Akbar

born Oct. 15, 1542, Umarkot, Sind, India

— died 1605, Agra) Greatest of the
Mughal emperors (see Mughal dynasty)
of India (r. 1556 – 1605). Akbar, whose
ancestors included Timur and Genghis
Khan, ascended the throne as a youth.
Initially his rule extended only over the
Punjab and the area around Delhi. The
Rajput raja of Amber (Jaipur)
acknowledged his suzerainty in 1562,
and other Rajput rajas followed suit.
Akbar included Rajput princes and other
Hindus in the highest ranks of his
government and reduced discrimination
against non-Muslims. He continued his
conquests, taking Gujarat in the west
(1573) and Bengal in the east (annexed
in 1576). Toward the end of his reign he
conquered Kashmir (1586) and moved
south into the Deccan. Administratively,
he strengthened central power,
 establishing that all military officers and
civil administrators were to be appointed
by the emperor. He encouraged scholars,
poets, painters, and musicians, making
his court a centre of culture. He had
Sanskrit classics translated into Persian
and was enthusiastic about the European
paintings presented to him by Jesuit
missionaries. His reign was often
portrayed as a model by later
governments — strong, benevolent,
tolerant, and enlightened. See also
Babur.
1542–1605, Mughal emperor of India
(1556–1605); son of Humayun, grandson
of Babur. He succeeded to the throne
under a regent, Bairam Khan, who
rendered loyal service in expanding and
consolidating the Mughal domains
before he was summarily dismissed
(1560) by the young king. Akbar,
 however, continued the policy of
conquest. A magnetic personality and an
outstanding general, he gradually
enlarged his empire to include
Afghanistan, Baluchistan, and nearly all
of the Indian peninsula north of the
Godavari River. To unify the vast state,
he established a uniform system of
administration throughout his empire and
adopted a policy of conciliating the
conquered chieftains. Having defeated
the Rajputs, the most militant of the
Hindu rulers, he allied himself with
them, giving their chiefs high positions
in his army and government; he twice
married Rajput princesses. Although he
was himself illiterate, Akbar's courts at
Delhi, Agra, and Fatehpur Sikri were
centers of the arts, letters, and learning.
He was much impressed with Persian
culture, and because of him the later
Mughal empire bore an indelible Persian
stamp. Apparently disillusioned with
orthodox Islam and hoping to bring
about religious unity within his empire,
he promulgated (1582) the Din-i-Ilahi
[divine faith], an eclectic creed derived
from Islam, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism,
and Christianity. A simple, monotheistic
cult, tolerant in outlook, it centered on
Akbar as prophet, but had an influence
outside the court. Akbar, generally
considered the greatest of the Mughal
emperors, was succeeded by his son
Jahangir.