Land, Noble and Ruler in Mughal India

Abstract

Introduction   This contribution to the conference on 'Feudalism: a comparative study in   social and political structures of pre-modern societies' makes almost no   overt attempt to enter the continuing debate over the applicability of   European feudal models to pre-British Indian society. Nevertheless, several   of Bloch's themes in his classic statement have struck sympathetic chords.   There is first what I take t9 be his general concern, which is to analyse the   social order of feudal Europe, and the nature of social ties and social   classifications within this order. In these matters not only military, legal   and institutional matters are of interest, for he includes a discussion of   ideas, of the 'medieval mentality'.