Research Bio

Munis D. Faruqui is a historian of the Mughal Empire whose research brings new insight into the politics, culture, and intellectual life of early modern South Asia.

Dr. Faruqui is widely known for The Princes of the Mughal Empire, 1504–1719 (Cambridge, 2012), a pathbreaking study that reinterprets the role of Mughal princes not merely as heirs or rivals, but as active political agents shaping the empire’s evolution. His scholarship highlights the fluidity of power and the complexity of imperial authority beyond the imperial center. Dr. Faruqui has a forthcoming book (Cambridge, 2026) on the life and times of Emperor Aurangzeb 'Alamgir (r. 1658-1707) and the Mughal Empire in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century. He has also co-edited two volumes: Expanding Frontiers in South Asian and World History (with Richard Eaton, David Gilmartin and Sunil Kumar)(Cambridge, 2013), and Religious Interactions in Mughal India (with Vasudha Dalmia)(Oxford, 2014).

Dr. Faruqui is the current Director of the Institute for South Asia Studies. In that capacity, he holds the Sarah Kailath Chair of India Studies. He is also the Director of Global, International & Area Studies. In addition to the Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies, Dr. Faruqui is affiliated with the Department of History and the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures.

Research Expertise and Interest

Mughal India, Delhi Sultanate, Islam in South Asia/India, Urdu