May 16, 2024, 10:33 PM IST

Mughals conversed in this language

Mahipal Chouhan

Official Language: Persian served as the official language of the Mughal court and administration. It was used for all official communications, including decrees, proclamations, and diplomatic correspondence.

Cultural Exchange: Persian was not only a language of administration but also a medium for cultural exchange. The Mughal rulers patronized Persian poetry, literature, and art, which further elevated its status in the empire.

Dynastic Heritage: Persian had been the language of administration in the Islamic world for centuries prior to the Mughals. It was inherited by the Mughal rulers from their Turkic and Persianate ancestors.

Accessibility: Persian was chosen as the language of communication due to its accessibility across diverse linguistic and cultural groups within the empire. It facilitated communication between the rulers and their subjects, who spoke various regional languages.

Literary Legacy: Many Mughal emperors themselves were accomplished poets and scholars in Persian. They contributed to the rich literary legacy of Persian poetry and prose in South Asia.

Religious Texts: Persian translations of Islamic religious texts were widely circulated and revered among the Mughal elite and common people. This further reinforced the language's significance in religious and scholarly discourse.

Diplomatic Relations: Persian was the lingua franca of diplomacy in the early modern period, connecting the Mughal Empire with other Islamicate polities, as well as European powers such as the Safavids, Ottomans, and Portuguese.

Legacy: Even after the decline of the Mughal Empire, Persian continued to exert influence in South Asia. It remained the language of literature, administration, and elite discourse well into the colonial period, leaving a lasting linguistic and cultural legacy.

This information is not DNA's opinion but obtained from media reports