For some time after the Muhammadan conquest of India, that part of it
which was brought effectually under the new dominion can hardly be
considered to have had more than one city with its dependent towns
and villages;[9] because the emperor chose to concentrate the greater
part of his military establishments around the seat of his residence,
and this great city became deserted whenever he thought it necessary
or convenient to change that seat.
But when the emperor began to govern his distant provinces by
viceroys, he was obliged to confide to them a share of his military
establishments, the only public establishments which a conqueror
thought it worth while to maintain; and while they moved about in
their respective provinces, the imperial camp became fixed. The great
officers of state, enriched by the plunder of conquered provinces,
began to spend their wealth in the construction of magnificent works
for private pleasure or public convenience. In time, the viceroys
began to govern their provinces by means of deputies, who moved about
their respective districts, and enabled their masters, the viceroys
of provinces, to convert their camps into cities, which in
magnificence often rivalled that of the emperor their master.
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