Akbar was one of the greatest monarchs of
India. The king
Akbar was born
in October 15, 1542 Sindh and died in 1605 Agra.
He succeeded
the throne after his father Humayun’s death. But his position
was dangerous because Delhi
was seized by
the Afghans. Their commander-in-Chief, Hemu, was
in charge of it. In the second Battle of Panipat in
1556, Hemu was almost on the point of victory. But
an arrow pierced his eye and he became unconscious.
His army fled and the fortune favoured
Akbar. The Mughal victory was decisive. During
the first five years of Akbar’s reign, Bairam
Khan acted as his regent. He consolidated the Mughal empire.
After five years he was removed by Akbar due to court intrigues
and sent to Mecca.
But on his way Bairam was killed by an
Afghan. Akbar’s
military conquests were extensive. He conquered
northern
India from Agra
to Gujarat and then from Agra to Bengal.
Relations with Rajputs:
The
Rajput policy of Akbar was notable. He married the Rajput
princess, the daughter of Raja Bharamal. It was a turnin
point
in the history of Mughals. Rajputs served the Mughals for four generations.
Many of them rose to the positions of military generals. Raja
Bhagawan Das and Raja Man Singh were given senior positions
in
the administration by Akbar. One by one, all Rajput states submitted
to Akbar.
But
the Ranas of Mewar continued to defy despite several defeats.
In the Battle of Haldighati, Rana Pratap Singh was severely
defeated
by the Mughal army led by Man Singh in 1576. Following
the
defeat of Mewar, most of the leading Rajput rulers had accepted
Akbar’s
suzerainty.
Akbar’s
Rajput policy was combined with a broad religious
toleration.
He abolished the pilgrim tax and later the jiziya. The Rajput policy
of Akbar proved to be beneficial to the Mughal state as well
as
to the Rajputs. The alliance secured to the Mughals the services
of
the bravest warriors. On the other hand it ensured peace in
Rajasthan
and a number of Rajputs who joined the Mughal service
rose
to important positions.
Religious
Policy:
Akbar
rose to fame in the pages of history due to his religious policy.
Various factors were responsible for his religious ideas. The most
important among them were his early contacts with the sufi saints,
the teachings of his tutor Abdul Latif, his marriage with Rajput women,
his association with intellectual giants like Shaikh Mubarak and
his two illustrious sons – Abul Faizi and Abul Fazl – and his ambition
to establish an empire in Hindustan. In
the beginning of his life, Akbar was a pious Muslim. Soon after
marrying Jodh Bai of Amber, he abolished the pilgrim tax and in 1562, he
abolished jiziya. He allowed his Hindu wives to worship
their own gods.
Akbar
made some experiments in the land revenue administration
with the help of Raja Todar Mal. The land revenue system
of Akbar was called Zabtior Bandobastsystem. It was further
improved by Raja Todar Mal. It was known as Dahsala System
which was completed in 1580. By this system, Todar Mal introduced a uniform system of land measurement.
Akbar’s reign was an example of the stimulating effects of cultural
encounter. It has also often been portrayed as a model for future
governments—strong, benevolent, tolerant, and enlightened. Effective
government in a country as geographically vast and as socially complex
as India demands a wide measure of social support. Akbar understood this
need and satisfied it.
