Akbar the Great

Akbar was the sixth Mughal emperor.

Reason — Akbar was the third Mughal emperor, not the sixth. He succeeded his father Humayun (Babur → Humayun → Akbar), so this statement does not apply to him.

chief minister and general of Adil Shah

Reason — Hemu was the chief minister and general of Adil Shah, who ruled the area from Chunar to the border of Bengal. He captured Agra, occupied Delhi and declared himself emperor of India after Humayun's death.

13

Reason — Akbar was only 13 years old when his father, Humayun, died in 1556 CE. With no other claimants to the throne, he was proclaimed emperor.

Haldighati

Reason — The forces of Rana Pratap and Akbar met at the famous battlefield of Haldighati in 1576 CE, where the Mughal army under Raja Man Singh's command defeated the Rajputs.

Maharana Pratap

Reason — Maharana Pratap of Mewar fought against Akbar at the Battle of Haldighati. Raja Todar Mal and Raja Man Singh, on the other hand, were given high posts in Akbar's army and administration and served him.

13 years old

Reason — Akbar was born to Hamida Banu in 1542 CE in a Rajput fort in Amarkot. He was only 13 years old when his father, Humayun, died in 1556 CE, after which he ascended the throne.

Deepak

Reason — The picture depicts lamps (diyas) lighting up. Legend has it that whenever Tansen, the most famous musician at Akbar's court, sang the Raga Deepak, the diyas of the palace would light up. Hence, the raga associated with the picture is Deepak.

Only iii.

Reason — The Second Battle of Panipat crushed the Afghan power and removed the threat to Akbar's throne. Statement i is wrong because the battle crushed (not raised) Afghan power; statement ii is wrong because Hemu had declared himself emperor before the battle and was defeated and killed in it; and statement iv is wrong because Bairam Khan's regency ended in 1560 CE when Akbar dismissed him, not at Panipat in 1556 CE.

Rajput resistance weakened and Mughal influence increased in Mewar

Reason — At Haldighati, the Mughal army under Raja Man Singh's command defeated the Rajputs. This weakened Rajput resistance and increased Mughal influence in Mewar.

R is the reason for A.

Explanation — Both A and R are true, and R correctly explains A. Akbar remitted the pilgrimage tax and later abolished the jizyah, the tax on non-Muslims, as part of his policy of Sulh-i-Kul (universal peace) and religious tolerance towards all communities.

R is the reason for A.

Explanation — Both A and R are true, and R explains A. The mansabdari system gave ranks (mansabs) to both military and civil officials, fixing their salary, status and the number of cavalry, horses and elephants they had to maintain. Salaries were at times paid in the form of jagirs, and all appointments, promotions and dismissals were in the hands of the emperor. This combination ensured loyalty and efficiency and thus strengthened the Mughal administration.

1. Doha — A doha is a couplet which has two rhyming lines. Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana, one of the navaratnas at Akbar's court, was popularly known for his dohas.
2. Sulh-i-kul — Sulh-i-Kul was Akbar's policy of 'peace with all' or universal peace, which brought about cordial relations among all communities. It was based on tolerance for all religions.
3. Navaratnas at Akbar's court — The navaratnas, or nine gems, were the nine great scholars who adorned Akbar's court. They included Abul Fazl, Faizi, Todar Mal, Tansen, Birbal, Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan and Raja Man Singh, to name a few.
4. Din-i-ilahi — Din-i-Ilahi, or 'divine faith', was a new religious order created by Akbar to reconcile the differences between various religions. It incorporated the virtues of all religions. Its main features were belief in one God, recognition of the emperor as God's representative on Earth, and emphasis on piety, kindness and purification of the soul. It had neither sacred scriptures nor a priestly hierarchy and was rather a code of moral conduct. It never became popular and came to an end with Akbar's death.

All the given options — 1, 2 and 3 — are correct.

Akbar is known for his tolerance for all religions because his policy of Sulh-i-Kul was based on tolerance, he built the Ibadat Khana at his new capital where scholars of all religions held discussions, and he created a new religious order called Din-i-Ilahi which incorporated the virtues of all religions.

