Book contents
- Bankrolling Empire
- Bankrolling Empire
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Tables
- A Note on Translations, Transliterations, and Dates
- Acknowledgments
- Mughal Family Tree
- Jhaveri Family Tree
- Gaekwad Family Tree
- Haribhakti Family Tree
- Introduction
- 1 Prelude: The Mughal Empire, 1526–1750
- 2 Courtly Mutualism: The Emperor’s Jeweler Shantidas Jhaveri, 1628–58
- 3 Political Commensalism: Manekchand Jhaveri and Bankrolling Bids to the Throne, 1658–1707
- 4 Interlude: Cultivating Financial Crisis under Aurangzeb, 1660s–1719
- 5 Expedient Extortion: The Governor’s Golden Goose Khushalchand Jhaveri, 1719–30
- 6 Competitive Coparcenary: Vakhatchand Jhaveri and Brokering Politics, 1730–1818
- 7 Postlude: Bankrollers of Mughal Succession, 1750–1818
- Conclusion
- Book part
- Glossary
- Bibliography
- Index
Conclusion
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 November 2023
- Bankrolling Empire
- Bankrolling Empire
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Tables
- A Note on Translations, Transliterations, and Dates
- Acknowledgments
- Mughal Family Tree
- Jhaveri Family Tree
- Gaekwad Family Tree
- Haribhakti Family Tree
- Introduction
- 1 Prelude: The Mughal Empire, 1526–1750
- 2 Courtly Mutualism: The Emperor’s Jeweler Shantidas Jhaveri, 1628–58
- 3 Political Commensalism: Manekchand Jhaveri and Bankrolling Bids to the Throne, 1658–1707
- 4 Interlude: Cultivating Financial Crisis under Aurangzeb, 1660s–1719
- 5 Expedient Extortion: The Governor’s Golden Goose Khushalchand Jhaveri, 1719–30
- 6 Competitive Coparcenary: Vakhatchand Jhaveri and Brokering Politics, 1730–1818
- 7 Postlude: Bankrollers of Mughal Succession, 1750–1818
- Conclusion
- Book part
- Glossary
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
A short conclusion ties major findings of Bankrolling Empire to wider understandings of early modern political economy in India, and to the comparative history of such transitions world-wide in that crucial period. Scholars such as Braudel, Wallerstein, Mann, and Goldstone have done major work on this period, and the story of the Mughal Empire, the Jhaveri family, and new political upstarts offered in this book helps to fill important gaps on the world scene. By focusing on how four generations of a single business family interacted with sources of political authority in South Asia, we learn how a major imperial formation atrophied, and the mechanisms by which various smaller successor states relied on finance to emerge in its wake. This work suggests that business leaders like the Jhaveris were not complacent, but maintained a keen eye towards political developments of the day. When opportunities arose, they relied on their expertise and wealth to shape political power. In the twenty-first century, as relationships between private capital and political authority continue to be intertwined, this work reminds us that while politics certainly impacts business, commercial actors often possess greater resources that can reorient the very contours of state power and its capacity to govern.
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- Information
- Bankrolling EmpireFamily Fortunes and Political Transformation in Mughal India, pp. 290 - 297Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023