‘I will do as my father did’: On Portuguese and Other European Views of Mughal Succession Crises

The Mughal succession crises occurring between the political downfall of Akbar (c. 1600) and Aurangzeb’s death (1707) were portrayed in detail by a considerable number of European observers. This essay intends to study the way those critical moments, that would eventually lead to the disintegration of the Mughal empire, were openly desired both in Goa and Lisbon: they somewhat represented the life insurance of a defenseless Estado da Índia forced to face a giant – the Grão Mogor – that could not be controlled. On the other hand, and for different reasons, the agents of the English East India Company, operating on the ground, as well as the theatergoers that saw John Dryden’s plays in London, favored the dynastic stability of Timurid India. This represents an interesting diversity of European images of the Mogor, and asks for a careful analysis of their motives and impact.