Culture of Encounters documents the fascinating exchange between the Persian-speaking Islamic elite of the Mughal Empire and traditional Sanskrit scholars, which engendered a dynamic idea of Mughal rule essential to the empire's survival. This history begins with the invitation of Brahman and Jain intellectuals to King Akbar's court in the 1560s, then details the numerous Mughal-backed texts they and their Mughal interlocutors produced under emperors Akbar, Jahangir (1605–1627), and Shah Jahan (1628–1658). Many works, including Sanskrit epics and historical texts, were translated into Persian, elevating the political position of Brahmans and Jains and cultivating a voracious appetite for Indian writings throughout the Mughal world. The first book to read these Sanskrit and Persian works in tandem, Culture of Encounters recasts the Mughal Empire as a polyglot polity that collaborated with its Indian subjects to envision its sovereignty. The work also reframes the development of Brahman and Jain communities under Mughal rule, which coalesced around carefully selected, politically salient memories of imperial interaction. Along with its groundbreaking findings, Culture of Encounters certifies the critical role of the sociology of empire in building the Mughal polity, which came to irrevocably shape the literary and ruling cultures of early modern India.
Audrey Truschke is associate professor of history at Rutgers University–Newark. She is the author of Aurangzeb: The Life and Legacy of India’s Most Controversial King (2017).
Preface and AcknowledgmentsNote on Transliteration and Other Scholarly ConventionsIntroduction: The Mughal Culture of Power1. Brahman and Jain Sanskrit Intellectuals at the Mughal Court2. Sanskrit Textual Production for the Mughals3. Many Persian Maha bharatas for Akbar4. Abu al-Fazl Redefines Islamicate Knowledge and Akbar's Sovereignty5. Writing About the Mughal World in Sanskrit6. Incorporating Sanskrit Into the Persianate WorldConclusion: Power, Literature, and Early ModernityAppendix 1: Bilingual Example Sentences in Krsnadasa's Parasiprakasa (Light on Persian)Appendix 2: Four Sanskrit Verses Transliterated in the Razmna mah (Book of War)NotesBibliographyIndex
In Culture of Encounters, Audrey Truschke makes a compelling argument for the importance of Sanskrit and Sanskrit intellectuals in the Mughal court. Although certain aspects of these 'encounters' have been researched before, Truschke's work is more comprehensive, and her precise textual analyses go further than any others so far. This is an important and impressive work that should change the field of Mughal studies.
