About this book

This volume presents the research of scholars from different disciplines who have a mutual interest in Mughal gardens. Their contributions cover the aesthetic and horticultural as well as social, economic, religious, and political dimensions of Mughal gardens. Based on these studies, we now understand far more fully the gardens, architecture, and works of art that so visibly embody Mughal cultural attitudes. The Mughal dynasty (1526-1858) began with the visionary garden builder and conqueror, Zahir and Din Muhammad Babur. As he conquered new lands, he would build gardens to mark the beauty of the natural landscape and to lay claim to the new territory; the role of garden design and meaning thereafter evolved with each Mughal ruler.