Region and Empire: Panjab in the Seventeenth Century Book

The imperial administrative system of Panjab, often regarded as monolithic and highly centralized, is shown here to have demonstrated considerable flexibility: it responded to and reflected the local peculiarities of the area. The increasing use of different methods of irrigation and the expanding cultivation of commercial crops came to play an important role in the laborious existence of the Panjab peasant. The picture that emerges from Singh's study is one in which town and country alike were bound firmly to each other in a relentless movement toward commercialization. Panjab, with its abundant artefacts and numerous traders, was not only drawn into a commercial bond with other regions of the Mughal empire, but was also influenced by major trends in the world economy. This book provides insights into the remarkably stratified society that was continually generating and adding new social sections. Toward the end of the seventeenth century, compelling reasons existed for the emergence of social unrest which eventually led to political conflict in the region.Read More