The King Akbar The Great Of India

                The King Akbar The Great Of India

Akbar (Abu'l-Fath Jalal ud-din Muhammad Akbar, 15 October 1542 – 1605) was the third Mughal Emperor. He was born in Umerkot, India. He was the son of Emperor Humayun.

Akbar became the king in 1556 at the age of 13 when his father died. Bairam Khan was appointed as Akbar's regent. Soon after coming to power Akbar defeated Hemu, the general of the Afghan forces, in the Second Battle of Panipat. After a few years he ended the regency of Bairam Khan and took charge of the kingdom. He offered friendship to the Rajputs. However, he fought against Rajputs who opposed him. In 1576 he defeated Rana Pratap of Mewar in the Battle of Haldighati. Akbar's wars made the Mughal empire more than twice as big as it had been, covering most of the Indian subcontinent except the south.

 

• Full Name: Abu'l-Fath Jalal ud-din Muhammad Akbar
• Dynasty: Timurid; Mughal
• Predecessor: Humayun
• Successor: Jahangir
• Coronation: February 14, 1556
• Reign: February 14, 1556 – October 27, 1605
• Date of Birth: October 15, 1542
• Parents: Humayun (Father) and Hamida Banu Begum (Mother)
• Religion: Islam (Sunni); Din-i-Ilahi
• Spouse: 36 chief wives and 3 chief consorts - Ruqaiya Sultan Begum, Heera Kunwari and Salima Sultan Begum
• Children: Hassan, Hussain, Jahangir, Murad, Daniyal, Aram Banu Begum, Shakr-un-Nissa Begum, Khanum Sultan Begum.
• Biography: Akbarnama; Ain-i-Akbari
• Mausoleum: Sikandra, Agra                                                                                                        

Administration

In 1574 Akbar revised his tax system, separating revenue collection from military administration. Each subah, or governor, was responsible for maintaining order in his region, while a separate tax collector collected property taxes and sent them to the capital. This created checks and balances in each region, since the individuals with the money had no troops, and the troops had no money, and all were dependent on the central government. The central government then doled out fixed salaries to both military and civilian personnel according to rank.

Religion

Akbar was religiously curious. He regularly participated in the festivals of other faiths, and in 1575 in Fatehpur Sikri—a walled city that Akbar had designed in the Persian style—he built a temple (ibadat-khana) where he frequently hosted scholars from other religions, including Hindus, Zoroastrians, Christians, yogis, and Muslims of other sects. He allowed the Jesuits to construct a church at Agra, and discouraged the slaughter of cattle out of respect for Hindu custom. Not everyone appreciated these forays into multiculturalism, however, and many called him a heretic.

In 1579, a mazhar, or declaration, was issued that granted Akbar the authority to interpret religious law, superseding the authority of the mullahs. This became known as the “Infallibility Decree,” and it furthered Akbar’s ability to create an interreligious and multicultural state. In 1582 he established a new cult, the Din-i-Ilahi (“divine faith”), which combined elements of many religions, including Islam, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism. The faith centered around Akbar as a prophet or spiritual leader, but it did not procure many converts and died with Akbar.

Akbar 35 wives

Here is list of his 35 wives taken from jehangirnama and other official records. He had around 300 wives, secondary wives and concubines in total. Some of them may not be royals. He had 36 chief wives and 3 chief consorts that included the Empress of Mughal Empire Ruqaiah Sultan, the Empress of Hindustan Hira Kunwari(mother of Prince Salim) and Salima Sultan  

                               

