The Indian missing link: The military development of the Mughal Empire in the 16^th and 17^th centuries and the military revolution

The theory of the military revolution was initiated by Michael Roberts in his writing on the state of the Swedish army in the 17^th century. The advent of firearms fundamentally changed warfare, although the bow and cold weapons remained dominant on the battlefield for a long time. This is because firearms from China have only slowly replaced traditional means. In the 16^th century, several powers began to use firearms almost simultaneously, from the Netherlands to the Indian subcontinent. Here Babur (Zahirud-Din Muhammad) was the first to use such weapons in the Battle of Panipat (1526). With this, he introduced India as a scene of the military revolution. The army of the Mughal Empire bore all the features of the military transition: in addition to firearms, they relied heavily on both cavalry and infantry with cold weapons. In my study, along with the theory of the military revolution, I want to show the development of the army of the Mughal Empire under the influence of firearms. I am also looking for an answer to the question of whether Mughal relations can be the missing link in military discourses.

Keywords: firearms, India, Mughals, warfare