The History and Legacy of Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great

The Mughal (Indian) emperor Akbar the Great, (October 15, 1542 to October 27, 1605) is known for his tolerance of many religions, the expansion of his empire, and his patronage of the arts.

About Jalal al-Din Muhammad Akbar

Akbar is regarded as the most powerful Mughal emperor of India. His full name is Abu al-Fath Jalal al-Din Muhammad Akbar. Akbar the Great, following Babur and Humayun, was the third Mughal emperor. He succeeded his father as emperor at age 13 in 1556. He was born in Umarkot (now in Pakistan) on October 15, 1542, and he died in Agra, India, on October 27, 1605 at the age of 63. He ruled from 1556 to 1605 and expanded Mughal power. As he pays attention to his people, he has always been regarded as the emperor of the people. Akbar launched numerous measures to obtain the non-Muslim population's support to preserve his empire's unity. He reinforced his kingdom's central government.

Along with restructuring the tax collection procedure, Akbar concentrated on centralising his financial system. Akbar was a devout Muslim, yet he showed the utmost respect for the spiritual beliefs of others, regardless of what religion they followed. He asked Hindu, Parsi, Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim scholars to discuss their religions with him. Because Akbar, who could not read or write, always appreciated art and admired anyone who could teach him anything new, his court became a meeting place for individuals of all walks of life and a crossroads of civilizations. During his reign, Akbar thus established the groundwork for a multicultural empire.

His Early Life

On October 14, 1542, in what is now a part of Pakistan, Akbar was born to the second Mughal Emperor, Humayun, and his young bride, Hamida Banu Begum. His family tree encompasses both Genghis Khan and Timur (Tamerlane), but they were forced to flee after the fall of Babur's empire. Following his defeat at the hands of Sher Shah Suri in the battle of Kannauj (1540), his father Humayun, the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, was sent into exile. He and his pregnant wife Hamida Banu Begum sought sanctuary with the Hindu king Rana Prasad. Akbar was raised by his paternal uncles, Kamran Mirza and Aksari Mirza, when Humayun was in exile. He developed into the powerful warrior who would become India's greatest ruler by learning to hunt and fight with a wide variety of weapons. His inability to learn to read and write as a child did not decrease his hunger for information. Frequently, he would request readings on topics such as religion and the arts.

Shah Tahmasp I of Persia provided military assistance to Humayun in 1555 as he retook Delhi. Humayun died tragically soon after reclaiming his throne due to an accident. At the time, Akbar was 13 years old, and Humayun's trusty general Bairam Khan assumed the role of Akbar's Regent. On February 14, 1556, in Kalanaur (Punjab), Akbar was proclaimed "Shahanshah" after Humayun's death. Bairam Khan governed for the young Emperor until he reached adulthood.

In November 1551, Akbar married his paternal uncle's daughter, Ruqaiya Sultan Begum. After he assumed the kingdom, Ruqaiya became his primary consort.

Akbar Obtains Power

Hemu, a leader of the Hindus, took over Delhi almost as soon as the young emperor took over. Generals Bayram Khan and Khan Zaman I, however, were able to triumph over Hemu's massive force at the Second Battle of Panipat in November 1556. In the heat of combat, Hemu was shot in the eye by a member of the Mughal army and afterwards killed.

At the age of 18, Akbar came of age and gained direct control of the empire as well as the army. He did this by dismissing the increasingly authoritarian Bayram Khan. When Akbar ordered Bayram to do the hajj, or pilgrimage, to Mecca, Bayram instead rose up in rebellion. The soldiers of the young emperor crushed Bayram's rebels in Jalandhar, Punjab. In a show of mercy, Akbar did not order the execution of the rebel leader but instead granted his former regent a second chance to visit Mecca. This time Bayram Khan travelled.

Akbar’s Military Expansions

As of Bayram Khan's retirement in 1560, Akbar had been ruling independently. In 1561, Akbar launched his initial raid on Malwa and ultimately conquered the region. When the Raja of Ajmer, Bihari Mal, offered his daughter to Akbar in 1562, he was seen as a show of complete surrender, and Akbar accepted. The Akbars used the same form of feudalism as other Rajput kings. If they recognised Akbar as their emperor, they were given control of the lands their ancestors had once ruled.

Akbar expressed gratitude to the Rajputs by supplying his warriors to engage in their wars when necessary to strengthen his connection with them. When someone refused to recognise Akbar as their emperor, he did not show mercy. Akbar took the city of Chittor and its population hostage in 1568 during his war with Mewar. In 1570, after the fall of Chittor, numerous Rajput lords surrendered to Akbar's dominion and acknowledged him as their emperor.

Akbar took control of Gujarat in 1573. The region with the most ports enjoyed the greatest level of economic success in its trading with western Asia. Following his success in Gujarat, Akbar set his sights on Bengal, another riverine metropolis. When Akbar rose to power, the Afghan rulers of Bengal opted to submit.

