New Delhi: Akbar is one of the greatest rulers India has ever seen. According to historians, he was the best among the Mughal Emperors for his ability to keep the realm united through diplomacy and a liberal outlook. Akbar was not an orthodox emperor by any means. Rather, he understood the pulse of the land and its people and formulated his policies accordingly.
The liberal policy of Akbar
Akbar was born on October 25, 1542, at the Rajput Fortress of Amarkot in Rajputana where his parents were given shelter by the local Hindu ruler Rana Prasad. His father Humayun was leading the life of a fugitive at that time after being defeated by Sher Shah Suri. In his quest to regain the Mughal Empire, Humayun was travelling from one place to another along with Hamida Banu Begum, Akbar’s mother.
Akbar spent his formative years in an atmosphere that encouraged liberal sentiments and frowned upon religious narrow-mindedness. Since the 15th century, several rulers in India adopted a more liberal policy of religious tolerance to foster communal harmony between Hindus and Muslims. The Timurid ethos of religious tolerance persisted from the times of Timur to Humayun and it shaped the policy of tolerance of Akbar when it came to religion. The childhood tutors of Akbar, including two Irani Shias, were mostly liberal, which influenced his religious tolerance in later life.
As a ruler, Akbar sponsored religious debates between different religious groups like Muslims, Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Jains, Jews, Jesuits, and Materialists. Also, Akbar was partial to Sufism. He was popular among his Hindu subjects because of his policies. He decreed that Hindus who had been forced to convert to Islam could reconvert to Hinduism without facing the death penalty.
Akbar and the Hindus
He practised many Hindu customs and celebrated Diwali. Also, he allowed Brahman priests to tie jewelled strings around his wrists as a blessing. Many nobles began to wear rakhi after Akbar set an example. Also, he forbade the sale of all meats on certain days. Also, he was liberal towards the Jains and regularly held discussions with Jain scholars and was impacted by their teachings. He also started Din-i Ilahi, a new syncretic religion or spiritual program. Its philosophy considered all sects as one and the elements were drawn from different religions.
