If one treats India as the Northern Indian Aryan nations, then one could conceivably balkanize off either or both of the Mughals and/or Chola. One could even merge the Mughals with their parent civ the Gurkani and shift them over to Central Asia, though I'll be honest--Gurkani are pretty low on my Central Asia wishlist (certainly below any of Sogdia, Kushan, Hephthalites, Afghanistan, Bactria, Khotan...not necessarily in that order except that Sogdia is definitely at the top of that wishlist...). Actually, yeah, let's scratch off the Gurkani, who could potentially be taking up space in Samarkand or Kabul, and some people get touchy about "Istanbul not Constantinople" situations.I feel like the best solution to the Gandhi dilemma is to give India the "Greek treatment" and ship them with two leaders in the base game. Then give them a split Mughal civ, because I think that's the most reasonable one they could make into a separate one, similar to what they did with Macedon. At least that's how I did my list.
That's why you pick Babur as your leader for the Mughals like in my list with a capital at Akhsikath in present-day UzbekistanIf one treats India as the Northern Indian Aryan nations, then one could conceivably balkanize off either or both of the Mughals and/or Chola. One could even merge the Mughals with their parent civ the Gurkani and shift them over to Central Asia, though I'll be honest--Gurkani are pretty low on my Central Asia wishlist (certainly below any of Sogdia, Kushan, Hephthalites, Afghanistan, Bactria, Khotan...not necessarily in that order except that Sogdia is definitely at the top of that wishlist...). Actually, yeah, let's scratch off the Gurkani, who could potentially be taking up space in Samarkand or Kabul, and some people get touchy about "Istanbul not Constantinople" situations.
I thought of Babur but figured his capital would probably be Kabul, which steps on almost as many toes as Samarkand.That's why you pick Babur as your leader for the Mughals like in my list with a capital at Akhsikath in present-day Uzbekistan
Central Asian TSL that is not Samarkand, strikes the midpoint between Timurid and Mughal with an indisputably effective, but also outrageously brutal ruler that Indians are allowed to hate.
TBH I'd still prefer Ahmad Shah Durrani and Afghanistan over any iteration of the Timurids-Gurkani-Mughals for Islamic Central Asia, though I do admit Babur in Uzbekistan is tempting just for the turquoise domes. 
I figure the Mughals would have the best chance because of name recognition. They could also fill the niche that the Ottomans don't. If the Ottomans are portayed in Civ 7 as the Early Modern conqueror civ again, make them the Early modern cultural builders, or vice versa.
It would be fun to see the Ottomans depicted as a builder civ for a change, though they'd still need a hefty side of aggression and gunpowder to feel thematic.I figure the Mughals would have the best chance because of name recognition. They could also fill the niche that the Ottomans don't. If the Ottomans are portayed in Civ 7 as the Early Modern conqueror civ again, make them the Early modern cultural builders, or vice versa.
I would rather a Maurya, Gupta, or Maratha leader for one who ruled most of India before the Post-Colonial construct over Mughals, by far. The Mughals feel like a Kublai Khan or a Cleopatra (at least my big complaints about those two leaders).I thought of Babur but figured his capital would probably be Kabul, which steps on almost as many toes as Samarkand.
We weren't talking about an Indian leader, though--we were talking about a Timurid/Gurkani/Mughal leader, freeing us from the Pan-Indian blob and Gandhi.
Well, I must dissent and say the salvation from Gandhi should not come from the Central Asian Steppes, in any case.
We're not in disagreement--I said myself I'd prefer Afghanistan for Islamic Central Asia and Sogdia among others for Central Asia overall. But step one to getting rid of Gandhi is getting rid of "India" and replacing it with several Indian civs--which means an Aryan Northern Indian civ as we both suggested, a Dravidian Southern Indian civ like Chola, but one could reasonably add the Mughals as well, whether Babur ruling from Uzbekistan or Afghanistan or Akbar/Jahan from a capital within India.
Ideally, I'd want Ashoka, as a potential leader of India/Maurya and a separate Mughal civ. It's a similar situation to what they did with Greece and Alexander in Civ 6.
And, even if it's not likely we'll get a full Sikh Confederacy as a civ, Amristar (which I THINK is currently on Gandhi's city list) should be a city-state with a potent Khalsa warrior unit and a Golden Gurdwara housing the Guru Granth Sahib doing something appropriate.
A Sikh civ would be fun, but yeah, probably pretty unlikely.
You and me bothTrust me I would have Alexander if he didn't look like a melted Ken doll.
But of course, there was the, "Mafia guido in a power-suit," of the Modern Alexander in Civ3...You and me both
Aaaargh! You made me remember!