Yes, the Mughal empire flourished in almost all aspects under Akbar.

1. Territorial expansion — Akbar consolidated his power and brought northern and central India under his rule, annexing Malwa, Gondwana, Chittor, Ranthambore, Gujarat, Bengal, Kabul, Kashmir, Kandahar and parts of the Deccan.
2. Administration — He set up a strong centralised as well as an efficient provincial administration. The empire was divided into subas, sarkars and parganas, and he introduced the mansabdari system to organise the army and officials.
3. Revenue — Raja Todar Mal's revenue reforms, known as Todar Mal's Bandobast, made the revenue system fair and systematic.
4. Religious policy — His policy of Sulh-i-Kul promoted religious tolerance. He abolished the jizyah and pilgrimage tax and built the Ibadat Khana for religious discussions.
5. Cultural development — Literature, translation, music, painting and architecture flourished, and the navaratnas (nine gems) adorned his court.

Thus, the Mughal empire flourished militarily, administratively, economically and culturally under Akbar, which is why he is remembered as Akbar the Great.

Land was the main source of revenue for the Mughal Empire. Raja Todar Mal was in charge of the revenue administration, and his revenue reforms were known as Todar Mal's Bandobast. The main features of Akbar's revenue administration were as follows:

1. Land was surveyed and measured with a measuring rod known as a jarib.
2. Land was divided into good, bad and middling.
3. The average produce over the past 10 years was calculated, and the revenue was fixed on the basis of this average.
4. One-third of the produce was fixed as the revenue, which could be paid in cash or kind.
5. Revenue officers were instructed to treat the peasants with kindness. If the crops failed due to natural calamities, the revenue payment was cancelled.
6. Loans were granted to the peasants, which could be paid back in easy instalments.

Apart from land, trade was another important source of revenue. Both internal and external trade were facilitated by the conquest of several kingdoms, and crafts and industries flourished under Akbar, with imperial factories taking a lead in production. Akbar issued a gold coin known as the mohur, while silver and copper coins were also used.

Akbar's reign witnessed great cultural enrichment in the fields of literature, music, painting and architecture.

1. Navaratnas — Akbar's court was adorned by nine great scholars known as the navaratnas (nine gems). These included Abul Fazl, Faizi, Todar Mal, Tansen, Birbal, Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan and Raja Man Singh.
2. Literature and translations — Faizi was commissioned by Akbar to translate a number of Sanskrit works into Persian. Abul Fazl wrote the Akbarnama, an enduring record of the emperor's reign. The Atharva Veda, the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and works such as the Panchatantra were translated into Persian. Akbar also patronised Hindu poets — Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas and Rahim's dohas were written during his time.
3. Music — Akbar was very fond of music and, according to Abul Fazl, there were 36 musicians in his court. The most famous among them was Tansen, who composed many ragas or melodies, including Miyan ki Malhar, Raga Darbari and Raga Deepak.
4. Painting — Akbar patronised painting and fine arts. A new style of painting evolved, where colours such as red and blue were used. The paintings had varied themes, a majority of which depicted scenes from Akbar's life.
5. Architecture — A fusion of Indian and Persian styles of architecture was developed. Some of the architectural splendours of his reign were the Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. The Buland Darwaza, Panch Mahal and Jodha Bai's Palace at Fatehpur Sikri are beautiful specimens of this style.

a. This gate, the Buland Darwaza, is located at Fatehpur Sikri.

b. It was built to commemorate Akbar's victory over Gujarat, which he conquered in 1572 CE.

a. The name of this new city is Fatehpur Sikri, founded by Akbar about 23 miles from Agra.

b. The famous gate here that commemorates his victory over Gujarat is the Buland Darwaza.

A. Akbar was 13 years old when he became emperor.

B. The Second Battle of Panipat crushed the Afghan power and removed the threat to Akbar's throne, thereby securing his position as emperor.

C. Two prominent Rajput chiefs who were given high posts in Akbar's administration were Raja Todar Mal and Raja Man Singh.