JAMIA MILLIA ISLAMIA

FACULTY OF LAW

HISTORY ASSIGNMENT

(AKBAR’S RELIGIOUS POLICY)

SUBMITTED TO – DR. GULRUKH KHAN

SUBMITTED BY – SHIVAM KUMAR

B.A. LLB (1ST YEAR) (SF)

ROLL NO - 56

BATCH-2019-2024

1
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

S NO. TOPIC PAGE

NO.
1 3
Acknowledgement

2 4
Introduction

3 5-6
Akbar’s Religious Policy
The early phase (1556-73)

4 7-9
The second phase (1573-80)

5 10-11
The third phase (1581-1605)

6 12
Conclusion

7 13
Bibliography

2
 ACKNOWLWDGEMENT

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my teacher Dr. Gulrukh

Khan ma’am who gave me the golden opportunity to do this wonderful project on
the topic Akbar’s Religious Policy, which also helped me in doing a lot of
research. I came to know about so many new things, I am really thankful for to
them.

Shivam Kumar

BA. LLB (SF)

3
INTRODUCTION
Abu’l-Fath Jalal ud-din Muhammad Akbar popularly known as Akbar was born in 1942 at
Amarkot. Maham Anga was the foster mother of Akbar. He succeeds his father at the age of 13
under the guidance of Bairam Khan who became wakil-e sultanate of the kingdom with the title
of Khan-I Khanan.

Akbar’s religious policy need to be distinguished between his state policies and his own personal
ideas and beliefs. It should be realized that personal ideas and belief did not always determines
state policies. Akbar’s state policy in the field of religion was in a large measure determined by
the Turko-Mughal tradition..

During the fifteenth century, the process of Hindu-Muslim coming together had moved in the
intellectual and cultural field as well as in political sphere. Many rulers in the country made an
attempt to promote greater understanding between the Hindu and Muslims. They did so by
giving patronage to local languages and literature, having secular and religious literature in
Sanskrit translated into Persian, and adopting a more liberal policy of religious tolerance. In
some instances, Hindus were even given important jobs in the army and in services at the court.
These attempts of secular and religious tolerance are seen through the works of popular saints
such as Kabir, Chaitanya and Nanak, who emphasized the essential unity of Islam and Hinduism
in different parts of the country, and laid stress upon religious practices that were based on love
and devotion, rather than those which were based on rituals and the literal interpretations of
books of devotion.

This appeared to create an atmosphere of liberal sentiment where views could grow in an
educated manner. It was during the emergence of this atmosphere that Akbar was born and
brought up. All these factors were part of Akbar’s cultural legacy and influenced both his
thinking and his state policies.1

1
Chandra Satish, medieval India A history textbook for class XI , NCERT, new Delhi 11th edn. 2005

4
AKBAR’S RELIGIOUS POLICY

The policy of Sulh-i-Kul means peace for all, which Akbar made a part of his state policy, but
only in the later half of his rulership, he adopted a policy of universal toleration and applied it in
favour of Hindus, Christians, Jains and Parsis in addition to his personal fancies and beliefs in
Islam. We shall divide his religious policy into three phases.

The Early Phase (1556-73)

• Immediately after assuming of the government, Akbar demonstrated his

broadmindedness when, in 1563, he abolished the pilgrimage tax which amounted to
crores on the Hindus at Mathura and other sacred places.
• Akbar also abolished the practice of forcibly converting prisoners of war to Islam.
• He also married Rajput princess without first converting them into Islam, and even
allowed them to continue their own religious worship within the palaces, and honoured
their parents and relations by giving them place in nobility. This policy of Akbar’s
towards Rajput was combined with a much broader policy of religious toleration and
proved mutually beneficial for both the parties. Akbar succeeded in cementing his
alliance with the Rajput rulers through his policy of inducting them into Mughal service
and treating them on par with the Mughal grandees, and through his courteous behavior
to former opponents. In doing so, Akbar established an empire which Rajput rajas did not
consider harmful as they were allowed a large measure of autonomy to cater to their best
interests.
• Akbar abolished jizyah which all non-Muslims were required to pay in a Muslim state.
The removal of this tax was more an act of symbolism because the tax was not a heavy
amount, rather it was disliked because it made a big distinction between Muslim and non-
Muslim2.

2
Chandra satish, medival India, From sultanate to the Mughals part II, Har- Anand publication, New Delhi 2004
edn.

5
• He justifies it on the ground that the Hindus were equally loyal, having "bound up the
waist of devotion and service, and exert themselves for the advancement of the
dominion". Abul Fazl also makes it clear that the levying of jizyah was not only based on
a desire for profit on the part of the ulama but contempt for and a wish to destroy their
opponents, i.e. the Hindus.
• In some modern works it has been suggested that in order to emphasize Akbar's
liberalism, Abul Fazl has deliberately pushed back the abolition of jizyah to 1564,
whereas Badayuni places it in 1579. Badayuni says that in 1575-76, Akbar ordered
Shaikh Abdun Nabi and Makhdum-ul-Mulk to examine the matter and decide the
amounts of jizyah to be levied on Hindus. "They issued Farmans in all directions; but
these orders quickly disappeared, like a reflection on the water." Thus, attempts to undo
the order of 1564 failed.
• In his private conduct, during this period Akbar behaved like an orthodox Muslim. He
scrupulously observed daily prayers, and even cleaned the mosque with his own hands.
He also sent delegations to hajj, and once a sum of six lakhs of rupees was sent for
distribution among the needy and the poor in Hijaz. During this period, Akbar was deeply
devoted to Abdullah Sultanpuri and Shaikh Abdun Nabi.

