Akbar: Difference between revisions

{{about|the Mughal emperor}}

<!-- The [[Godavari]] river marking the extent of his empire, Indo-Persian culture, his library, schools for the education of both Muslims and Hindus, and his having Sanskrit literature translated are a few things that leap out. There are probably more. -->

{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}

| image        = Govardhan. Akbar With Lion and Calf ca. 1630, Metmuseum (cropped).jpg

| caption      = Akbar by [[Govardhan (Mughal painter)|Govardhan]], {{Circa|1630}}

| coronation  = 14 February 1556<ref name=Eraly04/>

| predecessor  = [[Humayun]]

| successor    = [[Jahangir]]

| spouses-type = Wives

| full name    = Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar<ref name="Britannica" />

| dynasty      = [[Timurid dynasty]]

| house        = [[Mughal dynasty|House of Babur]]

| father      = [[Humayun]]

| mother      = [[Hamida Banu Begum]]

| birth_date  = 25 October 1542{{efn|name=birth}}

| birth_place  = [[Amarkot]], [[Rajputana]] (present-day [[Umerkot]], [[Sindh]], [[Pakistan]])

| religion    = [[Sunni Islam]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Black|first1=Antony|title=The History of Islamic Political Thought: From the Prophet to the Present|date=2011|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|isbn=978-0748688784|page=245|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Hd1vAAAAQBAJ&q=akbar+sunni+muslim|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Eraly |first=Abraham |title= Emperors of the Peacock Throne : The Saga of the Great Mughals |year=2000 |publisher= Penguin books |isbn= 978-0-14-100143-2 |page=189 }}</ref> [[Din-e-Illahi]]

}}

A strong personality and a successful general, Akbar gradually enlarged the [[Mughal Empire]] to include much of the [[Indian subcontinent]]. His power and influence, however, extended over the entire subcontinent because of Mughal military, political, cultural, and economic dominance. To unify the vast Mughal state, Akbar established a centralised system of administration throughout his empire and adopted a policy of conciliating conquered rulers through marriage and diplomacy. To preserve peace and order in a religiously and culturally diverse empire, he adopted policies that won him the support of his non-Muslim subjects. Eschewing tribal bonds and Islamic state identity, Akbar strove to unite far-flung lands of his realm through loyalty, expressed through an [[Indo-Persian culture]], to himself as an emperor.

About the time of nine-year-old Akbar's first appointment, as governor of [[Ghazni Province|Ghazni]], he married Hindal's daughter, [[Ruqaiya Sultan Begum]].<ref name="Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd">{{cite book |last1=Mehta |first1=Jaswant Lal |year=1984 |orig-year=First published 1981 |title=Advanced Study in the History of Medieval India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-TsMl0vSc0gC&pg=PG189 |volume=II |edition=2nd |publisher=Sterling Publishers |isbn=978-81-207-1015-3 |oclc=1008395679 |page=189}}</ref> Humayun conferred on the imperial couple all the wealth, army, and adherents of Hindal and Ghazni. One of Hindal's ''[[jagir]]'' was given to his nephew, Akbar, who was appointed as its viceroy and was also given the command of his uncle's army.<ref name="auto">{{cite book |last=Ferishta |first=Mahomed Kasim |title=History of the Rise of the Mahomedan Power in India, Till the Year AD 1612 |year=2013 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-108-05555-0 |page=169}}</ref> Akbar's marriage with Ruqaiya was solemnized in [[Jalandhar]], Punjab, when both of them were 14-years-old.<ref name="Eraly 2000 123, 272">{{cite book |last=Eraly |first=Abraham |title=Emperors of the Peacock Throne : the saga of the great Mughals |year=2000 |publisher=Penguin books |isbn=978-0141001432 |pages=123, 272}}</ref> She was his first wife and chief consort.<ref name="Sang-E-Meel Pub">{{cite book |last1=Schimmel |first1=Annemarie |editor-last=Waghmar |editor-first=Burzine K. |translator-last=Attwood |translator-first=Corinne |title=The empire of the Great Mughals : history, art and culture |date=2005 |publisher=Sang-E-Meel Pub. |location=Lahore |isbn=978-1861891853 |page=[https://archive.org/details/empireofgreatmug00anne/page/149 149] |edition=Revised |url=https://archive.org/details/empireofgreatmug00anne/page/149}}</ref><ref name="Thackston1999p437" />

