Why did Akbar follow a policy of tolerance and mutual co-existence?
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Answer:
Akbar and his religious policy
Akbar is often considered as national king who united all sections of the people and he is also said to
have been secular ruler who kept his personal religious ideas from framing state policies and adopted
policy of religious tolerance.
There are two questions which primarily arises before the historiens in regard to Akbar’s religious
policy: 1. To what extent Akbar’s personal believes had influenced in his state policies? And 2. What
was the response of his subjects to his state policies?
There are few reasons why Akbar became secular king.
1. He was influenced by teachings of his broad-minded mother, teacher and his relatives.
2. He was influenced by the prominent cultural ethos of timurid polity-YasaE-Chingesi(treating all
the religions alike)
3. The increasing presence of Irani nobles at Humayun’s had created an atmosphere for Akbar to
learn religious tolerance.
4. His childhood psychology fearing about god shaped his religious outlook. For instance, abul-
fazl states, as akbar says” if he had displeased God in any manner, 'may that elephant finish us for we
cannot support the burden of life under God's displeasure.'”
5. His personal engagement in Islamized version of greek philosophy through Shaikh Mubaraq and
his sons faizi and abul-fazl shaped his religious world outlook through Ibadatkana debates from 1575-
1578.
Akbar was, in his early part of reign, following intolerant policies towards non-muslims as the following
statements testify:
One knows from unimpeachable evidence, including some of Akbar's own sayings recorded after 1581
that in his early years he was not only a practising Muslim but also had a very intolerant attitude
htowards Hindus. He regretfully admits of having forced many Hindus, during those early years, to be
converted to Islam. Akbar was then looked upon by Muslim orthodox elements as a pious Muslim
committed to defending Islam against infidelity. Rizqullah Mushtaqi, a well known Shaikhzada of Delhi,
writing around 1580, says that Akbar was sent by God to protect Islam from being suppressed by Hemu.
In one of his passing remarks Badauni suggests that during this period (early years of his reigns) Akbar
was under the influence of Nagshbandiya order.
At the same time, his marriage relations with rajpoot princes had forced him to initiate some liberal
measures.
The measures like the announcement of the abolition of Pilgrimage Tax (1563) and Jizia (1564) or the
establishment of an in 'am grant for the support of a temple at Vindravan (1565) testify the fact.
Explanation:
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