Akbar
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- This article is about the Mughal Emperor. For the comic-book character, see Life in Hell.
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| Birth name: | Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbár | |
| Title: | Emperor of Mughal Empire | |
| Birth: | October 15, 1542 | |
| Place of birth: | Umarkot, Sindh | |
| Death: | October 27, 1605 | |
| Succeeded by: | Jahangir | |
| Marriage: | Jodhabai (?) Ruqayya Sultan Begum Sakina Banu Begum Salima Sultan Begum Mariam-uz-Zamani | |
| Children: | Jahangir, son Khanzada Khanim, daughter Shah Murad, son Danyal, son Shakarunnisa Begum, daughter Aram Banu Begum, daughter Khanim Sultan, daughter Prince Khusrau, daughter Ximini Begum, daughter | |
Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbár (Persian: جلال الدین محمد اکبر), (alternative spellings include Jellaladin, Celalettin) also known as Akbar the Great (Akbar-e-Azam) (October 15, 1542 - October 27, 1605) was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from the time of his accession in 1556 until 1605. He is considered the greatest of the Mughal emperors.
Political Career
Akbár was born at Umarkot in Sind to Humayun and Hamida Banu Begum on October 15, 1542. His father, Humayun, was driven from the throne of India in a series of decisive battles by the Afghan Sher Shah Suri. After more than twelve years' exile, Humayun regained his sovereignty, though he held it for only a few months before his death in 1556. Akbár succeeded his father the same year under the regency of Bairam Khan, a Turkoman noble whose zeal in repelling pretenders to the throne and severity in maintaining the discipline of the army helped greatly in the consolidation of the newly recovered empire. When order was somewhat restored, Akbár took the reins of government into his own hands with a proclamation issued in March 1560.It is speculated by historians that Bairam Khan attempted to de-throne or murder Akbár when he came of age, or led an army against Akbár's loyalists. It is also suggested that Akbár, suspicious of Khan's ambitions and loyalties, encouraged him to perform a pilgrimage to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia, and had him killed by an agent.
On November 5, 1556, fifty miles north of Delhi, a Mughal army defeated Hindu forces of General Hemu at the Second battle of Panipat, granting the throne of India to Akbár.
When Akbár ascended the throne, only a small portion of what had formerly comprised the Mughal empire was still under his control, and he devoted himself to the recovery of the remaining provinces. He expanded the Mughal empire to include Malwa (1562), Gujarat (1572), Bengal (1574), Kabul (1581), Kashmir (1586), and Kandesh (1601), among others. Akbár installed a governor over each of the conquered provinces, under his authority.
Akbár did not want to have his court tied too closely to the city of Delhi. He ordered the court moved to Fatehpur Sikri, near Agra, but when this proved untenable, he set up a roaming camp that let him keep a close eye on what was happening throughout the empire. He tried to develop and encourage commerce, and had the land accurately surveyed for the purpose of correctly evaluating taxation; and he gave strict instructions to prevent extortion on the part of the tax gatherers.
Religion
At the time of Akbár's rule, the Mughal Empire included both Hindus and Muslims. Profound differences separate the Islamic and Hindu faith; Muslims are allowed to eat beef, while for those of the Hindu religion it is forbidden to harm cows because they are worshipped as sacred. Hindus are allowed to drink alcoholic beverages (e.g., wine), a practice which is forbidden by Islam. During the period of the Mughal Empire, the majority of the Indian population was Hindu, but the rulers of the empire were almost exclusively Muslim. It was in this polarized religious arena that Akbár commenced his rule.Despite all of this, Akbár fostered tolerance for all religions. He tried to reconcile the differences of both religions by creating a new faith called the Din-i-Ilahi, which incorporated both Islam and Hinduism. He also repealed the Jizya tax that had been levied on non-Muslims in the empire. Akbár also married several Hindu princesses, though many consider that to be politically motivated rather than a genuine attempt at religious reconciliation.
Patron of the Arts
Although Akbár was illiterate, he had a great love for knowledge, inviting men from all different religions to come to discuss matters of the world with him. He was a patron to many men of literary talent, among whom may be mentioned the brothers Feizi and Abul Fazl. The former was commissioned by Akbár to translate a number of Sanskrit scientific works into Persian; and the latter produced the Akbar-Nameh, an enduring record of the emperor's reign. It is also said that Akbár employed Jerome Xavier, a Jesuit missionary, to translate the four Gospels of the New Testament into Persian.Marital Life
Emperor Akbár was said to have been married many times, his number of wives possibly reaching 33. His first wife was the Hindu Rajput Princess Jodhabai. When Akbár was first married he and his wife seemed unable to have any children. Akbár travelled to meet Hazrat Sheikh Salim-ud-deen Chisti and, along with Chisti, prayed for a son. His wish was fulfilled; his wife gave birth to a son, whom they named Prince Salim in honour of Chisti. Some historians claim that Jodhabai was actually the wife of Akbár's son, Jahangir.Final years
The closing years of Akbár's reign were troubled by the misconduct of his sons. Two of them died in their youth, the victims of intemperance; and the third, Salim, later known as Emperor Jahangir, was frequently in rebellion against his father. Asirgarh, a fort in the Deccan, proved to be the last conquest of Akbár, taken in 1599 as he proceeded north to face his son's rebellion. Reportedly, Akbár keenly felt these calamities, and they may even have affected his health and hastened his death, which occurred in Agra on October 27th, 1605. His body was deposited in a magnificent mausoleum at Sikandra, near Agra.| Preceded by: Humayun | Mughal Emperor 1556-1605 | Succeeded by:<br.>Jahangir |
Akbár In Media
- Akbár was portrayed in the Hindi movie Mughal-e-Azam, in which Akbár was played by Prithviraj Kapoor.
- Akbár and Birbal were portrayed in the Hindi series Akbár-Birbal aired on Doordarshan in late 1990's.
See also
External link
- Akbar
- Free eBook of Akbar, Emperor of India, by Richard von Garbe, translated by Lydia G. Robinson at Project Gutenberg