The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c15.s1.6

c15.s1.6

The Mughal Empire, it would seem, fits very well into the perspective of resilience and durability. Thus, J. F. Richards convincingly concludes that "the vector of change was always in the direction of centralized power exercised by an Islamic ruler . . . . Despite the extent and severity of revolts and disorder in the first half of the eighteenth century Muslim rulers and Muslim institutions retained a tenacious hold on power."¹⁶ If this is the case, the question as to how the empire actually worked rather than how it declined and collapsed imposes itself.