Akbar the Great - his reign! Flashcards
Who was Akbar and why is he significant in Indian history?
Akbar – the third Mughal emperor – is often said to have been the greatest ruler in Indian history. It was he who truly made the Mughal empire one of the most formidable powers of the Early Modern world.
What were Akbar’s personal qualities and interests?
Akbar was brave and intelligent, but reckless and headstrong. He preferred sports to study, and he remained almost illiterate throughout his life – many scholars think he suffered from dyslexia.
What hobbies related to violence did Akbar have?
He loved hunting, shooting and riding his fighting elephants, and he once killed a tiger with only a sword.
What artistic interests did Akbar have?
Yet he also appreciated the arts: he collected beautiful books and paid for a department of court painters who produced many great works of art.
How did Akbar show interest in his people?
Akbar also took an unusual interest in the common people of India. It was said that he sometimes slipped out of his palace and mingled with them, dressed in ordinary clothes so that none of them knew who he was.
What happened during the first years of Akbar’s reign?
During the first few years of Akbar’s reign, when he ruled only a small area of northern India, his kingdom was effectively in the hands of regents. They did much to reconquer land that Babur had ruled, including the Punjab.
When did Akbar take control of the empire and what was his goal?
However, when Akbar took control himself in 1562, aged 19, there was still much of his grandfather’s empire left to reconquer.
What was Akbar’s strategy for unifying northern India?
Akbar set about this task with determination. First, he married the daughter of the greatest of the Rajput lords, the Raja (king) of Amber, who had been the first of the princes in western India to accept Mughal authority.
What condition did Akbar have for local rulers to keep control of their territories?
The Raja was allowed to keep running his own lands, so long as he gave loyalty to Akbar. This proved an effective arrangement, and Akbar extended it across his empire, allowing defeated enemies to keep their local power so long as they gave him their loyalty.
How did Akbar extend his influence across India?
He went on to unify all northern India, including the far northern region of Kashmir and far eastern region of Bengal. By the time of his death, Akbar ruled a massive band of northern and central India.
What administrative achievements did Akbar accomplish?
Akbar’s achievements were not limited to conquest. He also implemented a complex system of government that gave the Mughals smooth control of their empire.
How did Akbar manage his government officials?
Government officials were generally paid by being given land to rule instead of a cash salary. They ruled on behalf of the emperor, raised taxes for themselves as well as for him, and raised troops for the army whenever necessary.
How did Akbar maintain balance in his administration?
Akbar recruited Persians and Indians into his government to balance the influence of the established Turks and Afghans, so that no one group could gain too much control.
