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.