The Mughals of India explores the grandest and longest lasting empire in Indian history. This innovative book examines the Mughal presence in India from 1526 to the mid-eighteenth century through four new entry points: the sources of the Mughal state's legitimacy; the evolution and meaning of court etiquette; the world of the imperial Mughal family; and the interaction between folklore and court culture. Based upon a wide range of sources - court chronicles, official documents, poetry, paintings, travellers' accounts, bazaar gossip and folktales - the book takes account of both the tensions and harmonies within the court and the durability of the empire's structures, together with the transient moments of the Mughals' world and its lasting legacy in today's India.