Religion and Mughal imperial legitimacy were closely related. The Mughals believed that their authority was derived from Allah, the God of Islam, and that they had been given divine permission to rule over India (Basham, 1975). They legitimized their rule by aligning themselves with Islamic teachings such as justice, charity and religious tolerance. They built public works projects like mosques, charitable institutions and universities dedicated to studying Islamic law in order to show their piety and emphasize the importance of religion in daily life. In addition, they also employed religious scholars known as “ulama” who would provide spiritual guidance when needed (Lapidus et al., 1988). Through this close association with Islam the Mughal emperors sought to justify their rightness to rule while at the same time gaining greater adherence from their subjects by presenting themselves as devout Muslims devoted to protecting them against foreign invaders or internal threats. As a result, religion played an important role not only in determining how the empire was viewed but also its success since it provided its rulers with both moral authority and popular support.