The Rights of Non-Muslims in Mughal Law after Akbar Shah's Din-i İlahi Movement

Abstract

This article examines Akbar Shah's approach to religious and social reforms during his rule in India. The second section of the article discusses Akbar Shah's religious movement, known as 'Din-i Ilahi', and compares the scope of this movement with the different views expressed by Abū al Fazl and Mawlānā 'Abd al-Qadir Badayuni. The third section analyses the impact of Akbar's religious tolerance on state policy, with a particular focus on the authorisation of non-Muslims to construct places of worship and the provision of state support for religious celebrations. The final section provides a detailed analysis of Akbar's social reforms, with a particular focus on the prohibition of sati (the practice of widows committing suicide by throwing themselves on their husbands' funeral pyre) and marriage reforms. Akbar's reforms are regarded as an exemplar of a more inclusive approach to religious and cultural diversity in India.