==Military campaigns==

| last = Chandra

| first = Satish

| title = Medieval India: From Sultanat to the Mughals, Part II

| year = 2005

[[File:Bullocks dragging siege-guns up hill during the attack on Ranthambhor Fort.jpg|thumb|upright|Bullocks dragging siege-guns uphill during Akbar's attack on Ranthambhor Fort in 1568]]

| publisher = Penguin Books India

| page = 11 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=76daSuNVMTcC |isbn=978-0-14-100143-2

===Subjugation of parts of Baluchistan===

===Safavids and Kandahar===

===Deccan Sultans===

In 1593, Akbar began military operations against the Deccan Sultans who had not submitted to his authority. He besieged [[Ahmednagar Fort]] in 1595, forcing [[Chand Bibi]] to cede [[Berar Subah|Berar]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Adibah |first1=Sulaiman |title=Akbar (1556-1605) and India unification under the mughals |journal=ResearchGate |date=December 2017 |volume=8 |issue=12 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322752022 |access-date=31 January 2021 |language=en}}</ref> A subsequent revolt forced Akbar to take the fort in August 1600. Akbar occupied [[Burhanpur]] and besieged [[Asirgarh Fort]] in 1599, and took it on 17 January 1601, when Miran Bahadur Shah refused to submit [[Khandesh]]. Akbar then established the [[Subah (province)|Subahs]] of Ahmadnagar, Berar and Khandesh under Prince Daniyal. "By the time of his death in 1605, Akbar controlled a broad sweep of territory from the Bay of Bengal to Qandahar and Badakshan. He touched the western sea in Sind and at [[Surat]] and was well astride central India."<ref name="sen2">{{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Sailendra |title=A Textbook of Medieval Indian History |publisher=Primus Books |year=2013 |isbn=978-93-80607-34-4 |pages=164, 188}}</ref>

===Matrimonial alliances===

| title = Profile: Tansen – the mesmerizing maestro

| author = Maryam Juzer Kherulla

At the time of Akbar's ascension in 1556, the Portuguese had established several fortresses and factories on the western coast of the subcontinent, and largely controlled navigation and sea-trade in that region. As a consequence of this colonialism, all other trading entities were subject to the terms and conditions of the Portuguese, and this was resented by the rulers and traders of the time including [[Bahadur Shah of Gujarat]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Habib|1997|p=256}}</ref>

In the year 1572 the [[Mughal Empire]] annexed [[Gujarat]] and acquired its first access to the sea after local officials informed Akbar that the Portuguese had begun to exert control in the Indian Ocean. Hence Akbar was conscious of the threat posed by the presence of the Portuguese and remained content with obtaining a ''[[cartaz]]'' (permit) from them for sailing in the [[Persian Gulf]] region.<ref>{{Harvnb|Habib|1997|pp=256–257}}</ref> At the initial meeting of the Mughals and the Portuguese during the [[Siege of Surat]] in 1572, the Portuguese, recognising the superior strength of the Mughal army, chose to adopt diplomacy instead of war. The Portuguese Governor, upon the request of Akbar, sent him an ambassador to establish friendly relations.<ref>{{Harvnb|Habib|1997|p=259}}</ref> Akbar's efforts to purchase and secure from the Portuguese some of their compact [[artillery]] pieces were unsuccessful and thus Akbar could not establish the Mughal navy along the Gujarat coast.<ref>{{cite web|author=Frances Pritchett |url=http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00islamlinks/ikram/part2_16.html |title=XVI. Mughal Administration |publisher=Columbia.edu |access-date=18 January 2014}}</ref>

[[File:Seydi Ali-Ambush.png|thumb|[[Portuguese Empire|Portuguese]] ambush against the galleys of [[Seydi Ali Reis]] (Akbar's allies) in the Indian Ocean.]]

