Includes bibliographical references and index.

Breakdown of imperial organization -- The changing position of the governor -- The zamindars, the madad-i ma'ash holders and Mughal administration in Awadh -- Mughal power, the Sikhs and other local groups in the Punjab -- The Punjab after 1715, the zamindars and the problems facing the provincial government -- Growth of nawabi rule in Awadh and its relations with local social groups -- The imperial court, the new subadars and the region.

The Crisis of Empire in Mughal North India: Awadh and the Punjab, 1707–1748 by Muzaffar Alam examines the transformation of Mughal political authority following Aurangzeb’s death. Focusing on Awadh and the Punjab, the book explores imperial decline, agrarian uprisings, the jagirdari system, the role of zamindars and Sikhs, and the changing relationship between the imperial centre and regional provinces. It argues that the weakening of Mughal rule led to the emergence of new regional political orders, offering a nuanced interpretation of eighteenth-century Indian history.