HISTORY

Introduction to Indian civilization

How tolerant and pluralistic was the Mughal Empire?

The Mughal Empire was the descendants of the Timurids, and is known in Islamic history as one of the most famous imperial powers in the Indian Subcontinent. The rule began in 1526, as Muslims raided the subcontinent region in the early 700's and a new empire was established called the Delhi Sultanate. However, the Sultanate's power was beginning to dwindle, and by the 1500's, a young Central Asian conqueror Babur founded the Mughal Empire. With the start of this empire, the subcontinent witnessed decades of wealth and power, the leaders providing for some of history's most famous wars and conquering many lands. Although Babur was the main figurehead who started the Mughal Empire, he retired shortly after his conquest and the task of further organization fell to his descendants. Apart from peace and prosperity during the Mughal Empire, it was known for its political power and religious tolerance among its subjects. It was during the reign of Akbar, who was Babur's grandson, that great contributions towards tolerance, peace and brotherhood. Akbar took the throne when he was only 13, but through a wise counsel, Akbar covered a lot of ground and worked hard in order to bring together all folk residing under his rule He maintained that no particular religion is able to solve all of life's problems, hence there should not be prejudice against one religion in favor of another. Not only this, he would place great value on the practice of religion no matter what it may be, contributing in the development of several places of worship. His empire was diverse, and the populace was principally happy with their ruler. Akbar played a very important role in introducing pluralism in the subcontinent. He was a central figure in bringing about change in thought in his populace; one of the main features of his rule was that he abolished the taxes that were placed on non-Muslims by rulers who had earlier rule. Not only this, he shows faith I Hindu's by appointing them to various important and influential positions in government offices, further cementing his popularity. He would go to great pains in order to hold discussions and open debate among people of varying religious backgrounds, so that a change of perspective could be circulated among Muslims, Hindu's and Christians residing in the subcontinent.

It may seem as though Akbar was the first Mughal leader to instigate an aura of religious tolerance, but the concept of peaceful coexistence was not just a Mughal concept. The earlier Sultanate period could boast of leaders who can be considered the hallmark of the policy for coexistence. Leaders such as Sultan Altimash and Razia Sultan were prominent figures in the Delhi Sultanate, known for their peace-loving rule and religious tolerance. While Akbar's policies were known for their tolerance and religious pluralism, later rulers would defy against these practices and attempt to make the Mughal Empire exclusively muslin, which led to some complications and tensions ...