My research explores how internal conflicts affected state capacity development within Mughal India (1555-1707). Through the construction of a new conflict database for South Asia, the thesis looks at evolution of conflicts over the empire to better understand the state’s ability to raise taxes as well as how conflicts affected institutional development. The dissertation hopes to present a better understanding of the rise and decline of the state prior to British rule.

More widely, I am interested in better understanding Asian economic development. I am one of the co-founders of the Asian Economic History seminars series at the LSE and look to do comparative work between precolonial India and premodern China within my thesis. In the future, I also hope to further develop an understanding of central Asian states as well. 

Dissertation title

• Evolution of Revolutions: State Capacity in Mughal India (1555-1707)

Supervisors

• Professor Tirthankar Roy and Dr Jordan Claridge