The composition of Mughul India's trade with Safavid Iran and Uzbek Turan was determined primarily by contrasts between its economy and those of these two contiguous states, while the volume of exchange was influenced both by supply and demand and the commercial policies and political stability of their dynasties. Mughul India possessed vastly greater natural and human resources than did Safavid and Uzbek territories; its economy also overshadowed its neighbors in terms of its overall size, diversity and sophistication. There was a consistent demand for Mughul India's natural and manufactured products in Iran and Turan, and the level of commerce was catalyzed in the second half of the sixteenth century by the achievements of two exceptionally able Mughul and Safavid rulers. These were the Mughul emperor Akbar (1556–1605) and the Safavid shah ‘Abbas (1587–1629). Both men stimulated internal and external commerce by consolidating their dynasties’ political authority, and by consciously instituting policies that stimulated trade.