Peasants, Artisans and Entrepreneurs: Economy of Marwar in the Seventeenth Century

The present book is an important addition to the literature on the economic history of Mughal India, with western Rajasthan under focus. Perhaps, from this viewpoint, it has never been handled before on such scale. The study examines different aspects of the economy of Marwar during the 17th century, with the help of Rajasthani and Persian texts and documents, European and Indian traveller’s accounts and modern records. One basic feature of the book is continuous dual comparison of the economy of the Marwar with that of the directly administered territories under contemporary Mughal empire on the one hand, and that of the 18th and 19th centuries India on the other. The book also examines the demographic aspects of the ‘Marwaris’ and their diffusion in different parts of India and abroad, and also the establishment of enduring trading networks.