schimmel describes its rise to political, military, and economic ascendancy, the development of its power and splendor, and finally its gradual disintegration. This is a fascinating portrait of an advanced oriental culture, whose historical and cultural legacy -- such as Mughal paintings and the marble-clad Taj Mahal in Agra -- still inspires universal admiration today

REVIEW:  “The Empire of the Great Mughals” explores the political, military and economic rise of the Mughals in the early sixteenth century, their system of rule, the remarkable unfolding of their power and splendour, and their gradual collapse, until they were finally supplanted by the British colonial empire in 1857.

REVIEW:  Annemarie Schimmel (1922-2003) was at the time of her death Professor Emerita of Indo-Muslim Languages and Culture at Harvard University and Honorary Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Bonn.  She was for 10 years consultant in the Islamic Department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. She began studying Arabic at the age of 15, and obtained her first doctorate from the University of Berlin four years later, with her thesis on Arabic, Turkish, and Islamic history. The author and translator of more than 100 works, she was universally acknowledged to be the finest scholar in recent times of Islamic literature and mysticism.

REVIEW:  Burzine K. Waghmar, co-author of the “Circle of Inner Asian Art” newsletter, is at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

REVIEW:  Francis Robinson is Sultan of Oman Fellow, Oxford Center for Islamic Studies, a Visiting Professor at the University of Oxford, and Professor of the History of South Asia, Royal Holloway, University of London.

REVIEW:  Annemarie Schimmel (1922–2003) was professor of Indo-Muslim culture at Harvard University and the University of Bonn. She was a consultant in the Islamic Department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, for ten years. Her books include “Islam: An Introduction” and “My Soul is a Woman: The Feminine in Islam”.

  REVIEW:  Table of Contents.

Foreword by Francis Robinson.

Editorial Notes.

Map of the Mughal Empire.

The Mughal Dynasty.

Prologue.

1. Historical Introduction.

2. At Court.

3. The Empire.

4. Religion.

5. Women at Court.

6. The Imperial Household and Housekeeping.

7. The Life of a Mirza.

8. Languages and Literature.

9. The Arts.

Epilogue.

References.

Glossary.

Bibliography.

Photographic Acknowledgements.

Index.

  REVIEW:  The Mogul Empire was an empire in the Indian subcontinent, established and ruled by a Muslim Persianate dynasty of Chagatai Turco-Mongol origin that extended over most of modern-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in South Asia. The beginning of the empire is conventionally dated to the founder Babur's victory over Ibrahim Lodi, the last ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in the First Battle of Panipat (1526). The Mughal emperors were Central Asian Turco-Mongols belonging to the Timurid dynasty, who claimed direct descent from both Genghis Khan (founder of the Mongol Empire, through his son Chagatai Khan) and Timur (Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire).

  During the reign of Humayun, the successor of Babur, the empire was briefly interrupted by the Sur Empire. The "classic period" of the Mughal Empire started in 1556 with the ascension of Akbar the Great to the throne. Under the rule of Akbar and his son Jahangir, the region enjoyed economic progress as well as religious harmony, and the monarchs were interested in local religious and cultural traditions. Akbar was a successful warrior who also forged alliances with several Hindu Rajput kingdoms.

  Some Rajput kingdoms continued to pose a significant threat to the Mughal dominance of northwestern India, but most of them were subdued by Akbar. All Mughal emperors were Muslims; while Akbar was Muslim most of his life, he propounded a syncretic religion in the latter part of his life called Deen-i-Ilahi, as recorded in historical books like Ain-e-Akbari and Dabestan-e Mazaheb.

  The Mughal Empire did not try to intervene in the local societies during most of its existence, but rather balanced and pacified them through new administrative practices and diverse and inclusive ruling elites, leading to more systematic, centralised, and uniform rule. Its provinces were termed subahs. Newly coherent social groups in northern and western India, such as the Marathas, the Rajputs, the Pashtuns, the Hindu Jats and the Sikhs, gained military and governing ambitions during Mughal rule, which, through collaboration or adversity, gave them both recognition and military experience.

  The Bengali Muslim aristocracy initially resisted Mughal expansion under the Baro-Bhuyan, but eventually embraced imperial sovereignty. In frontier regions, the Mughals competed with Persia in the northwest for control of Kabul and Kandahar; expelled the Arakanese from Chittagong in the coastal southeast and defended Kashmir from aggression by Tibet and the Dzungar Khanate in the north.

  The reign of Shah Jahan, the fifth emperor, between 1628–58 was the golden age of Mughal architecture. He erected several large monuments, the best known of which is the Taj Mahal at Agra, as well as the Moti Masjid, Agra, the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid, Delhi, and the Lahore Fort. The Mughal Empire reached the zenith of its territorial expanse during the reign of Aurangzeb and also started its terminal decline in his reign due to Maratha military resurgence under Shivaji Bhosale.

  During his lifetime, victories in the south expanded the Mughal Empire to more than 3.2 million square kilometres (1.2 million square miles), ruling over more than 150 million subjects, nearly one quarter of the world's population at the time, with a combined GDP of over $90 billion. The economic hub of the empire was the Bengal Subah, which hosted the commercial center Dhaka and was the agricultural basket of India, as well as an advanced center of textile production, drawing diverse Eurasian merchants. An extensive landed gentry was established, including the holders of titles such as mansabdars, jagirdars, faujdars and zamindars.

