Unveiling Mughal Empire's Economic Heart: Lally's 'Badshah, Bandar, Bazaar' Rewrites History

• Jagjeet Lally's new book, 'Badshah, Bandar, Bazaar,' re-examines the Mughal Empire through its commerce and everyday life, moving beyond traditional narratives of emperors and courts.
• The book argues that the empire was sustained by contracts, coins, and bazaars, rather than solely by military force, using diverse sources like Sikh gurus and Jain merchants.
• Lally, a historian at University College London, emphasizes the importance of economic life and the roles of non-elite actors, including women, in the Mughal world.
• The book highlights the standardized trimetallic coinage and efficient transit dues that facilitated trade and urban development, exemplified by Chandni Chowk.
• It challenges the notion of European economic dominance in the 18th century, showing Asian merchants outbidding them in Bengal's silk markets, and offers a nuanced view of Mughal fiscal policies.

Why It Matters: Lally's book reveals the Mughal Empire's true power lay in its economic systems and everyday commerce.