The Age of Akbar, Emperor of India

ONLY Ashoka, who had ruled eighteen centuries before, vies with Akbar for the title of the greatest of Indian kings, and if weight is given to initial difficulties encountered and overcome, the claim must surely go to Akbar. The great Mauryan had received intact a great heritage from his predecessor; what Akbar had received from his father was little more than a disputed title as emperor of Hindustan. Akbar, who had been born in 1542 while his father was in flight from the victorious Surs, was only thirteen when he was proclaimed emperor in 1556. In the eight months he had spent in India before his death Humayun had succeeded in regaining control of the Punjab, Delhi, and Agra, but even in these areas his hold was precarious, and when the leaders of the Sur family recovered Agra and Delhi, the fate of the boy king seemed certain....

Foremost among these was his treatment of the Hindu population. For understanding the significance of his policy of toleration, it is important, however, to see his actions against the background of previous movements in the same direction, and not as a complete innovation. Hindus had long been employed in positions of responsibility—even Mahmud of Ghazni, the great "destroyer of idols," had a contingent of Indian troops under Indian officers—and no Muslim ruler had succeeded in dispensing with the services of Hindu officials on the level of local administration. There were, however, great difficulties to be overcome before general participation was possible. From the side of the early Turkish rulers, there had been prejudice not only against Hindus, but even against Indian converts to Islam. Under the Khaljis a change took place, and henceforth converts found employment in high office. This change led to a more general employment of Hindus, and during Sher Shah's reign (1538–1545) a number of Hindus held important military posts. But this exclusion of Hindus had not been entirely the result of Islamic attitudes: many Hindus had strong objection to service under a Muslim ruler. Furthermore, until Hindus were willing to learn Persian, the court language, their widespread employment in government was not possible. By the fifteenth century, when it was apparent that the Muslim rule was permanent, many Brahmans had begun to learn Persian, and their movement into government service began.

       Thus by Akbar's time many of the traditional difficulties had been removed, and he was able to take full advantage of the changes in outlook on both sides. One example of this was his enunciation of the principle of sulah-i kul, or universal tolerance, by which he accepted responsibility for all sections of the population, irrespective of their religion. Through his marriages with leading Rajput families, Hindus became members of the ruling dynasty, and Hindu women practiced their faith within the palace confines. The abolition of jizya was a more widespread indication of his policy, making the common people aware of the changing climate of opinion. That two of his most famous officials, Man Singh, viceroy of Kabul and Bengal, and Todar [[149]] Mal, his revenue minister, were Hindus, was an indication not of his desire to show his tolerance but his freedom to choose able associates wherever they might be found. Beyond these administrative acts, Akbar showed his sympathies with Hindu culture by patronizing the classical Indian arts, providing scope once more for painters, musicians, and dancers of the old tradition. Perhaps the most striking of his activities in this area is the creation of the post of kavi rai, or poet laureate, for Hindi poets. The adaption of Hindu elements in architecture is demonstrated in many of Akbar's buildings, notably at Fathpur Sikri. There and elsewhere he showed regard to Hindu religious leaders.

       The detailed measures which Akbar took to build up an efficient system of administration are no less indicative of a great constructive genius. He adopted what was vital in Sher Shah's administrative system and greatly increased its effectiveness. He insisted on maintaining a high level of administration, and for this purpose drew on talent from all available sources—the Mughals, the Uzbegs, the Rajputs, and other Hindus like Raja Todar Mal, and, of course, the Turanis and the Persians. By a judicious selection of personnel, their training in different fields, and by providing suitable opportunities to them, he was able to build up an efficient officers' cadre. Satisfactory arrangements for assessment and recovery of land revenue, and their integration in the general administrative system set the pattern for revenue administration which has been followed ever since. Akbar also preferred payment of cash salaries to the grant of jagirs. These measures, coupled with the general improvement in education and a brilliant spurt of expansion and conquest, enabled him to build up an efficient administrative machinery, centralize administration, and unify the country to an extent which had not been possible hitherto for any length of time.

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00islamlinks/ikram/part2_11.html

some good reading material about Akbar:

https://faculty.sfsu.edu/sites/default/files/faculty_files/1203/Class/115-pdf/Akbar%20The%20Great%20Moghul.pdf