1. Princess Ruqaiah Sultan(1542-5th Feb 1626):  Married at Ghazni in 1552, his cousin Ruqiya Sultan Begum Sahiba daughter of his paternal uncle, Shahzada Abu Nasir Muhammad Hindal Mirza. Hindal Mirza the youngest and favourite son of Babur and brother of emperor Humayun. She was the longest serving empress of mughal empire(49 years) and the youngest(13 years of age). She is buried in mughal gardens- Kabul next to her father Hindal Mirza and was born in the borders of Russia. She is one of the three chief Queens and main consort of Emperor Akbar and his chief advisor in political affairs.
2. Abdullah Khan’s daughter(name not recorded): Married at Mankot, 1557, a daughter of Abdu’llah Khan Mughal (kinsman)
3. Princess Salima Sultan( 23rdFebruary 1539- 27th December 1612): Married in September 1561 his cousin Salima Sultan widow of his Prime Minister/Commander in Chief Mughal army Nawab Bairam Khan Bahadur, Khan-i-Khanan, the Vice regent of the Empire. She was grand daughter of Emperor Babur and daughter of Princss Gulbarg and Khwaja Nur ud-din Muhammad Mirza [Sayyid Amir].  Salima Sultan was the daughter of Gulbarg Begum who was the daughter of emperor Babur. She was one of the three Chief Queens of Akbar and Empress of Mughal Empire and Akbar’s chief advisor in political affairs. She is buried in Mandakar Garden, agra
4. Princess Hira Kunwari(Died in 19th May 1623):) Married at Sambhar, 6th February 1562, Wali Nimat, Mariam uz-Zamani Begum Sahiba. Rajkumari Hira Kunwari Sahiba, alias Harkha Bai was eldest daughter of Raja Bihari Mal, Raja of Amber. She is one of the three chief Queens and main consort of Emperor Akbar. She was mother of Prince Salim later emperor Jehangir. She is buried in Rauza Mariyam, Sikandara near agra. She was one of the three chief Queens and Queen mother of Mughal empire after Jehangir became emperor.
5. Princess Shri Nathi Bai: Married at Nagaur in 1562,Princess Nathi Bai, daughter of Maharaja Hariraj Singh Dev Bahadur, Maharaja of Jaisalmer. She was one of the 36 chief Queens of Akbar.
6. Bibi Daulat Shad: Married before 21st August 1563 Daulat Shad(secondary wife) the former wife of Abdu’l-Wasi. She was mother of Princess Shakrunissa Bano (1571) and Princess Aram Bano(1584).
7. Princess of Kandesh: Married near Mandu in September 1564, a daughter of Miran Mubaraq Shah Faruqi II, King of Khandesh. She was one of 36 chief Queens of Akbar.
8. Fadan Khan’s daughter: Married a daughter of Fadan Khan.
9. Princess of Kashmir: Married in1569, a daughter of Sultan Muhammad Nasir ud-din Husain Shah [Hosaina Shaha] Ghazi, Sultan of Kashmir.
10. Princess Sindh Begum Sahiba: Married in 1570,Sindh Begum Sahiba daughter of Mirza Muhammad Baqi Tarkhan of Thatta, Sind.
11. Princess Raj Kunwari: Married at Nagaur, 16thNovember 1570, Baiji Lal Raj Kanwari Sahiba, daughter of Kunwar Shri Kanho of Bikaner, and niece of Rao Shri Kalyan Mal Rao of Bikaner. She was one of the 36 chief Queens of Akbar.
12. Princess Baiji Lal Bhanumati Kanwari: Married at Nagaur, 16thNovember 1570, Baiji Lal Bhanumati Kanwari Sahiba, daughter of Kanwar Sri Bhim Rajji, of Bikaner. She was cousin of Princess Raj Kunwari. She was one of the 36 Chief Queens of Akbar.
