Economy

Meanwhile, demand for supplies helped much of the northern economy expand.

To judge the extent of change, we need to distinguish society—people’s status, freedom and relationships—from the economy—how people produced goods and earned their living.

When Jahangir became emperor in 1605, he inherited a wealthy empire whose economy combined agricultural production, skilled craft industries and extensive trade. Its wealth did not come simply from treasure held at court: peasants produced crops, artisans made goods and merchants moved them between towns, ports and overseas markets.