In 1576 Akbar sent a very large contingent of pilgrims led by Khwaja Sultan Naqshbandi, [[Yahya Saleh]], with 600,000 gold and silver coins and 12,000 [[Kaftan]]s of honour and large consignments of rice.<ref>{{cite book |last=Farooqi |first=Naimur Rahman |date=1989 |title=Mughal-Ottoman relations: a study of political & diplomatic relations between Mughal India and the Ottoman Empire, 1556–1748 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uB1uAAAAMAAJ&q=akbar |location=Delhi |publisher=Idarah-i Adabiyat-i Delli |oclc=20894584}}</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2016}} In October 1576 Akbar sent a delegation including members of his family, including his aunt Gulbadan Begum and his consort Salima, on Hajj by two ships from [[Surat]] including an Ottoman vessel, which reached the port of [[Jeddah]] in 1577 and then proceeded towards [[Mecca]] and [[Medina]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Moosvi|2008|p=246}}</ref> Four more caravans were sent from 1577 to 1580, with exquisite gifts for the authorities of Mecca and Medina.<ref>{{cite book|author=Ottoman court chroniclers |title=Muhimme Defterleri, Vol. 32 f 292 firman 740, Shaban 986 |year=1578}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Khan, Iqtidar Alam|title=Akbar and his age|publisher=Northern Book Centre|year=1999|isbn=978-81-7211-108-3|page=218}}</ref>

Akbar was deeply interested in religious and philosophical matters. An orthodox Muslim at the outset, he later came to be influenced by [[Sufi]] mysticism that was being preached in the country at that time, and moved away from orthodoxy, appointing to his court several talented people with liberal ideas, including Abul Fazl, [[Faizi]] and [[Birbal]]. In 1575, he built a hall called the [[Ibadat Khana]] (''"House of Worship"'') at Fatehpur Sikri, to which he invited theologians, mystics and selected courtiers renowned for their intellectual achievements and discussed matters of [[spirituality]] with them.<ref name="religion1"/> These discussions, initially restricted to Muslims, were acrimonious and resulted in the participants shouting at and abusing each other. Upset by this, Akbar opened the Ibadat Khana to people of all religions as well as atheists, resulting in the scope of the discussions broadening and extending even into areas such as the validity of the [[Quran]] and the nature of God. This shocked the orthodox theologians, who sought to discredit Akbar by circulating rumours of his desire to forsake Islam.<ref name="religion6"/>

[[File:Silver rupee coin of Akbar, from Lahore mint.jpg|thumb|left|Silver square rupee of Akbar, Lahore mint, struck in Aban month of Ilahi]]

The work was commissioned by Akbar, and written by [[Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak|Abul Fazl]], one of the ''Nine Jewels'' ([[Hindi]]: [[Navaratnas]]) of Akbar's royal court. It is stated that the book took seven years to be completed and the original manuscripts contained a number of paintings supporting the texts, and all the paintings represented the [[Mughal painting|Mughal school of painting]], and work of masters of the imperial workshop, including [[Basawan]], whose use of portraiture in its illustrations was an innovation in [[Indian art]].<ref name=art/>

His second wife was the daughter of Abdullah Khan Mughal.<ref name="Burke1989"/> The marriage took place in 1557 during the siege of [[Mankot]]. [[Bairam Khan]] did not approve of this marriage, for Abdullah's sister was married to Akbar's uncle, Prince [[Kamran Mirza]], and so he regarded Abdullah as a partisan of Kamran. He opposed the match until Nasir-al-mulk made him understand that opposition in such matters was unacceptable. Nasir-al-mulk arranged an assemblage of pleasure and banquet of joy, and a royal feast was provided.{{sfn|Beveridge Volume II|1907|p=88}}

His next marriage took place in 1564 to the daughter of Miran Mubrak Shah, the ruler of [[Khandesh]]. In 1564, he sent presents to the court with a request that his daughter be married by Akbar. Miran's request was acceded and an order was issued. Itimad Khan was sent with Miran's ambassadors, and when he came near the fort of Asir, which was Miran's residence. Miran welcomed Itimad with honor, and despatched his daughter with Itimad. A large number of nobles accompanied her. The&nbsp;marriage took place in September 1564 when she reached Akbar's court.{{sfn|Beveridge Volume II|1907|p=352}} As dowry, Mubarak Shah ceded Bijagarh and Handia to his imperial son-in-law.<ref>{{cite book|first=Mohd. Ilyas|last=Quddusi|title=Khandesh under the Mughals, 1601–1724 A.D.: mainly based on Persian sources|publisher=Islamic Wonders Bureau|year=2002|pages=4}}</ref>

