Domestic and Military Consolidation
- Restoration of Authority
- Akbar inherited a fragile empire at age 13 after Humayun’s death and consolidated power after defeating Hemu at the Second Battle of Panipat (1556).
- Expansion of Territory
- Conquered Rajputana, Gujarat, Bengal, and parts of Central India, integrating diverse regions under centralized control.
- Military Reforms
- Created a standing professional army using gunpowder artillery and a ranking system through the mansabdari system.
- Alliance with Rajputs
- Formed marital and political alliances with Rajput rulers, granting them high ranks in administration.
- Centralized Governance
- Divided the empire into provinces (subahs), each governed by imperial appointees (subahdars).
Definition
Mansabdari System
- Administrative and military ranking system defining officers’ pay and responsibilities.
Definition
Rajputs
- Hindu warrior clans who became key Mughal allies through diplomacy and intermarriage.
The Rajput Policy under Akbar
Integration through Diplomacy
- Akbar formed alliances with Rajput chiefs such as those of Amber (Jaipur) and Jodhpur through marriage and negotiation.
- Allowed Rajput rulers to retain autonomy in their regions in exchange for military loyalty.
- Promoted Hindu nobles like Raja Man Singh to high-ranking positions in the Mughal army.
- Abolished discriminatory taxes such as the jizya and pilgrimage tax, encouraging Hindu participation in governance.
- These alliances reduced resistance and ensured loyalty across northern India.
Outcomes
- Established political unity through cooperation instead of conquest.
- Reduced rebellions in Hindu-majority areas.
- Symbolized Akbar’s policy of sulh-i-kul (universal tolerance).
- Strengthened Mughal legitimacy as rulers of a diverse empire.
- Set a precedent for inclusive administration under later emperors.
Religious and Cultural Policies
- Religious Tolerance
- Akbar ended jizya on non-Muslims, supported interfaith dialogue, and discouraged forced conversions.
- Din-i-Ilahi
- Introduced a new ethical system blending elements of Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Jainism, and Zoroastrianism.
- Cultural Synthesis
- Promoted Persian art, Indian architecture, and cross-cultural learning, creating a “Mughal style” in painting and literature.
- Intellectual Exchange
