Søren Mentz
The Mogul Empire 1526-1739: Central government and regional power

The historiography of the Mughals has traditionally described the empire as a centralized state formation. However, the degree to which it ever was a centralized state has been questioned. This article argues that while the Mughal empire possessed a centralized administration they had to share power with local regional potentates, the zamindars. Due to rivalry within this group, the mughals controlled the regions through a divide-and-rule policy, thus bringing peace and stability to the Indian subcontinent. The article further explores why the empire disintegrated in the first half of the eighteenth century. An important issue is the flow of bullion to India due to international trade. This wealth strengthened the zamindars, destabilized the balance of power and led to the creation of the so-called successor states in former provinces such as Bengal, Awadh and Hyderabad.