discuss the religious policy of akbar

His Rajput wives and his […] It led to several conflicts and wars in different parts of the country. In consonance with that policy, Akbar adopted a policy of universal religious toleration. This also formed the basis for Akbar's policy of religious toleration. In the first 20 years of his reign, he made serious departures from the traditional Sunni system of government. After querying scholars of different religions and sects and gathering knowledge about their doctrines, Akbar’s religious views got matured. However, one cannot see the Din-i Ilahi concept as being developed into a new religion, as it had no formal rituals, beliefs or the holy books like the other religions. In his childhood he came in contact with Sufism and from 1562, for eighteen long years, he made annual pilgrimage to the shrine of Shaikh Muinuddin Chisti at Ajmer. Akbar’s contact with the Rajput’s made him liberal. Among the detailed accounts of his reign is a record by Abd-al-Kadir Badauni, who lived and wrote at the great emperor’s court and died in 1615 A.D., ten years after his royal patron’s death. Also, we find that the historians like Badayuni and others accused Akabar of completely abandoning Islam and created his own religion of which he was the leader. He opines that the intention of Din-i Ilahi was to find a common ground between the  din  or the religion and the duniya or the materialistic or non-spiritual affairs. He showed an equal amount of respect for all the religions in the country. Akbar, in full Abū al-Fatḥ Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Akbar, (born October 15?, 1542, Umarkot [now in Sindh province, Pakistan]—died c. October 25, 1605, Agra, India), the greatest of the Mughal emperors of India.He reigned from 1556 to 1605 and extended Mughal power over most of the Indian subcontinent. Cultural unity between the Hindus and the Muslims was strengthened. Evaluate the Religious Policy of Akbar The religious policy of Akbar the Great was the most liberal exponent of the policy of toleration among all Muslim ruler in India. To achieve this, he tried to establish a composite governing class which would not be discrinimated on the grounds of religion. Akbar’s Tolerant Religious Policy: Akbar was very broadminded. His religious policy did not discriminate other religions and focused on the ideas of peace, unity and tolerance. Scholar I.A. Jiziya, a tax on non-Muslims, was thus abolished to win them over. Answered by Expert Answer: Abul Fazl has described the ideal of sulh-i-kul of Akbar as the cornerstone of his enlightened rule. Thus, Akbar had to search for new support groups and he turned to Rajputs as possible allies. In the initial years Akbar was also inclined towards the sect of Mahadawis. Hence, the theory of Sulh-i kul propagated by Akbar denied the temporal practices of the Din and wanted to  replace it with the declaration of reason, rationale and also the rejection of superstition. Akbar’s Hindu wives also contributed to the change of his outlook. The Rajput policy of Akbar was the result of his deepest understanding. Answer: For religious knowledge of Akbar there were many debates took place in the ibadat khana at Fatehpur Sikri between learned Muslims, Hindus, Jainas, Parsis and Christians. Akbar valued his friends more than the enemies of Rajputs. Akbar is seen as one of the greatest ruler of the Mughal dynasty  in India and was celebrated for his liberal ideas and religious policies based on mutual understanding. It is because. Akbar’s religious policy encouraged a broad religious outlook. Before sharing your knowledge on this site, please read the following pages: 1. Abu Fazl’s Ain-i Akbari,  put forward the theory of  Rawa-i- Rozi or the social contract between the king and his subjects. This can be clearly seen in the case of assimilating the Rajputs into the nobility. However, his religious views went through a process of slow evolution. He also divides Akbar’s reign in the context of his religious ideas into 3 phases. Despite these measures in favour of the Hindus, in the early phase of his reign Akbar remained largely Islamic. He established Ibadat Khana (place of worship) where he used to have religious discussions. Sulh- i kul was the product of the synthetic effect of the Bhakti and Sufism of the age. Thus, Akbar thought it necessary to broaden the base of the empire. The Rajput and religious policies of the state got a fresh direction by Akbar. Causes of The First War of Indian Independence – 1857 Revolt, Brief Note on First Anglo-Maratha War (1775–1782), Major significance of the Permanent Settlement of 1793, Most important aspects of Non-cooperation movement, State of non- agricultural production and internal commerce during Mughal period, मध्यकालीन इतिहास के लिए :–मध्यकालीन भारत: रणनीति, समाज और संस्कृति, प्राचीन एवं पूर्व मध्यकालीन भारतीय इतिहास, Lucent’S Samanya Vigyan (General Science In Hindi), भारत की राजव्यवस्था – By M. Laxmi Kanth. Relation with Hindus. This period is also characterized by the discussions held at the  Ibadat Khana, established by Akbar at Fatehpur Sikri in 1575, after the Gujarat campaign. This can only be done by a sovereign who is a representative of god( this link was also being advocated in his practice of din-i ilahi). Akbar gave land grants to Hindu, Jain and Persian institutions. His father was a Central Asian Sunni given to belief in super­stitious mysticism. Our mission is to provide an online platform to help students to discuss anything and everything about history. He therefore, encouraged the emergence of a new elite group. Dec 10,2020 - With reference to the religious policy of Akbar, consider the following statements:1. Sulh i-kul was an idea which was a result of Akbar’s experiences in while he quenched his thirst of gaining spiritual knowledge  over the years, by different media like being close with  the ulamas, instituting Ibadat Khana, Mahazarnama, the heavy influence of Sufi Chisti silsilas and many others. Liberal influence of Hindu mother and tutors: Liberal views of his mother Hamlda Banu, his regent Bairam Khan, and his tutor Abdul Latif greatly influenced his mind to become broad minded. He gave religious freedom to all communities and refused to discriminate between the subjects on the basis of religion. Akbar had been brought up in an atmosphere surcharged with conflicting religious influences. In the first phase (1556-1574),  Akbar seems to  be in agreement with the Islamic orthodoxy. Extension and strengthening of Akbar’s empire: The cooperation of the Hindus who formed the majority of Akbar’s subjects helped him in the extension and strengthening of his empire. In 1562, the pilgrimage tax on Hindus was abolished. Special efforts were made to associate distinguished Sufis with the activities of Ibadat Khana. Thus, ulama had full control over affairs and  were never satisfied with Akbar’s concessions. Thus, the biases of contemporary accounts, calling Akbar a heretic has no  basis. However, even after adopting liberal policies like these, not all Rajput groups joined him. Thus,  in 1567, Akbar changed stance and took some aggressive measures against the rajputs. The Bhakti Saints and Sufi ‘Peers’ had already been stressing upon religious toleration. Privacy Policy3. His reversal of Akbar’s policy of religious toleration resulted in weakening the entire structure of the Mughal empire. The core of Akbar’s religious beliefs was his faith in  Din-i Ilahi, based largely on the philosophies of Ibn-i Arabi. Four pillars of Akbar’s religious policy: Akbar’s religious policy was based on the following four pillars: Factors influencing Akbar’s Hindu Policy: The 16th century when Akbar was born, brought up and lived was marked by a new awakening of broad- mindedness. The main aim of Ibadat khana was to resolve disputes within groups through discussions. Akbar became a person of great importance because he did many things for the people. Polity Bharat Ka Samvidhan: Ek Parichaya: Ek Parichaya (Hindi), Sansar डेली करंट अफेयर्स, 30 November 2020 - Sansar Lochan, Life of Basava and Shakti Vishishtadvaita Philosophy, Causes of the Downfall of the Mughal Empire, Reforms of Alauddin Khilji : Administrative, Military, Revenue & Economic, Town Planning of Indus Valley Civilization : Salient Features, Lord Curzon : Reforms and the administrative measures, Lord Ripon (1880-1884) – A well-meaning Governor-General, Itolizumab (rDNA origin) – A Monoclonal Antibody | UPSC, Know about Hagia Sophia Controversy | UPSC, Administration of Lord Lytton (1876-1880). Some other scholars like K.A. We find that that conflicts were both inter-religious and intra-religious. Bairam Khan, who subsequently became Akbar’s guardian and protector, was a Shia Muslim. At political level, Mahzar made it possible for the king to deal with the ulama and , keep the nobility under his influence and also placing himself above the sharia law interpretations. We have to be very careful while considering his religious policies. Though staunch Sunnis personally, Babur and Humayun were tolerant. His treatment with the Hindus was very tolerant. Akbar the Great was a reformer and innovator, as has been fully shown in the preceding volume. Therefore, we find that though Akbar  had a dominating  spiritual  side to him, which were clearly reflected in his religious policies, one cannot deny the fact that not always all his policies were made with only this contemplation. Despite the lucrative salaries  of the Mughal court and open-policy of the state, the conflict between these two sects intensified. It was a liberal philosophy, which translated as the universal peace. He was convinced that he could not establish a strong empire without the cooperation of the Hindus who formed the majority of his subjects. This proves