Mughal Akbar Essay

1288 Words6 Pages
1. Introduction The religious innovation of Akbar is a debated issue in the history of Mughal India. With the Akbar’s accession to the throne, new devices for successful rule over the Muslim and the non-Muslim subjects were adopted. The king manifested a policy of toleration towards his non-Muslim, (against or in favour) subjects and for rooting out discrimination he abolished pilgrimage tax and jizya, formerly imposed upon the Hindus. Some of the historians like Abdul Qadir Badauni, the Jesuits and Mr. Smits have called Akbar and apostate because he initiated the Din-i-Ilahi (The Divine Faith). Thi sis perhaps a harsh juddgement and exaggeration. Many historians (both Muslims and non-Muslims) and scientific investigations have examined the issue and discovered little to confirm this extreme view. 2. Development of Akbar’s Religion : The analysis of S.M Ikram in his book ‘History of Muslim Civilization in India and Pakistan’ reeal that ‘Akbar started as a devoted orthodox Muslim and a God-fearing religious minded individual’. According to ‘Dhakirat-ul Khawanin (Vol I), Akbar said all the five prayers and occasionally swept the palace mosque with his own hands. He had great veneration for the religious leaders like Mukhdum-ul-Malik and Sheikh Abdul Nabi, and Saints like Khawaja Muin-ud-Din Chishti and Sheikh Salim Chishti. We are even told by the hostile critic Badauni that ‘he would sit many a morning along in prayer on a large flat stone of an old building near the Fatehpur palace in a lonely spot with his head bent over his chest and gathering the bliss of early hours.’ 3. Discussion at the Ibadat Khana (the house of worship) and change of Akbar’s mind: It is no denying a fact that his Hindu wives and their relatives might have extended a tremendous influence on him, his association with Hindu sages acted in a similar manner, and his bread
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