Akbar’s Religious Policy

Muhammad T S Awan · #1 Monday, June 20, 2011

1. Introduction

The religious innovation of Akbar is a debated issue in the history of Mughal India. With the Akbar’s accession to the throne, new devices for successful rule over the Muslim and the non-Muslim subjects were adopted. The king manifested a policy of toleration towards his non-Muslim, (against or in favour) subjects and for rooting out discrimination he abolished pilgrimage tax and jizya, formerly imposed upon the Hindus. Some of the historians like Abdul Qadir Badauni, the Jesuits and Mr. Smits have called Akbar and apostate because he initiated the Din-i-Ilahi (The Divine Faith). Thi sis perhaps a harsh juddgement and exaggeration. Many historians (both Muslims and non-Muslims) and scientific investigations have examined the issue and discovered little to confirm this extreme view.

2. Development of Akbar’s Religion :

The analysis of S.M Ikram in his book ‘History of Muslim Civilization in India and Pakistan’ reeal that ‘Akbar started as a devoted orthodox Muslim and a God-fearing religious minded individual’. According to ‘Dhakirat-ul Khawanin (Vol I), Akbar said all the five prayers and occasionally swept the palace mosque with his own hands.

He had great veneration for the religious leaders like Mukhdum-ul-Malik and Sheikh Abdul Nabi, and Saints like Khawaja Muin-ud-Din Chishti and Sheikh Salim Chishti. We are even told by the hostile critic Badauni that ‘he would sit many a morning along in prayer on a large flat stone of an old building near the Fatehpur palace in a lonely spot with his head bent over his chest and gathering the bliss of early hours.’

3. Discussion at the Ibadat Khana (the house of worship) and change of Akbar’s mind:

It is no denying a fact that his Hindu wives and their relatives might have extended a tremendous influence on him, his association with Hindu sages acted in a similar manner, and his bread minded courtiers like Abul Fazl and Faizi were responsible for the Akbar’s new notion of a state religious policy, but the fundamental tendency which motivated the king was conflict of different religious sects, which shocked his soul and made him skeptic in religious matter. As a matter of fact, in his early days, he was an orthodox Sunni Muslim. A early as 1575 , he built a grant edifice called Ibadat Khana, which was set apart for religious discussions. But when the king noticed that even the two great theologians of his court astrayed themselves into opposition on certain issues, he became disguised with such mutual recrimination. Over and above, when Akbar observed that the jurists and Ulemahs could not guide him in the various perplexing problems, he devoted himself to the evolution of a new religion, which would, he hoped prove to be a synthesis of all the varying creeds and capable of uniting the discordant elements of his vast empire in one harmonious whole.

4. Study of Various Religions and the declaration of Infallibility Decree (1579)

While Akbar was facing the complex problem of adjudging on certain complicated issues, Sheikh Mubarik, the father of Abdul Fazl and Faizi, a liberal minded person, stimulated the king, that if there was a difference of opinion between the jurists, the Muslim ruler had the authority to act as a supreme arbitrator and his choice would be decisive. It was under such circumstances that the declaration of 1579, called by Smith as ‘Infallibility Decree’ was announced, whereby the king could act as the Supreme arbitrator in matters of religion. Thus Akbar assumed the role of a Mujtahid, have caused profound resentment among the Ulemas, and their supporters, but Akbar remained fearless.

5. Din-i-Ilani or Tawhid-i-Illahi (1581)

The Divine faith (or Din-i-Ilahi) was a rather novel experiment in the domain of religion, made by Akbar with the assistance and co-operation of a group of courtiers. It was not a purely religious movement and the motive forced behind it was the attainment of certain political objectives. Its teachings were queer mixture of ideas and practices selected from different faiths. It was promulgated in an assembly of courtiers in 1581. The concepts and implications of Din-i-Ilahi were too revolutionary people. The new innovations envisaged in the same order can be summarized in the light of details given in the Ain-i-Akbari, as under :

a) Everybody who approached the king had to keep his turban in his hand and put his head on the feet of king. The purpose was to put an end to conceit and selfishness. According to Ain-i-Akbari, the emperor discouraged people to become his disciples but Badauni expresses that he discouraged the Muslim only.

b) The disciples were to endeavour to abstain from flesh

c) Each disciple was to give a party on the anniversary of his birthday and to bestow alms

d) Dinars customarily given after a man’s death were to e given by a disciple during his life-time

e) The slaughter of animals in general was prohibited

f) The marriages among the near relatives, high dowries and polygamy were disapproved and discouraged

g) Advice was issued for religious tolerance

h) Circumcision before the age of twelve was forbidden

i) The restriction of personal liberty and the selling of slaves was forbidden and a woman was not to be burnt against her inclination

j) The homage paid to sun and the solar lamp was encouraged

k) Nauruz was to be celebrated officially

l) A Governor was expected to pass the dawn and evening in mediation and pray at noon and mid-night

m) The king symbolic motto was practiced. When the disciples met each other, one would say ‘Allah-o-Akbar’ and the other responded with ‘Jalli-Jallaluhu’.

A firm believer in the policy of universal toleration, Akbar made no attempt to force his religion on others with the zeal of a convert or a religious fanatic, but appealed to the inner feelings of men.

6. Conclusion:

Akbar began as a staunch Sunni Muslim and during the first few years of his reign he manifested himself to be an orthodox Muslim having great veneration for the theologians and saints. But slowly and gradually when he experienced that the great Ulemahs of his kingdom had neither any conformity on giving verdict over certain complicated religions issues and nor could they proceed sincerely to avoid mutual allegations. On his close relations with the Hinduism and the services rendered to him by Sheikh Mubarik and his sons – Abu Fazl and Faizi, his entire outlook and mentality towards the state’s relgion changed. Having supported by the verses from the holy Quran, Akbar assumed the task of a Mujtahid. So the rigidity of he being a conservative Muslim ceased to exist, and he introduced new innovations in the shape of Din-i-Ilahi.

It only remains to adjudge Akbar’s policy in general. For his policy of religious toleration and giving adequate share in administration to all classes of people, there can be nothing but praise, however, to set himself up as the spiritual leader of the people, was nothing but a mistake and misfortune. Although, he did not dare to impose his religious policy forcibly upon his Muslims and non-Muslim subjects. Yet the result of it was quite different from what he wished to achieve. His adherence to the Quranic injunctions is beyond doubt, but no pious Muslim would approve that he did not transgress the Islamic confinements. He did injustice to Islam and un-necessarily humiliated her, for which history cannot forgive him, because it was done not in the interest of state, but in the pursuit of personal hobby, however, pious it might be.

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