The Formation of the Mughal Empire Author:Douglas E. Streusand This history of the Mughal empire examines the rituals of the Mughal court, the process of the empire's expansion, and Akbar's political and administrative initiatives in order to explain the fundamental characteristics of the Mughal polity. Streusand also places Mughal institutions and practices in their political and cultural contexts to expl... more »ain how the Mughal ruling class coalesced from heterogeneous groups that retained their own identities.« less