Akbar's Reign and Religious Tolerance
Ascending at age 13, Akbar rules for 49 years and transforms the Mughal Empire from a regional power into the dominant force of South Asia. His policy of sulh-i-kul (universal peace) abolishes the jizya tax on non-Muslims, incorporates Rajput nobles into Mughal administration through marriage alliances, and creates a new syncretic religion Din-i-Ilahi. He establishes a revenue system (Todar Mal's mansab system) that funds a professional army and bureaucracy. Akbar's court at Fatehpur Sikri becomes a center of art, architecture, and religious debate.
- Year: 1556 CE
- Category: Governance
