History of India . flamethat measures Time ; as the starting-point of his newIlahi era he introduced the solar year which begins atthe vernal equinox; he forbade cow-eating, in defer-ence to Indians, and had himself ceremonially weighedin Hindu fashion on both his solar and his lunar birth-day; he instituted the sacred fire adored of the Parsis,and encouraged the horn sacrifice of the Hindus in hispalace. The new cult was cordially professed only bya small band of courtiers calling themselves theelect, and including Faizi, Abu-1-Pazl, and other Per-sians, chiefly poets, as well as one Hindu, B
History of India . flamethat measures Time ; as the starting-point of his newIlahi era he introduced the solar year which begins atthe vernal equinox; he forbade cow-eating, in defer-ence to Indians, and had himself ceremonially weighedin Hindu fashion on both his solar and his lunar birth-day; he instituted the sacred fire adored of the Parsis,and encouraged the horn sacrifice of the Hindus in hispalace. The new cult was cordially professed only bya small band of courtiers calling themselves theelect, and including Faizi, Abu-1-Pazl, and other Per-sians, chiefly poets, as well as one Hindu, Birbal, butthe rest, even of the court, remained indifferent, when A KELIGION OF DIVERSE ELEMENTS 46 not hostUe. Some boldly refused to join the new faith,but the most part temporized for fear of losing course an eclectic religion never takes hold of apeople, and Akbars curiously interesting hodgepodge ofphilosophy, mysticism, and nature-worship practicaUydied with him; but the broad-minded sympathy which. DABUGHA PEBSHADS HOUSE, FATHFUB - glKBI. inspired such a vision of catholicity left a lasting im-press upon a land of warring creeds and tribes, and fora brief while created a nation where before there hadbeen only factions. With the promulgation of the emperors infallibilitythe debates in the Hall of Worship came to an end;the leading bigots Makhdum and Abd-an-Nabi weresent to refresh their fanaticism at Mekka, and thepantheists under Abu-1-Fazl and his brother enjoyed 46 AKBAES EEFORMS a brief trimnpli. Both held high rank, but Paizi prizedhis office of poet-laureate above any political power,while Abu-1-Fazl became Divan, or Treasurer, of theProvince of Delhi. These two brilliant and sympa-thetic brothers were now Akbars chief intimates, andhe found in their devotion more than compensation forthe solitary elevation that is the inevitable fate of areforming sovereign bom centuries before the acceptedtime. Probably they encouraged him in the fancies andextravagances
Size: 1668px × 1497px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorjacksona, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookyear1906
