What is What was Akbar's Rajput policy??

The Mughal Empire, 1526-1707 — GCSE History Revision

Free taster

5 of 6 sections open

The basics

The Empire That Ruled Half the World's GDP

📖 The Empire That Ruled Half the World's GDP

In 1526 a desperate Timurid prince camped outside Delhi with an army too small to besiege the city. His name was Babur, and his soldiers were outnumbered at least four-to-one by Ibrahim Lodi's forces. Babur had one decisive advantage: artillery. He had brought Ottoman-style cannons to a battlefield where war elephants had ruled for centuries. The elephants panicked at the noise, turned and trampled Ibrahim Lodi's own men. A dynasty was born.

By 1700, the Mughal Empire controlled roughly 25 per cent of global GDP — more than any other empire on Earth. Its court at Agra and Delhi glittered with diamonds, silk, and scholars from Persia, Central Asia, and Europe. Yet within fifty years of Aurangzeb's death in 1707, the empire had fractured. The story of how it rose and fell is one of history's most instructive lessons in the relationship between tolerance, taxation, and power.

What was Akbar's Rajput policy?: Akbar married Rajput Hindu princesses (including Jodha Bai of Amer) and appointed Rajput nobles as senior military commanders and court officials. This turned potential enemies into loyal allies, giving the Muslim Mughal emperor a strong Hindu power base.

Key terms

History glossary

What was Akbar's Rajput policy?: Akbar married Rajput Hindu princesses (including Jodha Bai of Amer) and appointed Rajput nobles as senior military commanders and court officials. This turned potential enemies into loyal allies, giving the Muslim Mughal emperor a strong Hindu power base.

Spotlight

Founding the Dynasty: Babur and Humayun, 1526–1556

Babur (1526–1530) was descended from two of history's most feared conquerors — Timur (Tamerlane) on his father's side and Genghis Khan on his mother's. Driven out of Fergana and Samarkand, he eventually ruled Kabul and saw northern India as a prize worth taking.

Exam tip

Earn the mark scheme marks

🧠 Memory Aids

BART — Akbar's Achievements

Building (Fatehpur Sikri, new capital) | Admin (mansabdari system, Todar Mal's zabt) | Rajput alliance (marriages, appointments) | Tolerance (abolished jizya, Din-i-Ilahi, Ibadat Khana)

Mughal Rulers — BHAJSA

Key numbers to remember

1526 — Panipat, dynasty founded
1564 — Akbar abolishes jizya
1679 — Aurangzeb reimpose jizya
1707 — Aurangzeb dies, decline begins
18 — only followers of Din-i-Ilahi
25% — Mughal share of world GDP at peak

Now try it yourself

Open the app to try questions →