Mughal Emperors and the Rise of Hindi: Patronage, Poetry, and Courtly Culture

Abstract

The incorporation of Riti poets into the Mughal court during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries reflects a significant convergence of politics, culture, and literary expression. These poets were associated with the courts of emperors such as Akbar, Jahangir, and Aurangzeb. While some enjoyed direct access to the imperial court, others entered the Mughal cultural sphere through Rajput kingdoms, provincial courts, and sub-imperial networks. Together, they became part of a wider world of patronage that linked regional literary traditions with imperial authority.

This article examines the works of these poets to reconstruct the social and cultural relationships that shaped their participation in Mughal court life. Rather than treating them as passive observers of imperial grandeur, it argues that they were active cultural intermediaries who contributed to the making of courtly identity. Their poetry functioned not only as a reflection of power but also as one of the means through which prestige, legitimacy, and refined courtly conduct were articulated and circulated.