Lesson 2/55 min
Emperor Akbar (1556–1605)
After Humayun's death in 1556 Akbar became emperor at just 13. Bairam Khan ran the state as his guardian and in the Second Battle of Panipat the same year beat Himu and recovered Delhi. In 1560 Akbar removed Bairam Khan and took all power himself.
Akbar: key facts
- Third Mughal emperor; ruled 49 years; died 1605; tomb at Sikandra (Agra)
- Bairam Khan: chief commander and guardian, a friend of Humayun; Akbar called him ‘Lord Father’
- Conquered Bengal through the Battle of Rajmahal in 1576
- Introduced a new faith, ‘Din-i-Ilahi’, in 1582; it had only 18 followers
- Abolished the jizya tax and the pilgrim tax; married the Rajput princess Jodha Bai
Administration and Bengal
- A provincial governor was called a subahdar
- Introduced the mansabdari system, a reform of the army and ranks
- Revenue minister Todar Mal, credited with the land-management reform
- Subah-i-Bangalah = Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
- The word ‘Bangla’ as the name of the country first appears in Abul Fazl's ‘Ain-i-Akbari’
- The Bangla era began in Akbar's time; the books count it from 1556 CE (963 Hijri)
Famous men of Akbar's court
| Name | Known as |
|---|---|
| Abul Fazl | Friend and court poet; author of ‘Ain-i-Akbari’ and ‘Akbarnama’ |
| Tansen | Court singer; ‘Bulbul-i-Hind’ |
| Todar Mal | Revenue minister |
| Birbal | Famous court jester |
Buildings
- Fatehpur Sikri (in the Agra region) and its Buland Darwaza (in memory of the conquest of Gujarat)
Watch out: Both books say Akbar built the Golden Temple at Amritsar and put Fatehpur Sikri at ‘Delhi’. Neither is right: the Golden Temple is a Sikh shrine and Fatehpur Sikri is in the Agra region. Both are left out of this lesson.
Check yourself
What was the faith Akbar promoted, and how many followed it?
At a glance
- 1
Akbar became emperor in 1556 aged 13 with Bairam Khan as guardian; the Second Battle of Panipat (1556) was against Himu.
- 2
Bengal was conquered at the Battle of Rajmahal in 1576; Subah-i-Bangalah = Bengal, Bihar, Orissa.
- 3
Din-i-Ilahi 1582; 18 followers; jizya and pilgrim tax abolished.
- 4
‘Bangla’ first appears in the Ain-i-Akbari, written by Abul Fazl.
- 5
Mansabdari system, revenue minister Todar Mal, singer Tansen; tomb at Sikandra; died 1605.