CD LL<OU 158827 >m fimania Mntoerait? . collection Accession No. ./. THE DIN-I-ILAHI THE DIN-I-ILAHI OR THE RELIGION OF AKBAR BY MAKHANLAL ROYCHOUDHURY, M.A..B.L, SASTRI PREMCHAND ROYCHAND SCHOLAR, MOUAT GOLD MEDALIST PROFESSOR, T. N. JUBILEE COLLEGE, BHAGALPUR PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF CALCUTTA 1941 PRINTED IN INDIA. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY BHUPENDRALAL BANERJEE AT THE CALCUTTA UNIVERSITY PRESS, 48, HAZRA ROAD, BALLYGUNGE, CALCUTTA C. U. Press-Reg. No. !280B~April, 1941-E. DEDICATED TO THE SACRED MEMORY OF MY FATHER AND MOTHER CONTENTS Pages SYNOPSIS ... ... ... ix-xviii FOREWORD ... ... xviii(a)-xviii(c) PREFACE ... ... ... xix-xxiv INTRODUCTION ... ... ... xxv-xliii CHAPTER I The Indian Background ... 1-25 CHAPTER II The Central Asian Back- ground ... ... ... 26-44 CHAPTER III -The Pendulum Oscillates 45-69 CHAPTER IV The Period of Quest (The IbadatKhana) ... ... 70-96 Appendix A . The Muslim Rulers of the 16th century (The Mahzar) ... ... 97-115 Appendix B. Three Paintings of the Ibadat Khana ... 116-120 CHAPTER V The Forces at Work ... 121-213 Section 1 . The Sunnis at the Court of Akbar ... 121-127 Section 2. The Shias at the Court of Akbar ... ... 127-135 Section 3. The Hindus at the Court of Akbar ... 135-147 vin CONTENTS Pages Section 4. The Zoroastrians at the Court of Akbar ... 147-157 Section 5. The Jains at the Court of Akbar ... ... 157-162 Section 6. The Sikhs at the Court of Akbar ... 162-165 Section 7. The Buddhists at the Court of Akbar ... ... 165-169 Section 8. The Jews at the Court of Akbar ... ... 169-170 Section 9. The Christians at the Court of Akbar ... 170-213 CHAPTER VI The Period of Legisla- tions (the Ains) ... ... 213-267 Appendix. Badauni and his Muntakhabu-t T w a r i k h (Mulla point of view criticised) 268-275 CHAPTER VII The Din-i-Ilahi in Promulgation ... ... 276-289 CHAPTER VIII The Din-i-Ilahi in Movement ... ... 290-309 BIBLIOGRAPHY ... ... 310-320 INDEX OF PROPER NAMES ... 321-334 INDEX OF GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES ... 335-337 SYNOPSIS CHAPTER I THE INDIAN BACKGROUND (Cultural Fusion) Alleged intolerance in Islam Arabian Islam contrast- ed Islam in the hands of the Turks Motive of Turki invaders Religion an incentive to spirit of conquest and murder Ghazni, Ghori, II tutmish, Alauddin, Timur Peculiarity of Indian conquest by Turks, never so thorough as in Persia Islam and Hinduism influence each other Instances of mutual actions and reactions Process of fusion Rise of Saints : Ramanand, Kabir, Chaitanya. Nanak and others Advent of Sufi teachers : Ma'inuddin Chishti, Bahlol, Shamsuddin Tabrezi, Nizamuddin Awlia, etc. Fusion through literature Anti-caste movements Sufism, its origin Sufi practices Indian influence Growth of sects in Islam Idea of Millennium Mehdi movement 16th century an age of enquiry Renaissance in Europe A world wave Islam not excluded Mubarak, Sarhindi and others Soil prepared Akbar product of the age, not an accident. Pp. 1-25 CHAPTER II THE CENTRAL ASIAN BACKGROUND (Heredity) Heredity of Akbar Chengiz on maternal side not without finer elements of nature, his views on religion Mongol spirit of free thinking and eclecticism Kublei Khan, a great representative of the Mongol race Buddhist leanings Timur on paternal side, his history prejudiced and biased Timur the conqueror Timur the B1280B X SYNOPSIS man Timur the mystic Central Asian traits of his charac- ter Saint worship Love for learning and the learned Timur 's descendants, Shah Rukh, Ulag Beg, Abu Sayed Mirza, not barbarians Babar the romantic, his wine cups and poems, his religious professions Humayun the mystic, his religious apostasy and Shiaism Both father and son unfettered by religious scruples Timurid traits, love of books and mystic regard for the saints, and their tombs in the family Akbar the best product of the two greatest houses of Central Asia Birth in a Hindu house in Sind, the land of Sufism Legacy of Timur, of birth place, of spirit of the age Eclecticism of Akbar not an accident. Pp. 26-44 CHAPTER III THE PENDULUM OSCILLATES (Political Background) The troubles of Akbar's early life, a period of pre- parations His impressionableness Bairam Khan arid, Shaikh Gudai (Shia Sadr), the Iron hand Maham Anaga ; and petticoat government Hindu alliance and its consequences Hindu alliances nothing new in Indo- Islamic History Hindu-Muslim political rapprochement 'Cultural and social contact already on the anvil Rigidity of both sides toned down Akbar's heredity and Indian en- vironments helpful Akbar's natural contemplativeness Mystic elements of his nature Sufi tendencies of the age Saint Salim Chishti Sunni state clergy Abdu-n Nabi, the Sadr-us-Sudur Abdulla Sultanpmi, the Mukhdunvul- Mulk Their influence Akbar an orthodox Sunni under their guidance Political