Akbar

in full Abu al-Fath Jalal al-Din Muhammad Akbar

(born Oct. 15, 1542, Umarkot, Sind, India—died 1605, Agra) Greatest of the Mughal emperors (see Mughal dynasty) of India (r. 1556–1605). Akbar, whose ancestors included Timur and Genghis Khan, ascended the throne as a youth. Initially his rule extended only over the Punjab and the area around Delhi. The Rajput raja of Amber (Jaipur) acknowledged his suzerainty in 1562, and other Rajput rajas followed suit. Akbar included Rajput princes and other Hindus in the highest ranks of his government and reduced discrimination against non-Muslims. He continued his conquests, taking Gujarat in the west (1573) and Bengal in the east (annexed in 1576). Toward the end of his reign he conquered Kashmir (1586) and moved south into the Deccan. Administratively, he strengthened central power, establishing that all military officers and civil administrators were to be appointed by the emperor. He encouraged scholars, poets, painters, and musicians, making his court a centre of culture. He had Sanskrit classics translated into Persian and was enthusiastic about the European paintings presented to him by Jesuit missionaries. His reign was often portrayed as a model by later governments—strong, benevolent, tolerant, and enlightened. See also B.

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