13. Nahar Das daughter: Married in 1572, a daughter of Nahar Das Isar Das.
14. Princess of Nagaur: Married in 1573, a daughter of Raja Shri Jai Chand, of Nagaur
15. Princess Karishma Banu Begum Sahiba: Married at Fatehpur Sikri, 1575,Karisma Banu Begum Sahiba, daughter of Arab Shah.
16. Princess of Dungapur: Married in 1577, a daughter of Maharawal Shri Askaran Sahib Bahadur, Maharawal of Dungarpur.
17. Princess Shri Rukmavathi Baiji Lal Sahiba: Married in 1581,Rajkumari Shri Rukmawati Baiji Lall Sahiba daughter of Rao Shri Mal Deoji, Rao of Marwar, by his paswan, Tipu. She was incharge of building gardens in many places across mughal empire especially agra and Delhi and was involved in building of shelters both in Akbar and Jehangir’s era. She was youngest sister of Phool Kunwari(Wife of Maharana Pratap and mother of his second son) and Mota Raja Udai Singh and her neice Rajkumari Jodha Bai was married to Prince Salim and mother of Prince Khurram aka Shah Jahan. She died in 30th May 1623 and buried in Bihishtabad Sikandara, Agra. She was one of the 36 chief Queens of Akbar.
18. Princess of Merta: Married in 1581, a daughter of Raja Shri Kesho Das Rathore, of Merta
19. Qazi Isa daughter: Married at Lahore, 1594, a daughter of Qazi Isa, of Qazwin
20. Nasir Khan’s daughter: Married before 1597, a daughter of Nasir Khan
21. Princess of Cooch Behar: Married in 1597, a daughter of Sri Sri Maharaja Lakshmi Narayan Bhup Bahadur, Raja of Cooch Behar
22. Princess Gauhar Khanum: Married Gauhar Khanum, a sister of Shaikh Jamal Bakht Bahaduriyar
23. Tara Begum Sahiba: MarriedTara Begum Sahiba, who built the Tara Bagh at Agra
24. Tauti Begum Sahiba: MarriedTauti Begum Sahiba who built the Tota Bagh and Tota ka Tal in Agra.
25. Hasan Khan’s daughter: Married a daughter of Hasan Khan of Merta.
26. Princess of Nawanagar: Married a maternal niece of Jodhaji Soda, of Nawanagar.
27. Princess Manbhaoti Sahiba: MarriedRajkumari Manbhaoti who built a garden at Agra.
28. Abdar Begum: MarriedAbdar Begum Sahiba (a concubine)
29. Achanka Begum: Married Achanak Begum(a concubine), who built the garden of Achanak Bagh, on the banks of the Jamuna river, at Agra.
30. Bibi Pungrai: Married  Bibi Pungrai(a cocubbine)
31. Bibi Aram Baksh: Married Bibi Aram Bakhsh(a cocubbine) in 1563. She is believed to be mother of the twins Hassan and Hussein(as per Jehnagirnama)
32. Bibi Salima: MarriedBibi Salima (a cocubbine) She was mother of Shezadi Khannum born a few days after Shezada Salim, who was brought up by Akbar’s mother Hamida Bano. She was buried at Lahore and died on 23rd May 1599
33. Bibi Kheira: Married Bibi Khiera(cocubbine) who diedd in 1599 and is buried in lahore. She is mother of Shezada Murad(As per jehangir nama)
34. Bibi Mariyam: Married Bibi Mariam(cocubbine)  She was mother of Shezada Daniyal and buried with him at Lahore. She died in 1596 and buried in Lahore(As per Akbarnama)
35. Bibi Naun: MarriedBibi Naun (cocubbine)
36. Shams Chak Daughter: Married at Srinagar, October 1592, a daughter of Shams Chak, of Kashmir