  By the mid-18th century, the Marathas had routed Mughal armies, and won over several Mughal provinces from the Punjab to Bengal,and internal dissatisfaction arose due to the weakness of the Mughal Empire's administrative and economic systems, leading to the break-up of the empire and declaration of independence of its former provinces by the Nawab of Bengal, the Nawab of Awadh, the Nizam of Hyderabad and other small states. In 1739, the Mughals were crushingly defeated in the Battle of Karnal by the forces of Nader Shah, the founder of the Afsharid dynasty in Persia, and Delhi was sacked and looted, drastically accelerating their decline.

  During the following century Mughal power had become severely limited and the last emperor, Bahadur Shah II, had authority over only the city of Shahjahanabad. He issued a firman supporting the Indian Rebellion of 1857 and following the defeat was therefore tried by the British East India Company for treason, imprisoned and exiled to Rangoon. The last remnants of the empire were formally taken over by the British, and the Government of India Act 1858 let the British Crown formally assume direct control of India in the form of the new British Raj.

  PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS: 

  REVIEW:  This is a splendid book, fittingly enough for a history of one of the world's great empires-and a worthy memorial to its distinguished author, who died last year. But, as Annemarie Schimmel shows, there was much more to the Mughals than magnificence: her history shows us a more human side to their civilization than we've seen before. From palace politics to childcare, from war to women's polo and pets, this is a wonderfully vivid portrait of a fascinating age. [The Scotsman].

REVIEW:  This parting gift which Schimmel has left behind once again shows her mettle as a powerful and prolific writer of extraordinary worth. The book is a welcome addition to the world of scholarship – a unique dictionary of Mughal history and culture for which Schimmel will long be remembered.

REVIEW:  An important book.. An excellent cultural history of one of the great cosmopolitan court cultures, full of vivid anecdote and pertinent quotes.

REVIEW:  Published to accompany a major British Library exhibition, "The Empire of the Great Mughals" showcases the British Library's extensive collection of illustrated manuscripts and paintings commissioned by Mughal emperors and other officials. Depicting the splendor and vibrant color of Mughal life, the exquisitely decorated works span four centuries, from the foundation of the Mughal dynasty by Babur in the sixteenth century, through the heights of the empire and the and Great Mughal emperors of the seventeenth century, into the decline and eventual collapse in the nineteenth century. The lavish artworks cover a variety of subject matter, from scenes of courtly life to illustrations of works of literature. The development of a Mughal style of art can be traced through the ilustrations and paintings, as can the influence of European styles. Many of these works have never before been published, and combined here with the engaging narrative of two experts who place each image within its historical and art historical context, they serve to provide us with a beautiful and illuminating view of the art and culture of Mughal India.

    READER REVIEWS: 

  REVIEW:  This is a fascinating subject and therefore it had to be a fascinating book. It helps that it is written by the extraordinarily knowledgeable Annemarie Schimmel. As a prodigy who finished her Doctorate at 19, and as a polyglot who could speak and lecture in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Turkish etc…, Schimmel´s account had to be interesting. Unsurprisingly, she became the first Professor of Indo-Muslim Culture at Harvard. I have particularly liked her accounts of life at the courts and her broader approach to cultural life.

Things that could be better in this book: the translation (several ambiguous sentences), maps (only one with only the obvious places indicated), and a greater sensitivity to the neophyte reader. Schimmel is so comfortable in her command of the subject that she moves backwards and forwards through history assuming we can follow her with ease. 

REVIEW:  Having purchased other books on this subject I was extremely impressed with A.M. Schimmel's approach in her book. She begins by detailing the life and achievements of the first six Mughal rulers (Babur to Aurangzeb), followed by a section on the last 150 years of decline when the rulers changed in quick succession. The book then goes on to discuss this wonderful period of the history of the subcontinent in the context of developments in art and literature and all aspects of culture from marriage to fashion. In this manner the book lends itself to being a handy reference text and the illustrations are a real treat. The author's knowledge on the subject is quite staggering and a real love of this glorious period in history shines through. Proud to own this one.

  REVIEW:  Amazing book by an amazing scholar! I picked up this book on a friend's recommendation because I am planning a first trip to India in 2016. I had no idea that the Mughal Empire was so vast and so gloriously cultural. Nor did I know that it was Muslim. My preconceptions about pre-Raj India were way off the mark. This book is a must read! It is fascinating on every page.

REVIEW:  A very detailed study of many and varied aspects of life at the Mughal court. I have one small criticism, it reads rather like a text book. The photographs are excellent although I missed indications of where the originals can be seen. The glossary of Arabic/Persian/Hindu terms is an essential addition which I referred to throughout the book.

REVIEW:  So many beautiful images and laminated pages, oh boy. The author is incredibly knowledgeable about her subject, specialized as it is. Pretty sure she is dead now, but she was *the* leading scholar in the field when she was alive. It also gives you plenty to go “Google” on your own, because unless this was going to be a full blown coffee table book, it cant contain the full number of images which she references. And there is a lot in here which isn't written much about elsewhere outside of academic literature.

REVIEW:  An Excellent source of understanding the Mughals from an insider account and not from the bias of the British administrators which is the legacy in the English language when it comes to the Mughal Empire.

REVIEW:  I read this hand in hand with other histories of greater India and it fleshed out and colored the imagery of the period that text books don't always cover.

REVIEW:  Easy read and good, concise history of the Mughal empire. Definite keeper for understanding the Islamic Dynasty

REVIEW:  Interesting book on a little known subject. I was amazed at the influence of the Mughals and the influence of Islam on them.

REVIEW:  Very informative book, a pleasure to read.

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