Question

Abul Fazal, Akbar’s friend and counselor, helped him frame the idea of ______, so that he could govern a society composed of many religions, castes and cultures.

Answer 1

Hint: This framed idea for good governance policies were further used by Jahangir and ShahJahan as well for the equality resources it contained. This is drawn from a Sufi mystic principle which meant ‘peace for all’.

Complete Step by Step answer: Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar or popularly known as Akbar the great, was the third ruler of the Mughal dynasty. He is known for a lot of things including exemplary administrative policies, tax and revenue system, the massive territory of the Indian subcontinent he had under him.

We know that unlike his predecessors and most of his successors as well, Akbar’s kingdom had a very tolerant religious policy, many historians argue that it might because he had a lot of influence of his hindu wife over him, but since it is debated, we won't stick to this fact.

Taking the Sufi mystic notion of sulh-i-kul and transforming it to become a principle denoting amity- within a highly culturally versatile India, Akbar made sulh-i-kul as his personal methodology of acknowledging right or wrong, as he was trying to build political institutions across a predominantly non islamic society. In his history of Akbar’s reign, MOhd. Abdul Baki states that Akbar had extended toleration to all religions and would specifically recognize no differentiation between them as his primary objective was promotion of peace and harmony amongst his subjects.

Note: Although, conceptually sulh-i-kul and Din-e-ilahi might look the same, these are entirely two different concepts, while one is an idea, another is a religion created by Akbar; a common religion for all his subjects.