Mughal Army and the Natural World: Three Instances When Mughal Army Ran Up Against Force of Nature
Winters in George RR Martin’s novels A Song of Fire and Ice and HBO’s hit series Game of Thrones can last for years. They bring the kingdom of Westeros long nights, cold, and the never-ending snow. Winters also revive aggressive non-human beings known in the books as the Others and in the TV series as the White Walkers. Wight armies are zombie armies led by these animals. The fear of such a dreadful winter is immortalized in the proclamation “winter is coming,” which has become a part of popular culture. The Mughal Empire did not have any White Walkers or Wights. Winter, on the other hand, could hit the empire’s armies with equal terror. Furthermore, while the people of Westeros had the only winter to fear, Mughal armies also had to contend with a second season: monsoon. The empire’s military juggernaut was slowed by this fear of environmental powers, and territorial expansion was also jeopardized. Three tales of Mughal troops, officers, and even a prince who declined to serve because of environmental concerns will be presented in this essay.
