author
John N. Richards
A leading historian of South Asia, he helped generations of readers see the Mughal Empire in a broader political, economic, and environmental frame. His books are known for combining deep archival work with a wide view of how early modern worlds were connected.
1 Audiobook
Dramatized Rhythm Plays Mother Goose and Traditional
by John N. Richards
About the author
Born in 1938 and later a longtime professor of history at Duke University, John F. Richards was one of the most respected historians of South Asia, especially the Mughal Empire. He studied at the University of New Hampshire and earned his PhD at the University of California, Berkeley, before building a career marked by careful scholarship and generous mentorship.
His best-known books include Mughal Administration in Golconda, The Mughal Empire, and The Unending Frontier: An Environmental History of the Early Modern World. Across this work, he moved from political and regional history to big, globe-spanning questions about ecology, trade, and state power, helping connect South Asian history to wider conversations in world history.
Richards died in 2007 at age 68. The esteem in which he was held can be seen in the John F. Richards Prize in South Asian History, established in his honor, which continues to recognize distinguished scholarship in the field.