The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c15.s1.25

c15.s1.25

By the same logic, the limited areas of effective control interconnected by the main and lateral roads left large interstices where the Mughal had to content himself with, at best, a nominal overlordship, leaving the management of affairs to the local *magnati et potentes*. That the latter were either recognized as tributary chiefs or, if they could not be made to agree to a tributary arrangement known as rebels and robbers was, of course, a fine but largely theoretical distinction. In practice, the personnel of both categories could and did change from one to the other with disconcerting ease.