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Lower Classes of Mughal Muslim Society

Essays

Arabs, Abyssinians, and Constantinople Turks: Muhammad Shah's Delhi as a Haven of Imported Islamic Mercenaries

Arabs, Abyssinians, and Constantinople Turks: Muhammad Shah's Delhi as a Haven of Imported Islamic Mercenaries

The shoe-seller's riot of 1729 reveals several disturbing aspects of Muhammad Shah's reign. Imported Muslim mercenaries of the Arab, Abyssinian and Turkish stock had acquired frightful levels of brute power on the street.

By Sandeep Balakrishna
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What the Deadly Riot of Delhi Shoe-Sellers in 1729 Reveals about the True Character of Mughal Decline

What the Deadly Riot of Delhi Shoe-Sellers in 1729 Reveals about the True Character of Mughal Decline

The forgotten Delhi Shoe-Sellers' Riot of 1729 throws a stark and informative light on the real extent of the decay of the Mughal Empire under Muhammad Shah. It also reveals substantial details of the nature of the Muslim society of that period.

By Sandeep Balakrishna
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