Emperor Akbar married 12 Rajput princesses in total in 1592

Wife from royal family if called Shehzadi/Rajkumari or father is Shezada/Raja. Else they are not from royal background. Some of these women may be cocubines(maid servants)

Note: With Akbar its difficult to find if they were wives or cocubbines because Akbar’s wife were classified as Chief Wifes, Secondary Wifes and Cocubbines as he had many wives

Royal wifes were also secondary wifes

Cocubbines are usually not from royal or nobel backgrounds

The royal mughal princess and mughal nobels daughters and few Rajputh princesses(from powerful Rajputh families like marwar, amer etc) were designated as high ranking wives.

36 wife’s were chief wife’s of emperor Akbar(not all listed here) and the three chief consorts were Ruqaiah, Salima and Hira Kunwari.

10 Top Tourist Attractions in Poland

Poland has survived centuries of conflict to emerge as a proud, independent country, ready to assume her new role in modern history. Visitors to Poland are discovering what the locals have long known, that Poland is a country rich in fine culture, scenic landscapes and extraordinary historical sites. Whether exploring the nation’s vibrant cities, the lakes and forests of her picturesque countryside or some of the other tourist attractions in Poland, visitors are sure to bring away rich memories.

10. Wawel Castle (Where to Stay)

People have lived upon the site of Wawel Castle since the Paleolithic Age. The castle itself was first built in the 14th century, at the command of Polish monarch Casimir III the Great. The Gothic castle is home to the only preserved piece of the Polish Crown Jewels, the legendary sword Szczerbiec coronation sword. Decorated with symbols and floral patterns, the blade is notched to hold a small shield, giving the sword its nickname, the Jagged Sword.

9. Auschwitz-Birkenau

flickr/One From RM

A visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau is a powerful experience that words can scarcely describe. The immense size of the infamous Nazi concentration camp is the first thing to strike visitors as they approach the entrance to the memorial and museum in Oswiecim, Poland. Devoted to the memory of the murders in the camps during World War II, Auschwitz-Birkenau has been visited by more than 25 million people.

8. Masurian Lakeland

Located in an area that encompasses the lower Vistula River to the Lithuania border, the Masurian Lake District contains more than 2,000 lakes connected by an extensive system of canals and rivers. The Masurian Lakeland is the most popular tourist destination of Europe’s lake districts. Hotels, guest houses and camp sites are plentiful in the villages that surround the lakes, and visitors often travel by bicycle or boat to tour the scenic area.

7. Slowinski Sand Dunes

Situated in northern Poland, the Slowinski Sand Dunes are part of the Slowinski National Park located on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The park is named after the Slovincians who once lived there, and an open-air museum in the town of Kluki features artifacts of their culture. The dunes themselves are formed as waves and wind carry sand onshore and can reach as high as 30 meters. Their forms change with the season and are known as the “moving dunes.”

6. Malbork Castle (Where to Stay)

Malbork Castle was founded in 1274 by the Teutonic Knights who used it as their headquarters to help defeat Polish enemies and rule their own northern Baltic territories. The castle was expanded several time to host the growing number of Knights until their retreat to Königsburg in 1466. Today it is the most popular tourist attraction in the city of Malbork.

5. Wieliczka Salt Mine

flickr/teachandlearn

Located on the outskirts of Krakow, the Wieliczka Salt Mine is considered one of the oldest companies in the world. Salt has been mined from the site continuously since the 13th century. The site features an underground city, all carved out of the rock salt, including a chapel that is said to have the best acoustics of any structure in Europe. Dozens of ancient sculptures carved from salt are augmented by new sculptures from contemporary artists.

4. Bialowieza Forest

flickr/vlod007

The Bialowieza Forest is a large remnant of the primeval forests that once covered much of Europe. The forest straddles the border between Poland and the Republic of Belarus, and there are border crossings for tourists on foot or on bicycles. The Bialowieza Forest is home to around 800 wisent, a protected species of European bison. While the wisent are kept within fenced areas, guided tours are available either on foot or in horse-drawn carriages.

3. Gdansk Old Town (Where to Stay)

Located on the Baltic coast, the city of Gdansk’s history includes a long occupation by 14th century Teutonic Knights whose fortresses contrasted strongly with the existing town that came to be known as Altstadt, or “Old Town.” In the 15th century, Casimir IV of Poland allowed the structures built by the Teutonic Knights to be demolished. Gdansk’s Old Town area includes many 17th century structures, including granaries, mills and churches.

2. Warsaw Old Market Place (Where to Stay)

flickr/Nicola

Founded in the late 13th century, Warsaw and the city’s central marketplace were the heart of Polish culture for five centuries. The original Old Town Market Place was destroyed in World War II but was carefully reconstructed almost immediately after the war ended. The market square features a bronze sculpture of the Warsaw mermaid, the symbol of Poland’s capital.