6
The Second Phase (1573-80)

• This was a phase of intense discussions and introspection on the part of Akbar which led
to a radical change in his religious views, and deeply affected state politics in the third
and final phase (1581-1605). His successive victories against the Uzbek nobles and his
victories in Malwa, Rajasthan and Gujarat strengthened Akbar's belief that he was the
chosen instrument of God for unifying India under his command.
• This was the background to the building of Ibadat Khana,or hall of prayer at Fatehpur
Sikri.
• The Ibadat Khana

➢ In 1575 Akbar built Ibadat Khana or the hall of prayer at his new capital
Fatehpur Sikri. The opening of the Ibadat Khana for religions debates was by no
means a novelty. Like Jews, Christians and Hindus, the Muslims, too, indulged
in public arguments, both to satisfy intellectual curiosity and to establish the
superiority of their faith over others. Such discussions had taken place under the
Umaiyyads and Abbasids, and continued under the Ilkhanid Mongols who had
just embraced Islam. This tradition had continued under the Timurid, Sultan
Husain Baiqara of Herat.
➢ At first, the Ibadat Khana debates were open only to Muslims. For informal
discussions, scholars were admitted by the Emperor to his bed-room where he
listened to their discussions.
➢ At first only sufi shaikhs, ulama, learned men and a few of the Emperor's
favourite companions and attendants were admitted. They were divided into
four sections, and Akbar moved from group to group,but the most lively
discussion was in the group of theologians.3

➢ However, the debates of the Ibadat Khana led to great bitterness rather than a
better understanding between different religions, as the representatives of each

3
Chandra satish, medival India, From sultanate to the Mughals part II, Har- Anand publication, New Delhi 2004
edn.

7
 religion denounced the others in order to prove that theirs was truly superior to
the others.
➢ Akbar opened the doors of debate to Hindus belonging to various sects, Jains,
Christians and Zorastrians. This led to further confusion.
➢ A modern historian, R.P. Tripathi, says, "Instead of bringing credit, the Ibadat
Khana brought growing discredit." Akbar himself became convinced of the
futility of these debates, and closed the Ibadat Khana practically in 1581, but
finally in 1582.
• The Mahzar
➢ The Mahzar or attested statement signed by seven leading ulama, including
Shaikh Abdun Nabi and Abdullah Sultanpuri, and including Shaikh Mubarak,
father of Abul Fazl, issued in 1579.
➢ Vincent Smith was of the opinion that, copying the examples of the Pope, Akbar
had conferred upon himself "the attributes of infallibility."
➢ Some others thought that it was meant to free Akbar from the allegiance of the
Ottoman Khalifa, and the Shia rulers of Iran.
➢ Some historians in Pakistan have dubbed it as "a dishonest document," because it
permitted Akbar to interpret laws whereas he was hardly literate. Hence, a careful
study of the document is necessary.
➢ The document declared that Akbar was "the Sultan of Islam, the asylum of
mankind, the commander of the faithful, the shadow of God over worlds." These
are the attributes of the khalifa of the age.
➢ It was argued, citing Quran and some Hadis a few of them being spurious, that as
a just and wise ruler Akbar not only had the right to claim the allegiance of
everyone, but that his position was higher than a mujtahid (interpreter of holy
laws) in the eyes of God4

4
Chandra satish, medival India, From sultanate to the Mughals part II, Har- Anand publication, New Delhi 2004
edn.

8
➢ Akbar himself could issue any degree which did not go against the nas i.e. explicit
decree of Quran, and the hadis and is "calculated to benefit humanity at large."
Any opposition to such a degree passed by His Majesty "shall involve divine
displeasures in this world and the next."
➢ the point to note is that in the document Akbar does not claim to be a mujtahid
himself (though Abul Fazl calls him one), but one who as a ruler could choose
between different interpretations, or between rulings given by earlier law givers,
bearing in mind political existencies and needs of government. Thus, the charge
of dishonesty falls to the ground. Also, the document makes it clear that any
decision of the ruler would be for the purpose of public good and the
administrative needs of the empire. This made the final breach between him and
the orthodox ulema.

