Culture of Encounters: Sanskrit at the Mughal Court

The Mughal Empire's Persian-speaking Islamic elite interacted with traditional Sanskrit scholars, producing numerous Mughal-backed texts and elevating the political position of Brahmans and Jains. This history, documented in "Culture of Encounters," reframes the Mughal Empire as a polyglot polity that collaborated with its Indian subjects to envision its sovereignty and rewrites the development of Brahman and Jain communities under Mughal rule.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 384 pages
Publication date: 25 December 2018
Publisher: Columbia University Press

The captivating interaction between the Persian-speaking Islamic elite of the Mughal Empire and traditional Sanskrit scholars is explored in depth in the book Culture of Encounters. This history, which spans from the invitation of Brahman and Jain intellectuals to King Akbar's court in the 1560s to the production of numerous Mughal-backed texts under emperors Akbar, Jahangir (1605–1627), and Shah Jahan (1628–1658), sheds light on the intricate tapestry of Mughal rule. These intellectuals, supported by the Mughal Empire, translated numerous Sanskrit epics and historical texts into Persian, elevating the political status of Brahmans and Jains and fostering a voracious appetite for Indian writings throughout the Mughal world.

Culture of Encounters offers a fresh perspective on the Mughal Empire by presenting it as a polyglot polity that collaborated with its Indian subjects to shape its sovereignty. The book also reevaluates the development of Brahman and Jain communities under Mughal rule, highlighting how these communities coalesced around carefully selected, politically salient memories of imperial interaction. Moreover, Culture of Encounters underscores the critical role of the sociology of empire in the formation of the Mughal polity, which had a lasting impact on the literary and ruling cultures of early modern India.

This book is a groundbreaking contribution to the study of Mughal history and culture, providing a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between different religious and intellectual traditions within the empire. Its insights into the cultural exchange between the Mughals and their Indian subjects are invaluable, and it sheds light on the ways in which the Mughal Empire shaped the literary and political landscapes of early modern India.

Weight: 582g
Dimension: 155 x 230 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231173636