Key Words

• Mongols – tribe who conquered much of central Asia in the 13th Century.  Mughal is the Persian word for Mongol.​
• Harem -  the part of the court reserved for the emperor’s wives and concubines (mistresses) and their entourage​
• Hindustan -  name given to the northern part of India​
• Jharoka – special window at which Mughal emperors showed themselves to their people.​
• Jizya – the poll tax that the Delhi sultans had imposed on all non-Muslims before Mughal rule began.  Abolished by Akbar in 1564 but reinstated by Aurangzeb in 1679.​
• Mansabdars -  nobles and officials who helped the emperor to rule his lands.​
• Sati/suttee – a practice found chiefly among Hindus in South Asia, in which a widow sacrificed herself on her deceased husband’s funeral pyre.​
• East India Company – the British trading company which set up a trading post at Surat in 1612.​
• Factory – a compound set up by European traders including warehouses and residences.