This thesis is the study of one of the most consistently used primary sources of early seventeenth century Mughal India. The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe, written by England's first ambassador to the court of Jahangi r, has traditionally been construed to be a succinct and perceptive account. Moreover, historians have relied on Thomas Roe's observations and conclusions to offer certain interpretations of Jahangi r's court: most notably, its decline as a forum of centralized absolutism into an arena of intrigue and rivalry. / Roe, as a product of Jacobean society, perceived Mughal events and institutions from an early seventeenth century English context, thus limiting any hope of "objective" reporting. To substantiate this assertation, this thesis investigates (a) Roe's life in England and how it related to ongoing literary and political movements; (b) the appearance of Jacobean language and metaphors in his text; (c) and highlighting these incongruencies by examining indigenous Mughal documents. Lastly, the study researches historiographical trends of the colonial era and why they have contributed to the consistent use of this source.

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