Another of his wives was Bhakkari Begum, the daughter of Sultan Mahmud of Bhakkar.<ref>{{cite book|first=Mahmudul|last=Hasan Siddiqi|title=History of the Arghuns and Tarkhans of Sindh, 1507–1593: An Annotated Translation of the Relevant Parts of Mir Ma'sums Ta'rikh-i-Sindh, with an Introduction & Appendices |publisher=Institute of Sindhology, University of Sind|year=1972|pages=166}}</ref> On 2 July 1572, Akbar's envoy I'timad Khan reached Mahmud's court to escort his daughter to Akbar. I'timad Khan brought with him for Sultan Mahmud an elegant dress of honour, a bejewelled scimitar-belt, a horse with a saddle and reins and four elephants. Mahmud celebrated the occasion by holding extravagant feasts for fifteen days. On the day of wedding, the festivities reached their zenith and the ulema, saints and nobles were adequately honoured with rewards. Mahmud offered 30,000 rupees in cash and kind to I'timad Khan and farewelled his daughter with a grand dowry and an impressive entourage.<ref>{{cite book|first=Aitzaz|last=Ahsan|year=2005|title=The Indus Saga|publisher=Roli Books Private Limited|isbn=978-9-351-94073-9}}</ref> She came to Ajmer and waited upon Akbar. The gifts of Sultan Mahmud, carried by the delegation were presented to the ladies of the imperial harem.<ref>{{cite book|first=Muhammad Saleem|last=Akhtar|title=Sindh under the Mughals: An Introduction to, translation of and commentary on the Mazhar-i Shahjahani of Yusuf Mirak (1044/1634)|year=1983|pages=78, 79, 81}}</ref>

His eleventh wife was Bibi Daulat Shad.<ref name="Burke1989" /> She was the mother of Princess Shakr-un-Nissa Begum, and Princess [[Aram Banu Begum]]{{sfn|Jahangir|Thackston|1999|p=39}} born on 22 December 1584.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Akbarnama of Abu'l Fazl Volume III|pages=661|quote=One of the occurrences was the birth of Ārām Bānū Begam.* On 12 Dai, 22 December 1584, divine month, and the 19th degree of Sagittarius, and according to the calculation of the Indians, one degree and 54 minutes, that night-gleaming jewel of fortune appeared, and glorified the harem of the Shāhinshāh.}}</ref>{{sfn|Beveridge Volume III|1907|p=661}} His next wife was the daughter of Shams Chak, a Kashmiri. The marriage took place on 3 November 1592. Shams belonged to the great men of the country, and had long cherished this wish.{{sfn|Beveridge Volume III|1907|p=958}} In 1593, he married the daughter of Qazi Isa, and the cousin of Najib Khan. Najib told Akbar that his uncle had made his daughter a present for him. Akbar accepted his representation and on 3 July 1593 he visited Najib Khan's house and married Qazi Isa's daughter.{{sfn|Beveridge Volume III|1907|p=985}}

==Death==

[[File:Gate of the Tomb of Akbar at Sikandra, Agra, India, 1795.jpg|thumb|Gate of [[Tomb of Akbar the Great|Akbar's mausoleum]] at Sikandra, Agra, 1795]]

==Legacy==

Citing Akbar's melding of the disparate 'fiefdoms' of India into the [[Mughal Empire]] as well as the lasting legacy of "pluralism and tolerance" that "underlies the values of the modern republic of India", [[Time (magazine)|Time magazine]] included his name in its list of top 25 world leaders.<ref name=time>{{cite magazine |last=Tharoor |first=Ishaan |date=4 February 2011 |title=Top 25 Political Icons:Akbar the Great |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2046285_2045996_2046303,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207230652/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2046285_2045996_2046303,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 February 2011 |magazine=Time}}</ref>

==In popular culture==

{{more citations needed|section|date=June 2018}}

;Films and television

*''[[Shahenshah Akbar]]'' is a 1943 Indian [[Hindi]]-language film about the emperor, directed by G. R. Sethi.