1. Main Market Square (Where to Stay)

Dating back to the 13th century, the Main Market Square in the Old Town in Kraków is the largest medieval town square in Europe and one of the main tourist attractions in Poland. The square is surrounded by historical townhouses, historic buildings, palaces and churches. The center of the square is dominated by the Cloth Hall, rebuilt in 1555 in the Renaissance style, topped by a beautiful attic.

Subject-Verb Agreement

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NOTE

We will use the standard of underlining subjects once and verbs twice.

Being able to find the right subject and verb will help you correct errors of subject-verb agreement.

Basic Rule. A singular subject (she, Bill, car) takes a singular verb (is, goes, shines), whereas a plural subject takes a plural verb.

Example: The list of items is/are on the desk.
If you know that list is the subject, then you will choose is for the verb.

Rule 1. A subject will come before a phrase beginning with of. This is a key rule for understanding subjects. The word of is the culprit in many, perhaps most, subject-verb mistakes.

Hasty writers, speakers, readers, and listeners might miss the all-too-common mistake in the following sentence:

Incorrect: A bouquet of yellow roses lend color and fragrance to the room.

Correct: A bouquet of yellow roses lends . . . (bouquet lends, not roses lend)

Rule 2. Two singular subjects connected by or, either/or, or neither/nor require a singular verb.

Examples:
My aunt or my uncle is arriving by train today.
Neither Juan nor Carmen is available.
Either Kiana or Casey is helping today with stage decorations.

Rule 3. The verb in an or, either/or, or neither/nor sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.

Examples:
Neither the plates nor the serving bowl goes on that shelf.
Neither the serving bowl nor the plates go on that shelf.

This rule can lead to bumps in the road. For example, if I is one of two (or more) subjects, it could lead to this odd sentence:

Awkward: Neither she, my friends, nor I am going to the festival.

If possible, it's best to reword such grammatically correct but awkward sentences.

Better:
Neither she, I, nor my friends are going to the festival.OR
She, my friends, and I are not going to the festival.

Rule 4. As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by and.

Example: A car and a bike are my means of transportation.

But note these exceptions:

Exceptions:
Breaking and entering is against the law.
The bed and breakfast was charming.

In those sentences, breaking and entering and bed and breakfast are compound nouns.

Rule 5a. Sometimes the subject is separated from the verb by such words as along with, as well as, besides, not, etc. These words and phrases are not part of the subject. Ignore them and use a singular verb when the subject is singular.

Examples:
The politician, along with the newsmen, is expected shortly.
Excitement, as well as nervousness, is the cause of her shaking.

Rule 5b. Parentheses are not part of the subject.

Example: Joe (and his trusty mutt) was always welcome.

If this seems awkward, try rewriting the sentence.

Rule 6. In sentences beginning with here or there, the true subject follows the verb.

Examples:
There are four hurdles to jump.
There is a high hurdle to jump.
Here are the keys.

NOTE:

The word there's, a contraction of there is, leads to bad habits in informal sentences like There's a lot of people here today, because it's easier to say "there's" than "there are." Take care never to use there's with a plural subject.

Rule 7. Use a singular verb with distances, periods of time, sums of money, etc., when considered as a unit.

Examples:
Three miles is too far to walk.
Five years is the maximum sentence for that offense.
Ten dollars is a high price to pay.BUT
Ten dollars (i.e., dollar bills) were scattered on the floor.

Rule 8. With words that indicate portions—e.g., a lot, a majority, some, all—Rule 1 given earlier in this section is reversed, and we are guided by the noun after of. If the noun after of is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.

Examples:
A lot of the pie has disappeared.
A lot of the pies have disappeared.
A third of the city is unemployed.
A third of the people are unemployed.
All of the pie is gone.
All of the pies are gone.
Some of the pie is missing.
Some of the pies are missing.