In the later years of rule, Akbar was successfully gained control of Kashmir (1586), Sindh (1591), and Afghanistan (1595). The Mughals, after settling the northern territories, looked southward. Khandesh, along with a portion of Ahmednagar and Berar, joined Akbar's kingdom in 1601. During his rule, Akbar conquered around two-thirds of India.

Administrative Reforms and His Governance

Akbar focused on constructing a stable, subject-friendly administration after conquering his realm. Akbar's governance was centred on his subjects' moral and material prosperity. He changed policies to provide religious minorities with equal opportunities.

The Emperor ruled the empire. He had supreme judicial, legislative, and administrative power. Vakil, the King's top counsel on all subjects, Diwan, the minister in charge of finances, Sadar-i-sadur, the religious advisor, Mir Bakshi, who kept all records, Daroga-i-Dak Chowki, and Muhtasib oversaw law enforcement and the mail service.

Each province was administered by a Subadar and other regional posts reflecting the centre. Subas were separated into Sarkars and Parganas. Faujdars headed the Sarkar and Parganas. Echa Pargana had multiple villages controlled by a Muqaddam, Patwari, Chowkidar, and panchayat.

He organised the Military under the Mansabdari system. Mansabdars maintained order and trained soldiers. Rank-based Mansabdars commanded 10,000 to 10 men. Akbar introduced troop rolls and horse branding. Akbar had cavalry, infantry, elephants, artillery, and navy. The emperor kept control of the military and was able to enforce discipline.

Akbar reformed the Mughal Government's land taxation system. Polaj, Parauti, Chachar, and Banjar were land classes. Land revenue was paid in cash or kind per bigha. Akbar granted farmers low-interest loans and remitted revenues in times of natural calamities like droughts or floods. He told tax collectors to treat farmers kindly. These innovations increased Mughal output and revenue, leading to affluent, well-fed subjects.

Akbar also introduced judicial reforms and introduced Hindu practises and laws. The Emperor had the power to execute people. Akbar abolished the Pilgrimage and Jazia taxes in 1563. He opposed child marriage and supported widow remarriage.

His Religious Policy

Akbar was religiously tolerant and liberal. Akbar was deeply devoted, but he never forced his beliefs on anyone, not even war prisoners, Hindu wives, or peasants in his reign. He respected choice and eliminated religiously-based taxation. His empire had temples and churches. He forbade cooking beef out of respect for the Hindu Royal Family. Akbar followed Sheikh Moinuddin Chishti and visited his shrine in Ajmer. He sought for religious unification and created Din-i-Ilahi (Faith of the Divine). Din-i-Ilahi was a moral code that condemned lust, slander, and pride. It took greatly from current religions, extracting the best ideologies and values.

Akbar’s Contribution to the Arts and Architecture

Akbar flourished a distinctive architectural style known as Mughal architecture during his reign by ordering the construction of several forts and mausoleums. Agra Fort (1565–1574), Fatehpur Sikri (1569–1574) with its Jami Masjid and Buland Darwaza, Humayun's Tomb (1565-1572), Ajmer Fort (1563-1573), Lahore Fort (1586-1618), and Allahabad Fort were built during his reign (1583-1584).

Akbar supported the arts. He appointed people to read to him about art, history, philosophy, and religion because he couldn't read or write. He valued intellectual dialogue and invited intelligent people to his court. The Nine Gems were the Nava Ratnas. Abul Fazel, Faizi, Mian Tansen, Birbal, Raja Todar Mal, Raja Man Singh, Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana, Fakir Aziao-Din, Mullah Do Piaza. The emperor admired their diverse talents.

His Death

In 1605, when he was 63 years old, Akbar contracted a severe attack of diarrhea. He was never able to recover from it, and on October 27, 1605, he passed away in Fatehpur Sikri after suffering for three weeks after the illness. He's buried in Agra's Sikandra.

The Legacy of Akbar

A pattern was set in India by Akbar's legacy of religious tolerance, tough but equitable central rule, and liberal tax policies that offered commoners an opportunity to succeed. His love of art led to a combination of Indian and Central Asian/Persian influences in miniature painting and magnificent construction. Shah Jahan, Akbar's grandson, designed and built the Taj Mahal.

As an example to the leaders of the world, Akbar the Great taught tolerance is not a sign of weakness and open-mindedness is not the same as indecision. More than 400 years after his death, he is still considered one of history's greatest monarchs.

The relations between the Ottoman Sultans and the Mughal Emperor Akbar is the subject of an intriguing story. Dr Roy Ahmad Jackson writes:

Akbar claimed to be the 'Imam of Islam and the Muslims' and the 'lord of the age' (sahib-i zaman) and was selected to free religion of its differences. Akbar deemed the Caliph, who resided in Istanbul at the time, the 'Caesar of Rome' (Qaiser-i Rum), while he was Caliph of the Age. He was called a bigger hero than Salah al-Din since he reconciled Sunnis and Shi'ites.

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