Professor Richards's work is based on part of a manuscript in the British Library concerned with the revenues and administration of the later Mughal Empire, and datable to the reign of the Emperor Bahadur Shah I (AD 1708-1712). The section covered consists of 65 specimen forms for types of documents, the majority orders of appointment, the remainder concerned with a variety of financial and other transactions. The appointments envisaged range from that of Subadar, or Governor of a major province, to those of minor officials of ports, mints and sub-districts. The work belongs in the tradition...