ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>AKBAR JAL&#256L UD-D&#298N MUHAMMAD (1542-1605)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="AKBAR,JALL,D*N,MUHAMMAD,Person,Person"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279AKBAR, JAL&#256L UD-D&#298N MUHAMMAD (1542-1605), third in the line of Mu<u>gh</u>al emperors of India, was born on 23 November 1542 at Amarko&#7789, in Sindh, while his father, Hum&#257y&#363&#7749, was escaping to Persia after he had been ousted by Sher <u>Kh</u>&#257n S&#363r. Akbar was crowned king at Kal&#257naur, in the Punjab, on 14 February 1556. At that time, the only territory he claimed was a small part of the Punjab, Delhi and &#256gr&#257 having been taken by Hem&#363. He was then fourteen years old, but he proved himself a great general and conqueror. Upon his death in 1605, he left to his son and successor, Jah&#257&#7749g&#299r, a stable kingdom comprising the whole of Upper India, K&#257bul, Kashm&#299r, Bih&#257r, Bengal, O&#7771&#299ss&#257 and a great part of the Deccan.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Great soldier as he was, it is as an administrator that he gained the highest fame. His revenue reforms and his liberal religious policy won him popular acclaim. He abolished <i>jizyah</i>, capitation tax on non- Muslims, and the pilgrimage tax Hindus had to pay. He curbed the power of the '<i>ulam&#257</i>. Although illiterate himself, he was genuinely interested in the study of comparative religion and built an <i>'ib&#257dat-<u>kh</u>&#257n&#257</i> (house of worship) where learned men of all religions assembled to discourse on theological issues. These discussions convinced Akbar that there were good and positive elements in all religions and prompted him to promulgate a new eclectic faith called D&#299n-i-Il&#257h&#299 (Divine Faith), which he vainly hoped would prove acceptable to all of his subjects.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Sikh chronicles refer to Akbar's amicable relations with Gur&#363 Amar D&#257s, N&#257nak III. They also allude to Akbar's visit to Goindv&#257l where he had to eat in the Sikh community refectory like any other pilgrim before he could see the Gur&#363. As the <i>Mahim&#257 Prak&#257sh</i> records, the Emperor refused to step on the silks spread out for him by his servants when going to call on Gur&#363 Amar D&#257s. He turned aside the lining with his own hands and walked to the Gur&#363's place barefoot. As recorded in Abul Fazl's, <i>Akbar- n&#257m&#257</i>, a contemporary source, Akbar also visited Gur&#363 Arjan at Goindv&#257l on 24 November 1598. At the Gur&#363's instance, he remitted the annual revenue of the peasants of the district, who had been hit hard by the failure of the monsoon. According to another account, complaints were made to Akbar that the Holy Book of the Sikhs, Granth S&#257hib, contained references derogatory to Islam and other religions. Akbar, who was then encamped at Ba&#7789&#257l&#257 in the Punjab, sent for Gur&#363 Arjan. The Gur&#363 despatched Bh&#257&#299 Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257 and Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s with the Holy Volume. The book was opened at random and read from a spot pointed out by Akbar. The hymn was in praise of God. So were the others read out subsequently. Akbar was highly pleased and made an offering of fifty-one gold <i>mohars</i> to the Granth S&#257hib. He presented Bh&#257&#299 Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257 and Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s with robes of honour and gave a third one for the Gur&#363.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Akbar died at &#256gr&#257 on 16 October 1605 and was succeeded by his son, Jah&#257&#7749g&#299r.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Bhall&#257, Sar&#363p D&#257s, <i>Mahim&#257 Prak&#257sh, Part II </i>. Patiala, 1971<BR> <li class="C1"> Smith, Vincent A. , <i>Akbar</i>. Delhi, 1962<BR> <li class="C1"> Beveridge, A. H. , trans. , <i>The Akbar Nama</i>. Delhi, 1989<BR> <li class="C1"> Macauliffe, Max Arthur, <i>The Sikh Religion</i>. Oxford, 1909<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Sr&#299 R&#257m Sharma<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>