Balkanisation fears and threats: What Aurangzeb can teach new India in 2021

Aurangzeb's actions sowed the seeds of the disintegration of the Mughal empire 50 years or so after his death and therein lie some lessons

A recent remark by a well-known politician about the potential Balkanisation of India set me wondering. The analogy was made with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991-92. But rather than looking at the one-party system of the 20th century USSR, a look at the map of the subcontinent circa 1721 may prove more illuminating.

At that time, the Mughal Empire controlled vast dominions and Mughal coinage was acceptable everywhere. So you had a central power based in Delhi, and a de facto currency union. The Mughals also had the largest military force.  

Various regional forces chipped away at