Akbar

Lore & Background

Akbar was born on 15 October 1542 at the Rajput Fortress of Amarkot in Rajputana (modern-day Sindh), where his parents had been given refuge by the local Hindu ruler Rana Prasad. During Humayun's exile, Akbar was brought up in Kabul by his paternal uncles, Kamran Mirza and Askari Mirza, and aunts, in particular Kamran Mirza's wife. He spent his youth learning to hunt, run, and fight, and although he never learned to read or write, when he retired in the evening, he would have someone read to him. On 20 November 1551, Humayun's youngest brother, Hindal Mirza, died in a battle against Kamran Mirza's forces. Following the mourning period, Humayun appointed the nine-year-old Akbar as governor of Ghazni and transferred to him the retainers, lands, and military command previously held by Hindal Mirza. Around the same time, Humayun arranged Akbar's betrothal to Hindal's daughter, Ruqaiya Sultan Begum; the marriage itself was solemnized several years later in Jalandhar, Punjab, when both were about fourteen years old. Following chaos over the succession of Sher Shah Suri's son Islam Shah, Humayun reconquered Delhi in 1555, leading an army partly provided by his Persian ally Tahmasp I. A few months later, Humayun died. Akbar's guardian, Bairam Khan, concealed his death to prepare for Akbar's succession. Akbar succeeded Humayun on 14 February 1556, while in the midst of a war against Sikandar Shah to reclaim the Mughal throne. In Kalanaur, Punjab, the 14-year-old Akbar was enthroned by Bairam Khan on a newly constructed platform and was proclaimed Shahanshah.

In Their Own Story

When the Surs reconquered Agra and Delhi following the death of Humayun, Akbar's young age and the lack of military assistance from Kabul aggravated the situation. When his regent, Bairam Khan, called a council of war to marshall the Mughal forces, none of Akbar's chieftains approved. Bairam Khan was ultimately able to prevail over the nobles and it was decided that the Mughals would march against the strongest of the Sur rulers, Sikandar Shah Suri, in Punjab. Delhi was left under the regency of Tardi Baig Khan. Sikandar Shah Suri, his army weakened by earlier lost battles, withdrew to avoid combat as the Mughal army approached. Akbar also faced Hemu, a minister and general of one of the Sur rulers, who had proclaimed himself Hindu emperor and expelled the Mughals from the Indo-Gangetic Plains. Urged by Bairam Khan, who re-marshalled the Mughal army before Hemu could consolidate his position, Akbar marched on Delhi to reclaim it. His army, led by Bairam Khan, defeated Hemu and the Sur army on 5 November 1556 at the Second Battle of Panipat, 50 miles north of Delhi. Soon after, Mughal forces occupied Delhi and then Agra. Akbar made a triumphant entry into Delhi, where he stayed for a month. Then, he and Bairam Khan returned to Punjab to deal with Sikandar Shah Suri, who had become active again. In the next six months, the Mughals won another major battle against Sikander, who fled east to Bengal. Akbar and his forces occupied Lahore and then seized Multan in the Punjab. In 1558, Akbar took possession of Ajmer after the defeat and flight of its Muslim ruler. The Mughals also besieged and defeated the Sur forces in control of Gwalior Fort.

Reader's Guide

Akbar's military campaigns consolidated Mughal rule in the Indian subcontinent. He introduced organisational changes to the mansabdari system, establishing a hierarchical scale of military and civil ranks. Organisational reforms were accompanied by innovations in cannons, fortifications, and the use of elephants. Akbar also took an interest in matchlocks and effectively employed them during various conflicts. He sought the help of the Ottomans, as well as Europeans, especially the Portuguese and Italians, in procuring advanced firearms and artillery. Akbar's vizier Abul Fazl once declared that 'with the exception of Turkey, there is perhaps no country in which its guns has more means of securing the Government than [India].' By 1559, the Mughals had launched a drive to the south into Rajputana and Malwa. However, Akbar's disputes with his regent, Bairam Khan, temporarily put an end to the expansion. At age eighteen, Akbar wanted to take a more active part in managing the Empire's affairs. Urged on by his foster mother, Maham Anga, and other relatives, Akbar dismissed Bairam Khan following a dispute at court in the spring of 1560 and ordered him to leave on Hajj to Mecca. Bairam Khan was prepared to comply, but people who resented him and hoped for his downfall goaded him into rebellion. Bairam Khan was defeated by the Mughal army in the Punjab and forced to submit. Akbar forgave him and gave him the option of either continuing in his court or resuming his pilgrimage; Bairam Khan chose the latter. Bairam Khan was assassinated on his way to Mecca by a group of Afghans led by Mubarak Khan Lohani, whose father had been killed while fighting with the Mughals at the Battle of Machhiwara in 1555.

Did You Know?

• Akbar was born on 15 October 1542 at the Rajput Fortress of Amarkot in Rajputana (modern-day Sindh), where his parents had been given refuge by the local Hindu ruler Rana Prasad.
• He never learned to read or write, but when he retired in the evening, he would have someone read to him.
• At age nine, Akbar was appointed governor of Ghazni and was betrothed to his cousin Ruqaiya Sultan Begum; the marriage was solemnized several years later when both were about fourteen.
• Akbar was enthroned at age 14 on 14 February 1556 in Kalanaur, Punjab, by his regent Bairam Khan on a newly constructed platform.
• His army, led by Bairam Khan, defeated Hemu and the Sur army on 5 November 1556 at the Second Battle of Panipat, 50 miles north of Delhi.