Timeline History |
AkbarJalaluddin Muhammad Akbar also known as Akbar the Great (Akbar-e-Azam) was the son of Humayun whom he succeeded to become ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1556 until 1605.Though only 13 when he ascended to the throne, he is widely considered the greatest of the Mughal emperors. During his reign, he eliminated external military threats from the different Afghan descendants to Sher Shah (an Afghan who was able to temporarily usurp Humayun from 1540-1555), and at the Second Battle of Panipat deafeated the Hindu leader Hemu In addition to his military gains, the emperor solidified his rule by repealing the jizya tax on non-Muslims and courting the favor of the powerful Rajput caste, to the extent of marrying Rajput princesses. However, Akbar's most lasting contributions were to the arts and to Indian religion. He initiated a large collection of literature, including the Akbar-nama and the Ain-i-Akbari, and incorporated art from around the world into the Mughal collections. Also, he commissioned the building of widely admired buildings, including the Panj Mahal. Having a greatly tolerant attitude toward religion, Akbar preserved Hindu temples. He also began a series of religious debates where Muslim scholars would debate religious matters with Sikhs, Hindus, Carvaka atheists and even Jesuits from the Vatican. Also, he founded his own religion, the "Divine Faith"; the religion, however, amounted only to a form of personality cult for Akbar, and quickly dissolved after his death Akbar was born on October 15, 1542, at the Rajput Fortress of Umarkot in Sind where the Mughal Emperor Humayun and his first wife, Hamida Banu Begum were taking refuge. In 1540, Humayun had been driven into exile following decisive battles by the Afghan leader Sher Shah. Akbar did not go to Persia with his parents, and was raised for a time instead by his uncle Askari and his wife in the rugged country of Afghanistan rather than in the splendor of the Persian court. He spent his youth learning to hunt, run and fight, but he never learned to read or write, the sole exception in Babur's line. Nonetheless, Akbar matured into a well-informed ruler, with refined tastes in the arts, architecture and music, a love for literature, and a breadth of vision that tolerated other opinions. Following the chaos over the succession of Islam Shah (Sher Shah's son), Humayun reconquered Delhi in 1555, leading an army partly provided by his Persian ally Shah Tahmasb. Only a few months later, Humayun died from an accident. Akbar succeeded his father on February 14, 1556, while in the midst of a war against Sikandar Shah for the reclamation of the Mughal throne. Here, in Kalanaur the 13 year old Akbar donned a golden robe and Dark Tiara and sat on a newly constructed platform, which still stands, and was proclaimed "Shahanshah" (Persian for "King of Kings") |
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