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The Urban Economy in Premodern Muslim India: Shahjahanabad, 1639-1739

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 November 2008

Extract

Economists and economic historians have not devoted much time or effort to the analysis of premodern economies. Most scholars have tended to concentrate on the United States and Western Europe during the twentieth century. While a few persons have examined the economic development of premodern Europe (1000–1700 a.d.), almost no one has chosen to write about economic organization in the countries of Asia and Africa before 1800.

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Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

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References

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12 Tapan Raychaudhuri, ‘Non-Agricultural Production: Mughal India,’ ibid., 1: 261–2.

13 See Hocart, A. M., Kings and Councillors: An Essay in the Comparative Anatomy of Human Society (Cairo: Government Printing Office, 1936), pp. 112–15Google Scholar; and Cohn, Bernard S., ‘Political Systems in Eighteenth Century India: The Banaras Region,’ Journal of the American Oriental Society 82 (1962): 312–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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29 Rubruck, William, The Journey of William of Rubruck to the Eastern Parts of the World: 1253–55, trans. Rockhill, William Woodville (London: Hakluyt Society, 1900), p. 207.Google Scholar

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32 Anand Ram, ‘Mir'at al-Istilah,’ fol. 124a; ‘Zawabit-i 'Alamgiri,’ fol. 134a; ‘Dastur al-'Amal-i 'Alamgiri,’ fol. 54a.

33 Anand Ram, ‘Mir' at al-Istilah,’ fol. 124a.

34 Ibid., fol. 124b; Manucci, Niccolao, Storia do Mogor, trans. Irvine, William, 4 vols (London: John Murray, 19071908; reprint ed, Calcutta: Editions Indian, 1965), 2: 436.Google Scholar

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37 Shaikh Farid gave khil'ats to members of his household each year. Shah Nawaz Khan, Ma'asir al-Umara, 2: 639. Samsam al-Daulah Khan Dauran maintained a karkhanah for gift khil'ats (dad-khilats). ‘Ahwal-i Khan Dauran,’ fol. 164b. The Rajah of Jaipur also gave khil'ats to his clients. ‘Delhi Newsletters—1779–82,’ Persian Manuscript Collection, Add. 25021, British Museum, London, fol. 206b.

38 Nawab Dargah Kuli Khan, ‘Risalah-i Salar Jang,’ Persian Manuscript Collection, Add. 26,237, British Museum, London, fol.-89b.

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54 Ibid., p. 222.

55 For a full discussion see Stephen P. Blake, ‘Shahjahanabad: The Sovereign City in Mughal India, 1639–1739’ (unpublished manuscript), ch. 4.

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76 Habib, , ‘Usury,’ pp. 616.Google Scholar

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