Mughal emperor Akbar

The mughal emperor,one of the most successful and powerful emperor in ancient India. Let's explore the mughal emperor and it's succesful emperor Akbar .

Who founded the Mughal dynasty?

The Mughal dynasty was founded by Babur. The dynasty is also referred to as the Timurid
dynasty as Babur was a descendant of Timur. Babur hailed from Ferghana (modern Uzbekistan), invaded northern India, and defeated Ibrahim Shah Lodhi, the ruler of Delhi, in the First Battle of Panipat in 1526. The Mughal Empire succeeded the Delhi Sultanate as rulers of northern India. In time, he conquered a major portion of India. The Mughal Empire dominated the Indian subcontinent between the mid-16th century and the early 18th century. Founded in 1526, it survived until 1858, when it was vanquished by the British.

How did Mughal architecture develop?

Buland Darwaza built by mughal emperor Akbar in 1601 AD at Fatehpur sikri .

Mughal architecture-a mixture of Islamic, Persian,
Turkish, and Indian architecture-was developed by
the Mughals in the 16th and 17th centuries. Numerous forts, mosques, and palaces were built in this period. The Mughals built impressive tombs, including the beautiful tomb of Akbar's father Humayun and Akbar's tomb at Sikandra, near Agra, which is a unique example of the architectural style of the Mughals. The Taj Mahal was built during the reign of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653. More than 20,000 people were employed for construction and over 1000 elephants to transport building materials.

How was the Mughal empire administered?

Early Mughals like Babar and Humayun did not change the prevailing administration and style of ruling. However, Akbar not only adopted some rules of Sher Shah Suri's administration but also introduced some new rules and practices. He established an efficient and strong administration. Equal rights were given to Muslims and non-Muslims and many Hindus were appointed at high positions in the Mughal administration. In Akbar's rule, the emperor was the all-powerful sovereign head of the Mughal administration, who was assisted by a council of ministers. In contrast, Aurangzeb was known as a fundamentalist who enforced strict Islamic law on his empire. He ordered the destruction of Hindu temples, re-imposed jaziya, and increased the land tax. This alienated the Hindus and led to many revolts.

Akbar - A great Mughal emperor 

Akbar is seen hunting tigers.

Why was Akbar a great emperor?

A Boy Emperor

Thirteen year old Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar becomes Mughal emperor.

In February 12, 1556, the claimant to the Mughal on Humayun, was descending the stairs of his iary when the call to prayer sounded. Trying to bow in reverence, Humayun fell down the stairs and died This unfortunate event brought his son, hirteen year old Akbar, to the Mughal throne. He was het owned until October 15, though, because failed been engaged in a war with the Afghan Sant Shab for the contested Mughal throne

The day after his father's death, Akbar donned a golden and placed a tiara on his head and

proclaimed himself "King of Kings" During his long nearly fifty-year reign, Akbar proved to be a wise benevolent ruler and a man of new ideas. He eliminated the military threat from Afghanistan and secured rule over Hindustan. He gained the support of non-Muslims by repealing taxes that were imposed only on them. His religious tolerance led to the preservation of Hindu temples, and his court held debates between Muslimscholarsand representatives of Sikhs Hindus, and Jesuits. A special building the lbadat Khana (House of Worship), was built for religious debates

Perhaps Akbar's greatest legacy was in the arts. He commissioned works of literature, adorned his places with works of art from around the world, and constructed many fine buildings.

The Mughal emperor Akbar came to power when he was just 13 years, following the death of his father Humayun. Akbar, under the guidance of his mentor Bairam Khan, expanded his territory throughout northern India and Afghanistan. Although he was not a great warrior, he was tolerant to other religions and was a very fair ruler. He succeeded at winning the trust and support of the entire Hindu population under his control. During his reign, he abolished two taxes: Jizya, a tax imposed on most of the non-Muslims, and a pilgrimage tax' paid by Hindus who travelled to various Hindu pilgrimage sites. He instituted many administrative reforms which were used throughout the Mughal period.

Who were Akbar's 'Navratna'?

Akbar was a great patron of artists and intellectuals. His passion for knowledge attracted many great minds to his court. The best of these courtiers were known as the nine 'jewels' of King Akbar or 'Navratnas'. Abul-Fazel was Akbar's chief advisor and author of Akbarnama, Faizi was a poet laureate, Miyan Tansen was a legendary musician, Birbal was known for great wit, Raja Todar Mal was Akbar's finance minister, Raja Man Singh was Akbar's trusted general and Commander-in-chief, Abdul Rahim Khan-l-Khana was a poet and the son of Akbar's trusted mentor, Bairam Khan. The mystic Fakir Aziao-Din and Mullah Do Piaza were both advisors to the Emperor.

Now let's dive  into Akbar's Achievement 

Akbar Threatens Southern India

In a final act of empire building, Akbar marches on Asirgarh, which opens the way for future Mughal encroachments into southern India.
Akbar, whose name means literally very great extended the Mughal Empire farther than it had ever been before from Kashmir in the north and Afghanistan in the northwest to Bengal in the east and the Deccan Plateau in the south. The fort at Asirgarh protected the only easily accessible route from northern India to the Deccan in the southwest After a long and historic siege, Akbar achieved his final conquest in 1599 and went on to install a governor over this province, under his authority,

It had been more than forty years since Akbar, aged thirteen, had first ruled with a regent, Bairam Khan, and together they had extended Mughal influence over northern India in the region bounded by the Indus and Ganges rivers. The empire was well protected by palace fortresses at Agra, Allahabad Ajmer, and Lahore. When Akbar came of age in 1560, he began a series of military campaigns against the military threat of the Afghan descendants of Sher Shah (who had ousted Akbar's father, Humayun), and also defeated the Hindu leader Hemu.

The splendor of Akbar's court became world renowned, even though he shifted it between Agra and his new walled capital Fatehpur Sikri (Fortress of Victory But it was his centralized system of povernment, dynamic religious tolerance, and
fostering of Indian arts and culture that was to bind the 100 million Hindus, Muslims, and other faiths under his rule. Akbar even founded his own religion and certainly had a sense of his own worth, as every morning at dawn he would stand at an open window to be seen and revered by his people.