* Akbar was portrayed in the award-winning 1960 [[Bollywood|Hindi movie]] ''[[Mughal-e-Azam]]'' (The great Mughal), in which his character was played by [[Prithviraj Kapoor]].

*The [[Government of India]]'s [[Films Division]] produced ''Akbar'', a documentary film about the emperor, in 1967 which was directed by Shanti S. Varma. It won the [[National Film Award for Best Educational/Motivational/Instructional Film]].

*[[Om Shivpuri]] played Akbar in 1978 movie ''[[Bhakti Mein Shakti]]''.

*[[Akbar Salim Anarkali|Akbar Saleem Anarkali]] is a 1979 Indian [[Telugu language|Telugu]]-language film about the [[Anarkali|Anarkali legend]] directed by [[N. T. Rama Rao]], with Rao also portraying the role of Akbar.

* Akbar was portrayed by [[Amjad Khan (actor)|Amjad Khan]] in 1979 movie ''[[Meera]]''.  

* Akbar is portrayed by [[Kiku Sharda]] in [[BIG Magic]]'s sitcom ''[[Akbar Birbal]]''.

* [[Saurabh Raj Jain]] portrayed Akbar in the follow up sitcom by BIG Magic, ''[[Hazir Jawab Birbal]]''.

* [[Mohammed Iqbal Khan]] played the role of Akbar in ABP News' documentary series, [[Bharatvarsh (TV series)|Bharatvarsh]].

* [[Akbar - Rakht Se Takht Ka Safar|Akbar Rakht Se Takht Ka Safar]] is a 2017 Indian drama television series tracing Akbar's journey to the Mughal throne. Abhishek Nigam portrays the role of Akbar.

;Fiction

* Akbar is a principal character in [[Indu Sundaresan]]'s award-winning historical novel ''The Twentieth Wife'' (2002) as well as in its sequel ''The Feast of Roses'' (2003).

* A fictionalised Akbar plays an important supporting role in [[Kim Stanley Robinson]]'s 2002 novel, ''[[The Years of Rice and Salt]]''.

;Video games

* Akbar is featured in the video game ''[[Sid Meier]]'s [[Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword]]'' as a "great general" available in the game.

* Akbar is also the AI Personality of India in the renowned game ''[[Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties]]''.

==See also==

* [[List of people known as The Great]]

* [[Maharana Pratap]]

==Notes==

==Bibliography==

* {{cite book|title=Mughal India: Studies in Polity, Ideas, Society and Culture|first=M. Athar|last=Ali|year=2006|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-569661-5}}

* {{cite book |last=Chua |first=Amy |date=2007 |title=Day of Empire: How Hyperpowers Rise to Global Dominance – and Why They Fall |publisher=Doubleday |isbn=978-0-385-51284-8 |url=https://archive.org/details/dayofempirehowhy00chua_0}}

* {{cite book |last=Collingham |first=Lizzie |date=2006 |title=Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-532001-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/curry00lizz}}

* {{cite book|title=Akbar and His India|first=Irfan|last=Habib|author-link=Irfan Habib|year=1997|publisher=Oxford University Press|place=New Delhi|isbn=978-0-19-563791-5}}

* {{cite book|title=Religion, State and Society in Medieval India|first=Nurul|last=Hasan|author-link=Saiyid Nurul Hasan|year=2007|publisher=Oxford University Press|place=New Delhi|isbn=978-0-19-569660-8}}

* {{cite book|title=People, Taxation and Trade in Mughal India|first=Shireen|last=Moosvi|year=2008|publisher=Oxford University Press|place=New Delhi|isbn=978-0-19-569315-7}}

* {{cite book|title=History of Mughal Architecture|first=R.|last=Nath|year=1982|publisher=Abhinav Publications|isbn=978-81-7017-159-1}}