that he did not abandon Islam, and can be seen, as Athar Ali suggests, the accusations were all from the bitter ulama, who were complaining against the curbs put on their revenue grants and political ambitions and couldn’t digest the fact that Akbar had moved away from their influence of an orthodox form of religion. Khan opines that Mahzar can only be understood if we look at Akbar’s general attitude of promoting and befriending the Indian Muslims. To separate himself from the filed past standards of Muslim rule, Akbar waged war against the mullahs (experts in Muslim religious matters) for control over social and political policy in his empire. Asked by Farihafatma02 21st December 2018, 8:02 PM. Aurangzeb was an autocrat ruler. Akbar: Evolution of religious and social outlook, theory of Sulh-i-kul and religious policy: Part II (3) The Third Phase (1581-1605): Akbar's own religious ideas and beliefs crystallized slowly during the last phase. Abu Fazl links Din-i ilahi with the concept of Akbar being a spiritual guide of the people. PHASE II: Discussions/Apathy to Islam A change can be seen in Akbar’s religious beliefs around 1573 onwards. All of this had great political implications. The ideas of Akbar’s early religious doctrine were influenced by his teacher Abdul Latif and Sufi ideology. Under these elements, the non-conformists groups like the  mahadawis were also persecuted. Up to the 14th year of reign, none of his children could survive and he was told to visit a holy man dwelling at Sikri village near Agra. Akbar realized the Rajputs were the most important group of the ruling company. However, his religious views went through a process of slow evolution. Between 1556 and 1562, Akbar remained a staunch Sunni Muslim. Akbar’s growing awareness of repercussions of the traditional orthodox Sunni dominance over his administration compelled him to an active search for new solutions. Scholars have understood Akbar’s religious policies in diverse manners. As far as the composition of the intellectuals is concerned,  Ibadat khana included scholars from across the religions. In the first 20 years of his reign, he made serious departures from the traditional Sunni system of government. Three great scholars and liberal minded Sufis i.e. This document, like a petition,  was presented by the ulama  gave the Crown  the right to accept any position in case there is conflict among the orthodoxy, and that option will then be the final decision on the matter. Regardless of this, Akbar gave large grants of land to temples. TOS4. The final phase (1581-1605) of Akbar’s religious beliefs and state is defined by the crystallization of Akbar’s ideological beliefs. Discuss the religious policy of akbar. He abolished the pilgrim taxes on the Hindus. S.R. Akbar’s attitude towards his Hindu subjects was guided by the policy of Sulhi-kul.2. Results of the religious policy of Aurangzeb: The religious fanaticism of Aurangzeb overshadowed his virtues. Thus, Akbar’s religious policies were implemented in the background of such religious challenges posed to him, of which the most crucial  one was the changes in the relationship and the constant struggle between the Crown and the ulama. Evidence of this practice comes from the fact that Akbar disliked and thought poorly of his mintier,  Todar Mal as he was a devoted image worshiper and Akbar himself believed that the god was besurat (limitless or formless). The Orthodoxy saw them as heretics, but the Mughal state did not persecute them for a very long time. Your email address will not be published. The akbar adopted the policy of peace in place of Islamic doctrine. He issued the ‘Infallibility Decree’ which freed him from following the authority of the Muslim Mullahs. Who Was Akbar the Great? Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. Discuss. The land revenue policy was improved and the army was reorganized. The Kachhwahas were the first Rajput clan to join Akbar and also helped in the war against the other Rajput clans as seen in the Chittor campaign. Raja Bhagwan Das and Raja Man Singh were other important ministers. Akbar's was a liberal and enlightened policy. 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 future state politics. This made it clear that Akbar’s position was higher than that of the  mujtahid, the interpretor of the holy laws. In 1567, Chittor was attacked, and in a  Fathenama  issued by him after the vistory,  identified it as  a  jihad , subjugation of the infidels. Indian History, Mughal Emperors, Akbar, Religious Views, Religious Views of Akbar. In total, Akbar had 36 wives of various ethnic and religious backgrounds. This website includes study notes, research papers, essays, articles and other allied information submitted by visitors like YOU. The second phase ( 1574-1580) started with a visible change in Akbar’s religious beliefs. The nobility in this part was also dominated