Akbar was tolerant of religions other than Islam. In fact, not only did he tolerate them, he encouraged debate on philosophical and religious issues. This led to the creation of the Ibādat Khāna ("House of Worship") at Fatehpur Sikri.
From the discussions he led there in 1575, Akbar concluded that no single religion could claim the monopoly of truth. This inspired him to create the Dīn-i Ilāhī in 1581. Various Muslim clerics responded by declaring this to be blasphemy.
Dīn-i Ilāhī as propounded by Akbar combined mysticism, philosophy and nature worship. It also recognized no gods or prophets. This religious doctrine had few followers; the only person other than Akbar who was a Dīn-i Ilāhī believer until death was Birbal, one of Akbar's ministers. Raja Man Singh, his commander-in-chief, refused conversion, saying that he recognized only two religions, Hinduism and Islam.
Dīn-i Ilāhī appears to have survived Akbar according to the Dabestan-e Mazaheb of Mubad Shah (Mohsin Fani). However, the movement never numbered more than 19 adherents.
Din-i-Ilahi was more of an ethical system. It prohibits lust, sensuality, slander and pride, considering them sins. Piety, prudence, abstinence and kindness are the core virtues. The soul is encouraged to purify itself through yearning of God. Celibacy and the slaughter of animals is forbidden. There is no sacred scriptures or a priestly hierarchy in this religion.
See also
References
- Makhan Lal Roy Choudhury 1952 (1985): The Din-i-Ilahi or the Religion of Akbar, Calcutta: Dasgupta & Co. (Oriental Books Reprint Corporation); ASIN B0007JXFZG
- "Children's Knowledge Bank",Published 2004 (Pustak Mahal),ISBN 8122302920
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Monday July 07, 2008 at 22:31:47 PDT (GMT -0700)
View this article at Wikipedia.org - Edit this article at Wikipedia.org - Donate to the Wikimedia Foundation
Copyright © 2008, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.