Although Mongol authority built its empire through military might and administration, the cultural construction of empire happened through artistic exchange. Visions of desire, beauty, and power – as well as the materials that made creativity possible – were essential to the ideological projects of Mongol imperial reach. As governors of a Eurasian-wide commercial empire, Mongol rulers required effective visual representations of their power that could easily be understood by diverse audiences. This could be achieved through widespread dissemination and integration of material culture. Reliance on already recognizable symbols of authority that could be adapted and repurposed for contemporary political goals was both expedient and effective.

Chapter four returns to developments in north India, now from the mid-fourteenth through mid-sixteenth centuries. By the end of the fourteenth century, territories once under the Delhi Sultanate’s umbrella emerged as independent states. Political, economic, and cultural developments in Bengal, Gujarat, Jaunpur and Malwa are the initial focus, then we turn to Rajasthan, especially Mewar under the powerful Sisodiya ruler Rana Kuumbha. The remainder of this chapter focuses on important cultural trends across the north, including mosque and temple construction, literary developments as the use of vernaculars expanded, and widening religious beliefs. These include the spread of Sufism, the significant rise in Sant traditions including Kabir, and the increasing popularity of Krishna veneration.