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Synopsis The Mughal state has, ever since its existence, exercised a compelling effect on observers. A rich historiography on it has long existed, in Indian as well as European languages. In the present century debates have raged concerning its character, and on the nature of the Mughal state's implications for the longer-term trajectory of the subcontinent. This book brings together some of the key interventions in these debates. A detailed new introdution by the volume editors surveys the main positions that have been taken on this subject, even as it outlines possibilities for future research. This volume is the outcome of the collaboration of two scholars, one a specialist on Mughal studies, the other a social and economic historian of the early modern Indian Ocean world and southern India.