King Akbar's Contributions

King Akbar was a direct descendant of Genghis Khan and Tamerlane. In abolishing the jizya tax on Hindus and other non-muslims and appointing them to high government and military posts, he was the first Muslim ruler to win the trust, loyalty, and love of his subjects from all religions. Akbar set an example, one that defined him as one of the greatest rulers in history; an individual did not have to be Muslim in order to be treated fairly in the Mughal empire. In today’s world, we can see how Akbar’s ideals are inconsistent with the current discrimination and violence against people of different religious communities, especially in Pakistan and Afghanistan, lands he once used to rule. Called to the throne at the age of thirteen after his father’s death, Akbar inherited very little since his father had been driven from power and had only managed to regain it in the last couple of months before he died. In fact, Akbar was born in poverty and had only a couple of villages and estates when he ascended the throne. He immediately set about conquering nearby lands. After several triumphant military conquests, which greatly expanded his empire, Akbar began to usher in his era of religious tolerance. Akbar rejected bigotry and helped

In fact, Aurangzeb was one of the last Mughal emperors and after his rule, India was taken over by Great Britain who took advantage of the turmoil and divisions that existed because of the lack of unity and religious tolerance that had existed under the rule of Akbar. King Akbar shows us that when religious tolerance is practiced, empires flourish and its people remain united, and when it ceases to exist, conflict increases, causing societies to fall into decline and empires to