Decadence and Decline: The Rise and Fall of Elite Extravagance in the Subcontinent and Muslim World (1700–2025)

Executive Summary This report investigates how elite decadence and conspicuous consumption have historically precipitated societal decline in the Indian Subcontinent and the broader Muslim world, from the 17th century through European colonisation and into the post-colonial era. It examines the opulence of the Nawabs of Awadh and other regional rulers, Continue Reading