Akbar Biography

Abū al-Fatḥ Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Akbar also known as Akbar the Great, was a prominent emperor of the Mughal dynasty. King Akbar’s nearly half a century reign over a sprawling kingdom has been proclaimed by historians to be one of the greatest. Akbar was proclaimed the emperor of the Mughal dynasty when he was just 14 years old. However, despite his young age, his style of conquests and administration was unparalleled. For his many virtues, be it establishing a prosperous empire over the subcontinent of India, his powerful alliances or his policy on religious tolerance, king Akbar is often heralded as Akbar the Great. 

In this biography on Akbar, we will attempt to learn the many aspects of his life and administration that made him one of the greatest emperors ever. 

Akbar Date of Birth and Early Life

The great king Akbar, born on October 15, 1542, was the son of the Mughal emperor Humayun. Akbar was born in Umarkot in the Sindh province (presently in Pakistan). Akbar lineage was that of the Mongols, Turks and Iranians. He was a direct descendent of the mighty Ghengis Khan. The grandfather of Akbar, Babur, first established the reign of the Mughal dynasty. 

However, when Akbar was born, the Mughal emperor was in less than a supreme position. Humayun, at the time when Akbar was born, had already been driven from Delhi, the capital by Sher Shah Suri, the Afghan usurper. Having lost his capital, Humayun was then targeting the Sindh province to establish his authority. It was only after the death of Sher Shah after a decade in the year 1555, Humayun was able to regain his throne.  

After regaining control of his throne, Humayun made Akbar, then age 14, the governor of the region of the then Punjab. Humayun’s reign after reascending to power was, however, short-lived as he passed away in 1556. With the death of Humayun, the Mughal emperor began to shamble again with several governors losing important places including Delhi. Things, however, took a turn for the better when Hemu, the minister who had taken control of Delhi from the Mughals, was defeated by the latter at the Second Battle of Panipat which took place on  November 5, 1556. 

This contributed to the Mughal emperor regaining control of Delhi along with ensuring Akbar’s succession. Akbar, age 14 then became the ruler of the Mughal emperor but at the time the empire was merely a collection of frail provinces. When he ascended the kingdom extended just a little beyond the Punjab province surrounding Delhi. However, under the calculated guidance of Bairam Khan, his chief minister, King Akbar was able to achieve stability in the region along with consolidating his authority and extending it at the same time. Akbar began solely governing the now expanding empire after the forceful retirement of Bayram Khan in 1560 by the king himself. What began as a reign with household influences soon established itself into an absolute monarchy under King Akbar. 

Akbar’s Reign and Expansion of Empire

The first region that Akbar conquered was Malwa in the year 1561, given its economic and strategic importance. Malwa contained rich, fertile lands and commanded the route to the Deccan plateau via the Vindhya range. While as a quick-witted general, expanding his imperial reign by conquests, Akbar was no stranger to adopting a conciliation and conquest policy with the Hindu Rajput warriors of the Rajputana region who were zealously independent. 

While a majority of the Muslim rulers considered the Rajputs as invincible, Akbar took a slightly different approach when he agreed to marry the daughter of Raja Bihari Mal, the then ruler of Amber in 1562. The Raja who was threatened by a dispute of succession offered his daughter’s hand to Akbar in marriage as a means of solace and, in turn, acknowledged Akbar’s suzerainty. This allowed the sons of the Raja to prosper in the service of King Akbar. This feudal policy by forming powerful matrimonial alliances was adopted by Akbar in the case of other Rajput chiefs as well. The chiefs had control over their ancestral territories but in exchange were required to pay tribute to and acknowledge Akbar as their emperor and supply troops to him when required. The chiefs were also granted honourable positions in Akbar’s court, thus eliminating the stigma of humility among the orthodox Hindu sects, and also rewarded the chiefs and their sons financially. 

Akbar conquered Gujarat in the year 1573. Gujarat was a bustling scene as its many ports allowed for easy trade with western Asia. Having conquered Gujarat, Akbar then turned his attention to Bengal, given its distinctively rich culture. The geographical location of Bengal made it difficult to be ruled from Delhi. However, it’s then Afghan ruler who refuted Mughal suzerainty was forced to submission in 1575 and in 1576, subsequently, following his rebellion was defeated and killed. It was then when Akbar annexed Bengal to his kingdom. 