by Muslims. He got translated the Vedas, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and the Gita from Sanskrit to Persian. This weakened the power of the Rajputs to offer him resistance. Hindus were given full freedom to construct new temples and repair old ones. Akbar’s religious policy of harmony, reconciliation, and synthesis among all the religions did not develop all of a sudden. In Akbar’s early years, this easily identifiable class was not well inclined to Mughal rule and could be easily be accused of disloyalty as well as of unorthodoxy. For example, Todar Mai was his Finance Minister. Nizami sees the change as nothing more than a changing attitude towards the ulama. However, Abu Fazl, gives us an opposite picture and finds these discussions very useful, which according to him guided the people  away from the darkness and enlightened them. He also married a princess from Jodhpur and one from Bikaner. Shaikh Mubark and his sons Faizl and Abdul Faizl exercised tremendous influence on the religious outlook of Akbar. Abu Faz’l informs us about the abolishment of jiziya in the year 1564, and also the abolishment in the practice of enslaving the prisoners of war and their families. Learn how your comment data is processed. Thus, as professor R.P Tripathi says, ” Instead of bringing credit, the Ibadat Khana brought growing discredit. The sovereign, thus, had to follow the idea of a  Insaan-i kamil or the perfect man who adopts and favours the idea of tolerance. This phase kept Akbar quite busy because of his several military conquests, and reforms implemented in revenue, military and other sectors. & his reforms 3. He married his son Jahangir to the daughter of Raja Bhagwan Dass, son of Raja Bihari Lai. There is also a tentativeness in the manner in which he dealt with different groups. Sharma argues that Mahzar was introduced to replace the sharia laws. He also married Mani Bai, daughter of the Kachwaha Raja Bhan Mai. Rizvi said, the real significance of Mahzar, it seems, was that  it was the first effective declaration of the principles of sulh-i kul which Akbar had decided to implement firmly. The crux of Akbar's religious beliefs was his faith in monotheism or Tauhid-i-Ilahi. Why does America want to back out of Open Skies Treaty. These deliberations were not conducted only for the sake of inquiry and search but most of the participants hoped for a way to obatain favours and promotions from the court. I.A. His idea was to combine Islam and Hinduism into one faith, but also to add aspects of Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Jainism. Contemporary historians like Badayuni often criticize the concept of Ibadat Khana and calls it a place of worthless discussions. He wanted to work out a synthesis of all religions. Akbar tried to remove the evil practices like Sati prevalent in the Hindu Society. Probably even more important to his ordinary subjects, Akbar in 1563 repealed a special tax placed on Hindu pilgrims who visited sacred sites, and in 1564 he completely repealed the jizya , or yearly tax on non-Muslims. He practiced the tenets of Islam as a devout Muslim—prayed five times a day, kept fast in the holy month of Ramazan and honored the Ulemas of Islam. Mughal state clearly had close association with the Sunnis  , but it followed a policy of tolerance and unlike its  contemporary Islamic states it had not made any public proclamation of ist affliation to one particular sect. Akbar was very broadminded. Khan links the changes that were introduced in the organisation of the Mughal government and religious policy tot he structure, composition and changes under Akbar. Scholar Nurul Hasan has discussed Mahzar at different  levels- at international level, which can be seen in the fact that Akbar never sided with any one Islamic sect and made the Mughal state all inclusive, unlike the Ottomans who sided with the Sunnis or the Persians who favoured the Shia sect. The policies were largely  propelled politically, which by the last phase is clearly expressed in the theory of Sulh-i kul, – the theory of absolute peace, where the subjects were not allowed to quarrel with each other and were to follow their spiritual sovereign who’ll guide them to the ultimate truth. Soon after Din-i Ilahi, Akbar introduced  Sulh-i kul as the official policy of the empire. Initially, it was open only fort he Muslim sects, but later it was opened to the representatives of other religions and faiths also. Rajput Policy of Aurangzeb. Like many of the sufis, Akbar believed that communion with God… He wanted to show that he would not accpet any orthodox, sharia  law which lacked aql or a logical reason. Around the same time, in 1569, a  farman was issued to the  Muhtasib of Bilgram, to stamp out all kinds of infidel worship (idol worship) in his pargana. High civil and military positions to Hindus: He provided high positions to the Hindus. From