conquests Administrative changes Qazis found out and dismissed Land settle- ments Branding regulations, dissatisfaction of Jagirdars Conquest of Guzrat Contact with the Portuguese Shaikh Mubarak's address Suggestions at Mujtahidship, its meaning Buckler's criticism of Infallibility Decree of SYNOPSIS *1 1579 Bengal conquest Soleiman Kararani, his 150 Ulama and Friday Prayer Hall Invitation of his uncle Mirza Soleiman of Badakshan His Reception Hall The Ibadat Khana built No connection with Faizi and Abul Fazl Akbar 's profoundly religious bent of mind Quotations from Badauni. Pp. 45-69 CHAPTER IV THE PERIOD OF QUEST (The Ibadat Khana) The Ibadat Khana not a new thing Its precedents Description of the Ibadat Khana A summary of its debates Mohsin Fani's Dabistan-i-Mazahib Mulla behaviour undignified Akbar unnerved at the conduct of the Mullas Division of seats Intolerance of the Mullas Gradual weakening of confidence in contemporary Mulla interpretations of Islam A new quest, a step forward The Ibadat Khana opened to non-Muslims Akbar still a devout Musalman Instances of his religiosity Abul Fazl's advent Todar Mai's revenue settlements Ains (regulations), social, political and economic Discontent in the circle of vested interests Murder of a Mathura Brahmin, its significance Bengal rebellion, its causes partly political and partly religious Persian interference in favour of Mirzas of Kabul against Akbar Persian pretensions over Hindustan The so-called Infallibility Decree more political than religious Buckler's Lectures Forces at work (Sunni, Shia, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, Zoroastrian, Jew and Christian) and Metamorphosis The Ibadat Khana closed. Pp. 70-96 Appendix A Mahzar examined in the light of contemporary political events of Islam. Pp. 97-1 15 Xii SYNOPSIS Appendix B Three paintings of the Mughal Court at the time of Akbar. Pp. 116-20 CHAPTER V THE FORCES AT WORK I. The Sunnis. 2. The Shias. 3. The Hindus. 4. The Zoroastrians. 5, The Jains. 6. The Sikhs. 7. The Buddhists. 8. The Jews. 9. The Christians. Section /. The Sunnis at the Court of Akbar a Sunni by birth Timur a Sunni by force of circumstances Babar and Humayun Sunnis by their creeds Bairam Khan a Shia Abdu n Nabi the Sadr-us-Sudur and Abdulla Sultanpuri the Mukdum-ul- Mulk Sunni influence on Akbar Sunni orthodoxy and Mehdi movement Akbar a party to religious persecu- tionEarly Sunni predominance in the Ibadat Khana Sunni leaders exposed Abdu-n Nabi's mismanage- ment in land distribution Abdulla Sultanpuri 's time- serving propensities in giving religious decisions regarding pilgrimage and marriage Sunni attitude towards Hindu appointments in the state Opening of the Ibadat Khana to non-Sunnis and ultimately to non-Muslims Sunni participation in the Bengal rebellion Misinterpretation of Akbar by the Sunnis, their motives. Pp. 121-27 Section //. The Shias at the Court of General outline of Shia-Sunni differences Shia connections of Babar and Humayun Akbar 's early Shia associations in Persia, land of his exile Bairam Khan's Shia state policy Shaikh Gudai, the Shia Sadr-us- SYNOPSIS Xlll Sudur Bairam Khan's fall and that of Shias from power Appointment of the Sunni Sadr The Ibadat Khana not open to the Shias The marriage question and the advent of the Shias into the Ibadat Khana The Gilani brothers, Abul Fath, Hakim Humayun and Hakim Nuruddin, and their influence on Akbar Nurulla appointed the Shia Qazi of Lahoie Muhammad Yazdi Shia-Sunni debates The Shia Ulama no less orthodox than the Sunni Akbar in " " quest of light elsewhere Formation of the famous " Forty Adoption of the Persian festivals, not out of hatred of Islam but out of regard for the love of the ancient glory of mystic Persia. Pp. 127-35 Section III. The Hindus at the Court oj Akbar f Hindu assistance invaluable in the early days of Akbar s Empire Akbar the first Chogtai Turk born in India Poli- tical wisdom in recognition of merit wherever found Hindu appointments in the army and revenue depart- ments Sher Shah's precedents Religious persecution only confined to Believers, but Hindus outside it Hindu servants invited into the Ibadat Khana in its thiid stage Hindu books translated Hindu Saints: Tulsidas, Dadu, Mirabai, Surdas, Purshuttom and Devi- Birbal's influence Sun worship Hindu wives, their position and status after marriage, their religion Hindu customs in the Muslim harem through Hindu wives Akbar 's gratitude towards Hindus His birth in a Hindu house His early political associates: Behari Mai, Bhagwan Das and Man Singh Akbar 's criticism of Hindu theory of Incarnation His reforms of social customs of Hindus His adoption of Hindu festivals Eclectic spirit. Pp. 135-47 List of the Hindu Learned men at the Court. List of Hindu Commanders at the Court. XIV SYNOPSIS Section IV . The Zoroastrians at the Court