Who was Akbar the Great?
Akbar (r. 1556–1605) was the third Mughal emperor and the architect of Mughal greatness in India. He expanded the empire across most of the Indian subcontinent, created an efficient administrative system, abolished the jizya tax on non-Muslims, and promoted religious tolerance through his 'Din-i Ilahi' philosophy — attempting to synthesize Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism.
Akbar the Great was the Mughal emperor who transformed a fragile Central Asian conquest state into the most powerful and culturally brilliant empire in Indian history. Coming to the throne at age thirteen after his father Humayun's death, he spent his 49-year reign (1556–1605) building an empire and a system of governance that would endure for over a century after his death.
Militarily, Akbar was relentless and effective. He conquered most of the Indian subcontinent through a combination of military force, strategic marriages, and diplomatic absorption. By his death, the Mughal Empire encompassed most of modern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, with a population estimated at 100–150 million — making it one of the largest and most populous states on earth.
Akbar's administrative genius was perhaps more remarkable than his military conquests. He created the mansabdar system, a hierarchical ranking of military and civil officials that bypassed hereditary aristocracy in favor of merit and imperial appointment. He reformed land revenue collection, commissioned detailed surveys of agricultural productivity, and established an efficient bureaucracy. His chief advisor, Abu'l-Fazl, recorded these achievements in the Akbarnama and Ain-i-Akbari.
Most remarkably for his time, Akbar pursued an active policy of religious tolerance and synthesis. He abolished the jizya tax traditionally levied on non-Muslims, married Hindu Rajput princesses and gave Rajput nobles prominent positions in his administration, and invited theologians of all faiths — Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Jain, Zoroastrian — to debate at his court. His 'Din-i Ilahi' (Divine Faith) attempted to synthesize elements from multiple religions, though it attracted few followers.
Akbar was also illiterate — a fascinating detail given his intellectual curiosity. He compensated by maintaining a vast library read to him by scholars and by developing an extraordinary memory. He patronized painting (the Mughal miniature tradition), architecture (the planned city of Fatehpur Sikri), music, and literature. His reign represents the Mughal Empire at its most creative, tolerant, and administratively effective.