Short notes on the Invitations to Other Religions by the Mughals

Short notes on the Invitations to Other Religions by the Mughals

Due to the behavior of the orthodox Sunni Theologians and their frequent quarrels on the fundamentals of Islam, Akbar was very much disgusted. His conclusion was that truth must be found somewhere else. He threw open the Ibadatkhana to the people of different faiths. To quote Abul Fazal. “The Imperial Court became the home of the pilgrims of the seven worlds and the scholars of the various religious sects.”

Akbar was very much impressed by the Principles of Zoroastrianism. It was in 1575 that Akbar for the first time made acquaintance with Dastur Mahrji Rana of Navsri at Surat and in 1578 Akbar invited him to his court. He was the Greatest Zoroastrian priest of his age.

When he participated in the discussions in the Ibadatkhana, Akbar was very much impressed by the principles of the Parsee Religion. He adopted some of the practices of the Parsee Religion and gave a grant of 200 Bighas of land to Dastur Mahrji who returned to Surat in 1579. Akbar ordered fire to remain burning in the palace under the charge of Abul Fazal. That was in accordance with the practice of the Parsee religion. Later on, Akbar began to show reverence to the Sun, light and fire.

Jainism

In 1582, Akbar invited Hira Vijay Suri from Gujarat to explain to him the principles of Jainism. It was on account of the influence of Hira Vijay Suri that Akbar gave up meat diet, released many prisoners and prohibited the slaughter of birds and animals on many days of the year. The influence of other Jain Monks on Akbar was so great that he gave up hunting and abstained almost wholly from meat diet. He restricted the slaughter of animals and birds to more than half the days of the year. Orders were issued by Akbar to all the Provincial Governors to carry out his instructions.

Hinduism

Akbar also invited prominent Hindu Scholars who gave him first-hand-knowledge of the principles and doctrines of Hinduism. Among the Hindu Scholars, the most prominent were Purshottam and Debi. They visited Akbar in the Royal Palace at night to explain to him the mysteries of Hindu Religion. The result was that Akbar adopted many Hindu beliefs and practices such as the transmigration of souls and the doctrine of Karma.

Akbar adopted the Hindu way of life and began to celebrate many Hindu Festivals such as Raksha Bandhan, Dussehra, Diwali and Basant. Sometimes he put on the mark of Tilak on his forehead. He began to appear every morning before his subjects at Jharokha Darshan. In many respects, he began to act like a Hindu King. When the mother of Akbar died, he shaved himself clean and observed mourning as the Hindus did.

Christianity

Akbar invited Portuguese Missionaries from Goa to explain to him the principles of Christianity. Three Christian Missions came. The first mission came in 1580 and was headed by Ridolfo Aquaviva, Antonino Monserrate and Enriquez. The second Christian Mission consisted of Edward Lewiston and Christopher De-Vaga and it lived at the Mughal Court from 1591 to 1592. The third mission consisting of Jerome Xavier, Emmanuel Pinheiro and Benedict de Goes reached Lahore when the Emperor was there.

Akbar gained a lot of knowledge of the principles of Christianity and developed reverence for the images of Jesus, Mary and the Apostles. He often attended the Chapel and other ceremonies held by the Portuguese Fathers. He allowed the Christians to build churches at Agra and Lahore. The Christian Missionaries displeased the Muslims by speaking against the Quran and Prophet Mohammad. There was every danger that they might be murdered by fanatic Muslims.

Akbar took care to send them back to Goa safely. From the behavior of Akbar, the Christian Missionaries came to a wrong conclusion that Akbar was well nigh on the way to become a Christian. Later on, they realised that the same respect was shown by Akbar to all religions.

Mahzar (1579):

Akbar was totally disgusted with the discussions in the Ibadatkhana among the Muslim theologians. On 22 June 1579, Akbar removed the head Imam and mounted the pulpit at the principal mosque of Fatehpur Sikri and read the Khutba himself in verse composed by Faizi.

With the reading of the Khutba, Akbar became very unpopular among the Muslims because of the great discontent prevailing among them. The Fanatic Muslims thought that Akbar was going to claim Prophet hood for himself. However, Akbar did not care for the opposition and in September 1579 took a step further.

In order to remove the uncertainties caused by the divergence of opinion among the Muslim Scholars, Akbar accepted the Mahzar (solemn declaration) which was presented by the leading theologians of the realm in the form of a Fatwa.

Badaoni tells us that the theologians first discussed among themselves the attributes of a Mujtahid and the relation between the ruler and the Mujtahid. In the light of that discussion, a declaration was drawn up by Shaikh Mubarak and signed by himself, Makhdum-ul-Mulk, Abd-un- Nabi, Qazi Jalaluddin Multani, Ghazi Khan Badakshi, the Muftis of the Mughal Empire and the Qazi-ul-Quzat. Badaoni says that everybody except Shaikh Mubarak signed the document against his conviction.