His interest in conquests was renewed again by the end of his reign. He subjugated the reign of Kashmir in 1586 and Kandahar in Afghanistan in 1595. Parts of Ahmadnagar, Berar, and Khandesh were also annexed to Akbar’s empire by 1601. The Mughal empire or Akbar’s kingdom then extended from Bengal to Sindh in the east-west direction and from Afghanistan to as far as the Godavari river in the Deccan peninsula in the north-south direction. 

Administration and Reforms Introduced

Prior to Akbar ascending to power, armies were divided under command of individual superiors and provincial governors were gaining popularity as local rulers hereditarily. These tendencies tended to disintegrate the government. Akbar instituted comprehensive reforms during his administration that introduced two fundamental changes. To begin with, the appointment or promotion of every officer was overseen by the emperor instead of the earlier practice of this being done by the immediate superior. He also made the distinction between nobles with respect to the pen and the sword. Military ranks were assigned to civil administrators which made them equally dependent on army officers and emperors. 

A centralised financial system was also introduced as a part of Akbar’s reforms. Thus, each provincial governor was assisted by a civil administrator. The civil administrator prepared accounts, supervised the collection of revenue and was required to report to the emperor directly. By reorganising the network of already-existing news writers, Akbar minimised abuse. These news writers were required to report instances of important events to the emperor regularly. 

In terms of making the revenue collection and assessment system more efficient, the reforms introduced by Akbar played a significant role. The military administration was distinguished from revenue collection when Akar revised the tax system in 1574. The responsibility for order within a region was maintained by the governor while the property taxes were collected by the tax collector for sending them to the capital. 

This, thus, created a system of checks and balances in each region making both governors and troops dependent on the central government, as one did not have the other power. The peasants were safeguarded from excessive demands while ensuring the state bore minimal losses. The civilians, as well as military personnel, were provided fixed salaries by the central government as per their rank. These reforms were, however, only applicable only in areas under the direct jurisdiction of the central government. The lands under the tributary Rajput rulers as well as those assigned to be maintained for Mughal reforms were excluded from the benefit of such reforms. 

Religious and Artistic Views

Akbar’s religion, attributed by birth, was Islam. He, however, was religiously curious as was evidenced by his frequent participation in festivals celebrated by people of other faiths. He even built a temple inside the walled city of Fatehpur Sikri in 1575. This temple hosted scholars for several other religions. His approach to multiculturalism, though not appreciated by all, was what made him popular among his subjects. A declaration issued in 1579 known as the ‘Infallibility Decree’ granted king Akbar the authority for interpreting religious law which further enabled the creation of a multicultural and religious state. The Din-i-Ilahi established by Akbar comprised elements from different religions including Hinduism, Islam and Zoroastrianism.

Akbar also promoted the spirit of tolerance and cooperation, which appealed to the Rajputs in particular. There was no pressure for conversion to Islam under his regime. Moreover, by translating Hindu literature, abolition of poll tax on people of other religious faiths, he integrated people of all faiths under his administration. Akbar also rewarded his subjects based on their intellect, loyalty and talent, irrespective of their religious or ethnic background. This allowed for providing stability to his able administration. 

Akbar also appreciated the arts greatly and is known for ushering in the style of Mughal architecture. This style combined elements of Hindu, Persian as well as Islamic design. Akbar’s courts in Agra, Delhi and Fatehpur Sikri had some of the brightest minds, the most notable ones being his Navaratna (nine gems). The Navaratna both entertained and advised Akbar. 

Demise

Akbar’s reign came to an end with his death in 1605. His region for death has not been accurately determined as several sources cite different reasons. When Akbar died, he was ascended by his son Jahangir as the next Mughal emperor. 

Enthroned at a very young age, the reign of Akbar the Great saw many military conquests as well as notable administrative reforms. His leadership style was inclusive, where he brought in an era of religious tolerance as well as an admiration for the arts. The success behind the creation of the vast emperor of King Akbar can be attributed to his ability in only in conquering his subjects but being able to earn their loyalty as well.