Ancient bronze thick coin Moghul Empire of India, Akbar Emperor 1556-1605 AD

Description

Ancient bronze thick coin Moghul Empire of India, Akbar Emperor 1556-1605 AD
Diameter: 20 mm;
Weight: 21.25g;
Thickness: 6-7mm;
Akbar
(IPA:
[əkbər]
; 14 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), also known as
Akbar the Great
or
Akbar I
,
[6]
[7]
was
Mughal Emperor
from 1556 until his death.
He was the third and one of the greatest rulers of the
Mughal Dynasty
in India.
Akbar succeeded his father,
Humayun
, under a regent,
Bairam Khan
, who helped the young emperor expand and consolidate Mughal domains in India.
A strong personality and a successful general, Akbar gradually enlarged the Mughal Empire to include nearly all of the
Indian Subcontinent
north of the
Godavari
river.
His power and influence, however, extended over the entire country because of Mughal military, political, cultural, and economic dominance.
To unify the vast Mughal state, Akbar established a centralised system of administration throughout his empire and adopted a policy of conciliating conquered rulers through marriage and diplomacy.
In order to preserve peace and order in a religiously and culturally diverse empire, he adopted policies that won him the support of his non-Muslim subjects.
Eschewing tribal bonds and Islamic state identity, Akbar strived to unite far-flung lands of his realm through loyalty, expressed through a
Persianised
culture, to himself as an emperor who had near-divine status.
Mughal India developed a strong and stable economy, leading to commercial expansion and greater patronage of culture.
Akbar himself was a patron of art and culture.
He was fond of literature, and created a library of over 24,000 volumes written in
Sanskrit
,
Hindustani
,
Persian
,
Greek
,
Latin
,
Arabic
and
Kashmiri
, staffed by many scholars, translators, artists,
calligraphers
, scribes, bookbinders and readers.
Holy men of many faiths, poets, architects and artisans adorned his court from all over the world for study and discussion.
Akbar's courts at
Delhi
,
Agra
, and
Fatehpur Sikri
became centers of the arts, letters, and learning.
Perso-Islamic culture began to merge and blend with indigenous Indian elements, and a distinct
Indo-Persian culture
emerged characterised by Mughal style arts,
painting
, and
architecture
.
Disillusioned with orthodox Islam and perhaps hoping to bring about religious unity within his empire, Akbar promulgated
Din-i-Ilahi
, a syncretic creed derived from
Islam, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and Christianity
.
A simple, monotheistic cult, tolerant in outlook, it centered on Akbar as a prophet, for which he drew the ire of the
ulema
and orthodox Muslims.
Akbar's reign significantly influenced the course of Indian history. During his rule, the Mughal empire tripled in size and wealth.
He created a powerful military system and instituted effective political and social reforms.
By abolishing the
sectarian tax
on non-Muslims and appointing them to high civil and military posts, he was the first Mughal ruler to win the trust and loyalty of the native subjects.
He had
Sanskrit literature
translated, participated in native festivals, realizing that a stable empire depended on the co-operation and good-will of his subjects.
Thus, the foundations for a multicultural empire under Mughal rule was laid during his reign. Akbar was succeeded as emperor by his son,
Jahangir
.