The Mahzar empowered Akbar to issue orders binding on all for the preservation of order within the Empire but he could not issue orders against the Quran or public interest. V. A. Smith has called the Mahzar as the Infallibility Decree but actually the Mahzar did not give Akbar unlimited power of legislation at will. However, it enabled the Emperor to give a legal basis to his autocracy, but the constitutional right of opposing the orders of the king did not altogether disappear.

Malleson writes that the Mahzar enabled Akbar to deal with the Hindus, Jains and Christians on terms of equality.” V. A. Smith rejects this view as baseless. Buckler and Makhan Lai Roy Choudhury describe it as the means of repudiating the superiority of the Rulers of Persia and Turkey but that is not substantiated by facts. It might have incidentally led to any beneficial results but the main object underlying it was to secure subservience of the Ulema and ensure their support to the future policy of Akbar.

According to Dr. A. L. Srivastava, this document has been miscalled Infallibility Decree by V.A. Smith. It has been wrongly contended that the promulgation of the Decree made Akbar Pope as well as king. The Mahzar conferred upon Akbar a two-fold right or authority. He was empowered to accept anyone of the conflicting interpretations of the Muslim Jurists or Mujtahids on a controversial question.

His choice was final and the Muslim Public as well as the Ulema was bound to obey him and carry out his precept. He did become a Mujtahid in a limited sense only or one eligible to form his independent opinion on a controversial question. Akbar was authorised to promulgate a new order or law provided it was in conformity with a verse of the Quran.

The decree no doubt conferred on Akbar wide powers and discretion, but it did not make him a Mujtahid in its original sense, much less the supreme head of the Muslim Religion. It deprived the Ulema of the authority to decide religious questions and to advise the Emperor on matters of his private life and those relating to the administration of the country, religious or secular.

The view of V. A. Smith is that the Mahzar which he called the Infallibility Decree, “assured to Akbar, so far as any written instrument could have such effect, the utmost power that any man could claim to exercise within the limits of Islam,” The Infallibility Decree had no concern with any other religion.

Although it purported to have been devised for the propagation of the Muslim faith and to recognise the authority not only of the Quran, but of the genuine tradition of the Prophet, yet the superiority of the intellect of the Imam was established and opposition was rendered impossible.

The view of Lane-Poole is that Akbar found that the rigid Muslims of the court were always casting in his teeth some absolute authority, a book, a tradition, a decision of the canonical order and like Henry VIII, Akbar resolved that he himself would be the head of the church and there would be no Pope in India under him.

The view of Dr. R.P. Tripathi is that the need for such a declaration of policy was obvious for the Muslims of India. They were frequently indulging in bloody conflicts among themselves and with the non-Muslims. Religious outbreaks resulting in considerable loss of life and property were not infrequent. Persecution of the followers of one creed by the other was the order of the day. There was no other appeal except that of the sword.

The international situation of the Muslim World called forth a clarification of the policy of the Mughal Empire. The Shia Kingdom of Persia and the Sunni States were at war more for religious than for political reasons.. The Shah of Persia claimed to be the leader of the Shias and the Sultan of Turkey claimed to be the Head of the Sunnis. The Declaration of Akbar signed by some of the leading divines announced his policy in clear terms.

The Mughal Emperor refused to identify himself with any creed and declared his determination to follow an independent policy of enlightened toleration within the ambit of the Quran, Hadis and common agreement between the divines. The spirit of Akbar’s policy was not different from that of Changiz Khan though the former was a Muslim and the latter a non-Muslim. The Declaration was meant for the Muslims and its application to the Hindus was only incidental and indirect.

The view of Principal Sri Ram Sharma is that the real nature of Mahzar has been misunderstood. It gave Akbar no power until and unless the Divines failed to agree. Even then Akbar had the power to interpret the Muslim law and not to make it. Akbar only gathered into his own hand powers and functions which had been so far exercised by the Sadr. He did not create a new office but brought an older one under his control.

Akbar claimed to be infallible no more than the Privy Council or the House of Lords. His interpretation of the laws was final just as a ruling of the Privy Council was final. Akbar made no claim to infallibility in any metaphysical sense. As an instrument for suppressing opposition, it was valueless. The decree was only a manifestation of Akbar’s anxiety to be considered a good Muslim.

The orthodox Muslims detested the issuing of the Mahzar. Akbar was misunderstood and it was believed that he had rejected Islam, Prophet, Quran, tradition and all.