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Rajput Policy Akbar’s Rajput policy was the result of his sharp mind. He broke from the path and adopted a new policy that his predecessors had never even thought. All the former Muslim rulers had used sword against the Rajputs and thus had wasted their power and had invited dangers to their empires. Akbar did not want to follow the policy of his predecessors so he extended hand of friendship towards them. He believed that with the policy of Mughals and bravery of Rajputs a vast empire can be established. Akbar wanted to establish a strong empire in India. It could not be done without the support and friendship of Rajputs as they were the military leaders of Hindus. Peace and prosperity could prevail only because of unity of Hindus and Muslims. To turn his dream into reality he extended hand of friendship towards Rajputs. He wanted to suppress his Muslim enemies. He had to suppress many rebellions in his own household and court at the time of his accession to the throne. Even his trusted courtiers and family members had conspired against him and had tried to declare Mirza Haqeem as the new ruler. He had a very few family members who could be trusted so he realized the necessity of the friendship of true, brave and trusted friends. Only Rajputs fitted in this criterion. He used various kinds of methods to make them his friends. He established matrimonial relations with them. If anyone of them acknowledged his lordship during the battle, was forgiven and embraced. In 1562 he himself had married with the princess of Ambar. He appointed many Hindus at high posts in his administration without giving any attention to the caste and religion based discrimination. In his administration he had 51 Hindu nobles out of which 17 were Rajputs.

Freedom to Rajputs Hindus and Rajputs had complete freedom as for as their religion was concerned. They were free to worship in temples, celebrate their religious festivals and participate in their religious rituals. Religion based taxes on Hindus such as Jaziya and Pilgrimage taxes were abolished. Akbar never fought against his enemies in the name of ‘holy war’ or Jehad. After defeating his Hindu enemies, he never looted or destroyed the Hindu temples. Many Rajputs kings were impressed by Akbar’s policies and they acknowledged his lordship happily. But Mewar, Ranthambor and Kalinjar Rajput kings did not accepted him as their king so he marched against them. But after defeating his enemies he never killed them but made them his friends. Akbar did not interfere in the internal matters of the Rajput riyasats (states). At one hand Akbar’s Rajput policy secured the Mughal Empire from the brave Rajputs and on the other hand Rajputs helped him to expand his Empire. With the help of Rajpus he neutralized the anti-Mughal forces and established peace and prosperity. According to a famous historian Lanepool ‘When Akbar ascended to throne he had control only on the territory surrounding Delhi and Agra. But when he died he left the greatest, the wealthiest and the strongest empire in the world. Such a great achievement of, was in no small measure, due to the most loyal support and wonderful fighting qualities the Rajputs’. Akbar’s Rajput policy ended more than three hundred years old enmity between the Rajputs and Mughals and started an era of Economic reformation. It gave tremendous boost to the foreign trade and commerce. India developed a lot in every field of life during the rule of Akbar. Religious movements and hereditary influences had played an important role in his religious policy. Many Hindu kings had helped his father Humayun when he was facing worst phase of his life. Thus, neither Humayun nor Akbar was fundamentalists.

True Patriot In 1575 he built a building in Fatehpur Sikri which was named ‘Ibadatkhana’. Akbar used to organize meeting on every Thursday in which Muslim clerics and religious figures participated. Debates were held on many Islamic topics and most of the time these debates used to turn into quarrels. Because of it Akbar lost faith in Islam. From that onwards he started to call representatives of every religion in these meetings and debates. After some time Akbar felt that there is no basic difference between the basic teachings of every religion and none of them is better than the other. The result of this thinking was the establishment of a new religion Din-e-Ilahi. But some people say that it was a monument of Akbar’s folly. Many historians say that Din-e-Ilahi was not a religion but a social group. They say that it lacked basic rituals that are the part of every religion. It did not have any religious book. Akbar did not give much importance to spread this new belief. Different people have different views about Din-e-Ilahi but it can not be ruled out that it was a revolutionary thinking which could not turn into reality.

Akbar loved his country more than his religion. He established Din-e-Ilahi to strengthen his country. Almost all the countries of world have been bothered by the religious matters.