9
The Third Phase (1581-1605)

• Akbar's own religious ideas and beliefs crystallized slowly during the last phase. The
crux of Akbar's religious beliefs was his faith in uncompromising monotheism or Tauhid-
i-Ilahi, based largely on the Islamic philosopher, Ibn-i-Arabi. Like many of the sufis,
Akbar believed that communion with God was possible by turning oneself to Him
through meditation. Likewise, he considered slavish imitation (taqlid) of traditional
practices to be unnecessary for a true believer.
• Akbar had deep faith in God, and believed that for every act, man was responsible to
God. He also gave great respect to light (nur) which led to spiritual elevation on the one
hand, and was reflected in the Sun and Fire.
• There has been a good deal of controversy as to the extent to which Akbar was influenced
by Hindu, Jain, Zoroastrian or Christian beliefs. Thus, Badayuni charges Akbar with
adopting various Hindu practices, such as worshipping the sun and the fire, repeating one
thousand and one name of the sun in Sanskrit, putting a tika on his head, adopting the
custom of rakhi etc. Others trace respect of fire to the Zoroastrians. Banning slaughter of
animals on certain day is traced to Jain influence. He was attracted to the theory of
transmigration, but rejected its Hindu form of going from one body to another.
• Akbar's fundamental belief was that all religions had an element of truth, but it was
obscured by blind devotion to slavish imitations (taqlid) and ceremonials. Hence, he was
not prepared to identify himself with the dogmas and ceremonials of any one religion,
though he was prepared to show respect to all religions. Thus, he forbade cow-slaughter,
observed Dashera, as also Nauroz which was an old Central Asian tradition and also a
day of celebration for the Parsis.
• Akbar's eclecticism was denounced by orthodox mullahs as "bidat" (apostasy). Thus,
Badayuni charges Akbar with "rejecting inspiration, prophet hood, the miracles of the
Prophet and of the saints, and even the whole law (sharia)" so that in course of time "not
a trace of Islam was left in his mind.5
• Akbar did not ask his followers to abjure Islam as has been wrongly asserted by some
historians, but he asked them to abjure the orthodox form of it". However, Qureshi

5
Chandra Satish, medieval India A history textbook for class XI , NCERT, new Delhi 11 th edn. 2005

10
 considers this to be even more harmful, calling Akbar's reign "the darkest hour of Islam"
in India because it opened the door for the entry of all kinds of extraneous elements, thus
endangering the Islamic identity. This, as is known, has always been the basis of
"fundamentalism".

• Din-i-Ilahi
➢ Akbar had set up a new religion, called Din-i-Ilahi, which was compounded of many
existing religions, Hinduism, Christianity, Zorastrianism etc.
➢ Badauni has charged that Akbar had renounced islam by arguing that akbar had set up a
new religion, called Din-i-Ilahi.
➢ R P Tripathi “ shrewed as Akbar was, he must have felt that it was neither possible to
melt all religion down into ne nor to launch a new religion which would have added one
more to others. But he felt himself called upon to propagate his ideas among those who
cared to listen to them.
➢ Modern research does not support the contention that Akbar wanted to establish a new
religion. It has been pointed out that Din-i-Ilahi had no priesthood, no rituals or beliefs,
no books. In fact, we do not even know when it was established.
➢ Abul Fazl does not use the word Din-i-Ilahi but Tauhid-i-Uahi or Divine monotheism,
while Badayuni uses both the terms. Abul Fazl links it with the concept of Akbar being
the spiritual guide of the people.
➢ The Tauhid-i-Ilahi was not "a monument of Akbar's folly," as Vincent Smith argued.
Although many flatterers and those aspiring for gain joined, Akbar created a tradition of
implicit loyalty to the Mughal throne which he left as a legacy to his successors.6
➢ Thus, the Tauhid-i-Ilahi was basically a political devise. Akbar was trying to fashion a
new state and nobility which neither the Christian Fathers, nor narrow orthodox mullahs
such as Badayuni could understand or sympathies with. By projecting the Tauhid-i-Ilahi
as a religious devise, and charging Akbar with apostasy, attention has been distracted
from the painful emergence of a new polity passed on the principles of liberalism, justice
and equal treatment to all faiths.

6
Chandra satish, medival India, From sultanate to the Mughals part II, Har- Anand publication, New Delhi 2004
edn.

11
CONCLUSION
We may conclude that the Akbar was a great emperor of Mughal Empire. Akbar was born and
brought up in liberal surrounding. Akbar’s tutor Abdul Latif taught him the principle of universal
peace which he never forgot. Thus the early environment influenced the Akbar’s religious view
in the direction of liberalism. Akbar’s broad minded and liberal secular policy led to his decision
like limiting the role of Ulemas and abolishing Jizyah and pilgrimage tax levid on non Muslim.
Akbar’s policies of secular tolerance and religious freedom were fundamental to the spread of
ideas of peace, unity and tolerance. He also started new religion Din-i-Ilahi. Among the rulers of
India he occupies high place as he attempted to bring Hindu and Muslim together.

12
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Satish Chandra, medieval India, From sultanate to the Mughals part II, Har- Anand publication,
New Delhi 2004 edn.

Satish Chandra, medieval India, A history textbook for class XI, NCERT, New Delhi 11th edn.
2005

13