Akbar and Aurangzeb’s Policies Essay -- South Asia History, War

During the early modern period in South Asia, diverse communities interacted and clashed. This also meant that rulers and their policies also clashed one another. The two greatest leader of the Mughal Empire, Akbar and Aurangzeb’s policies went back and forth. Whereas Akbar had to take over the throne at an early age of thirteen, Aurangzeb had to fight and go against his own family members to gain the throne. Akbar began his leadership at a young age that he was never able to learn how to read or write and remained illiterate throughout life. Even though his grandfather and father were well educated, Akbar had great intellectual capacity that helped him rule the empire. During his first year of his reign, Akbar was faced with a challenge by a Hindu usurper, Hemu who almost succeeded in putting an end to the Mughal rules (Kulke, Rothermund 142). Despite being a Muslim, he did not force his religion on the people, they remained Hindus throughout his reign (Kulke, Rothermund 143). During Akbar’s reign, Islam was spreading throughout Southeast Asia. During this period, Akbar abolished the jizya, which was a poll tax which Islamic rulers imposed on all non-Islamic subjects. He conceived himself as giving laws rather than only following Islamic laws (Kulke, Rothermund 143). To keep the unity of his empire, Akbar had to adopt programs that won the loyalty of the non-Islamic population. By allowing his people to stay Hindu and trying not to convince them to Islam was a key point because it allowed him to give people their own freedom and it allowed him to gain his leadership. The Mughal Empire was an agrarian state, which depended on land revenue also known as land survey. It directly depended on the accurate assessment of the ... ...em against their Muslim colleagues (SarDesai, 177). Why would a ruler of his own people want to use a policy against his own people? Doesn’t that inform people that something is not right with the ruler of the empire? Akbar emerged as the leader of the rajputs whereas Aurangzeb kicked the rajputs out of nobility. Akbar was a great conquer who expanded his empire through diplomacy. By abolishing the jizya, it was easier for him to win the hearts of India. On this matter, people hated Aurangzeb and did not give him any respect for brining the jizya and other policies. Aurangzeb’s reign was marred by the destruction of temples and a general intolerance toward people of non- Muslim. He failed to realized the secular basis of Akbar’s polity was just not a matter of political tact. The secular basis was to form a peaceful and progressive polity in a plural society.