NOTE

In recent years, the SAT testing service has considered none to be strictly singular. However, according to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage: "Clearly none has been both singular and plural since Old English and still is. The notion that it is singular only is a myth of unknown origin that appears to have arisen in the 19th century. If in context it seems like a singular to you, use a singular verb; if it seems like a plural, use a plural verb. Both are acceptable beyond serious criticism." When none is clearly intended to mean "not one," it is followed by a singular verb.

Rule 9. With collective nouns such as group, jury, family, audience, population, the verb might be singular or plural, depending on the writer's intent.

Examples:
All of my family has arrived OR have arrived.
Most of the jury is here OR are here.
A third of the population was not in favor OR were not in favor of the bill.

NOTE

Anyone who uses a plural verb with a collective noun must take care to be accurate—and also consistent. It must not be done carelessly. The following is the sort of flawed sentence one sees and hears a lot these days:

The staff is deciding how they want to vote.
Careful speakers and writers would avoid assigning the singular is and the plural they to staff in the same sentence.

Consistent: The staff are deciding how they want to vote.

Rewriting such sentences is recommended whenever possible. The preceding sentence would read even better as:

The staff members are deciding how they want to vote.

Rule 10. The word were replaces was in sentences that express a wish or are contrary to fact:

Example: If Joe were here, you'd be sorry.

Shouldn't Joe be followed by was, not were, given that Joe is singular? But Joe isn't actually here, so we say were, not was. The sentence demonstrates the subjunctive mood, which is used to express things that are hypothetical, wishful, imaginary, or factually contradictory. The subjunctive mood pairs singular subjects with what we usually think of as plural verbs.

Examples:
I wish it were Friday.
She requested that he raise his hand.

In the first example, a wishful statement, not a fact, is being expressed; therefore, were, which we usually think of as a plural verb, is used with the singular it. (Technically, it is the singular subject of the object clause in the subjunctive mood: it were Friday.)

Normally, he raise would sound terrible to us. However, in the second example, where a request is being expressed, the subjunctive mood is correct.

Note: The subjunctive mood is losing ground in spoken English but should still be used in formal speech and writing.

RBI abouts------

What is RBI

The RBI is the Central Bank of our nation. The chief function of a central bank is to conduct affairs that would lead to managing the money supply in the country. The central bank has to make sure that the money supply doesn’t exceed or fall grossly short of expected demand in the market. Such adverse miscalculations could lead to inflation or deflation.

RBI’s Role in Market and Money Supply

Just like the government affects the fiscal policy, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) plays a huge role in influencing the monetary policy. The Bank has various tools at its disposal to influence the money supply in the market through its monetary policy. One such tool in the hands of RBI is the repo rate, and this is what the RBI recently slashed. The RBI reduced the repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points to 7.5 per cent from 7.75 per cent. This was precipitated by strong sentiments from foreign and domestic investors as well as global reduction in fuel prices.

What is RBI Repo Rate?

Repo rate is the rate at which the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lends money to commercial banks. By controlling the repo rate, and the lending rates to commercial banks, the RBI also indirectly affects the lending rates granted by commercial banks to end consumers. This sums up what RBI Repo Rate is.

How is Repo Rate used by RBI?

Considering all other factors as equal, the central bank of any nation follows the following protocol:

1. Decrease Repo rate in time of low inflation or for boosting the economy:
   When there is low inflation along with low-capacity utilisation and the market demands more supply of money, the RBI decreases the Repo Rate. By decreasing the Repo Rate, the RBI encourages commercial banks to borrow more money from it. These banks in turn will reduce their lending rates to consumers in the form of reduced home loans or car loans. Thus a boost is given to the economy by using the Repo Rate.
2. Increase Repo rate in time of high inflation:Increasing repo rates means that commercial banks don’t borrow money liberally from the RBI, and avoid doing so. This slows down the economic progress, reduces the liquidity in the market, and the reduction in money supply reduces the inflation. This is an important measure in curbing inflation.