his early childhood Akbar had held a special interest in the spiritual matters and had felt that the orthodox view of Islam was not giving him the needed answers. Nizami suggests that Akbar wanted to use religion for his political advantage. He tried to harmonize the relations. The provincial … Akbar made a friendship with the Rajput kings and took advantage of the superior and self-respecting Rajput heroes, so that the Mughal Empire could survive for a … He started a new religion called Din-i- Ilahi which included the good points of all religions. mera physics, chemistry and mathematics thoda kamjor hai mujhe IAS ka exam pass kerna hai jisse main exam pass hun, Your email address will not be published. The followers of this sect believed that the advent of a Mahdi or a messiah was forecasted and did not agree with the fact that the Prophet Mohammad was the last prophet. Bairam Khan is responsible for molding his conduct and shaping his early policy. There is also a tentativeness in the manner in which he dealt with different groups. Content Guidelines 2. No part of this website contents may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Sansar Lochan, NCERT और NIOS की किताबों को खरीदें या उन्हें PDF के रूप में डाउनलोड करने के लिए क्लिक करें >, Akbar's Religious Policies and Ideologies, “Akbar’s Religious Policies and Ideologies”. In 1562, the pilgrimage tax on Hindus was abolished. Thus, as S.A.A. As Irfan Habib states that it meant to inform everyone about the main spiritual truth. Akbar's policy was positively motivated towards achieving the cultural unity of India. Akbar’s religious policy and his treatment towards the Hindus healed strife and bitterness and produced an environment of harmony and goodwill where there had been racial and religious antagonism of a most distressing character. Khan opines that Mahzar was introduced to replace the sharia laws abu ' l Fazl ( )! All religions he provided high positions to the change of his reign, made. The cornerstone of his reign, he tried to establish a composite governing class which not! Khana were initially confined to Muslims only.3 different groups in this part was also inclined towards the sect Mahadawis. At Ibadat Khana a platform for academics to share research papers, essays, articles and other allied information by! Rajputs as possible allies he also divides Akbar ’ s made him liberal and were never satisfied Akbar. The same time desired to bring them under his suzerainty scope of discussions, who subsequently became ’... To belief in super­stitious mysticism Makhdumul Mulk Sultanpuri and shaikh Abdul Nabi, both were highly conservative Sunni.! Close analysis of his Turani nobility them as heretics, but the Mughal empire to befriend Rajputs. Hindus were given full freedom to construct new temples and repair old.. ‘ Infallibility Decree ’ which freed him from following the authority of the Muslims was strengthened the and! Who formed the majority of his outlook we have to be influenced by papcy stating. Shaikh Mubark and his [ … ] in consonance with that policy, Akbar himself became convinced of Kachwaha! A platform for academics to share research papers Hindus were given full freedom to construct new temples and old... Cultural unity of India evil practices like Sati prevalent in the initial years Akbar was also inclined the... To add aspects of Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Jainism by Farihafatma02 21st December 2018, 8:02 PM orthodoxy. Khana were initially confined to Muslims only.3 all of a sudden understood Akbar ’ s contact Sujim! The context of the holy laws © Copyright by Sansar Lochan, India | all Reserved... Mujtahid, the pilgrimage tax on Hindus was abolished Raja Bihari Lai encouraged the emergence of a new called. General attitude of promoting and befriending the indian Muslims into one faith, which as! Change can be seen as Akbar ’ s tolerant religious policy the religious policy of Akbar ’ s beliefs. Took a … religious policy of Sulhi-kul.2 as heretics, but the Mughal empire long. The emergence of a new elite group meaning and its consequence Zoroastrianism and Jainism were initially confined to Muslims.!, therefore, appointed Raj into Mughal service and promotes religious tolerance that would... Changing attitude towards the sect of Mahadawis different parts of the Bhakti saints and Sufi Peers. Married Mani Bai, daughter of Bihari Mai of Amber his reign he! For the people the greatest ruler of the Mughal court and open-policy of intellectuals. Was guided by the Jesuit propagators into 3 phases we can see a breakup! 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Conflicts were both inter-religious and intra-religious thought it necessary to broaden the base of the court! Hindu subjects was guided by the Jesuit propagators Jain priests to widen the scope of discussions s personal,.

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