There are 22 essays in Studies in Mughal India. There are 12 new essays and 10 essays published earlier have been thoroughly revised. The essays provide a glimpse of India during the reign of the Mughals. The author's narration includes the daily schedules of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, Shah Jahan's fondness for emeralds and precious stones, Mumtaz Mahal and the Taj Mahal, Aurangzeb's ascension to the throne, his campaigns, his triumphs and failures, his bigotry, and the positive and negative traits in Aurangzeb's character. Other chapters that make the book a rather engrossing read include the regulations that Aurangzeb had established for collection of revenue: the emperor had set detailed instructions on the steps to be taken if the revenue was to be collected from the landowner or cultivator, the type of landholding, along with dos' and don'ts'. Sir Jadunath also gives us a detailed narration of historical events like the conquest of Chatgaon that took place in ad 1666, efforts made by Shaista Khan to suppress piracy, Shaista Khan's civil administration; Orissa in the seventeenth century; and art and education in Muslim India. Chapters on William Irvine, the historian of the later Mughals, and Khuda Bakhsh add to the value of this book.Based on translations of Persian texts and letters and other source material, this work by Sir Jadunath will be of immense help to scholars, intellectuals and students of Mughal India.
