“In a short time the bodies of those infidels became the food of beasts and birds of prey… The Emperor gave orders that none of the women should be killed, but they should all be made prisoners and converted to Islam.”
— Mulla Abdul Qadir Badauni, Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh, on the Chittorgarh massacre, 1568
Introduction: A Legacy Wrapped in Silence
For decades, films, TV shows, and textbooks have portrayed Akbar as a benevolent emperor—the embodiment of secular leadership and royal wisdom. Bollywood blockbusters like Mughal-e-Azam and historical television dramas have glorified his romance with Jodhabai, showing him as a just and affectionate husband who bridged Hindu-Muslim divides through love, tolerance, and diplomacy.
But these popular portrayals are far from complete. They have overlooked the more brutal and coercive aspects of Akbar’s reign: from massacres and temple destruction to forced conversions, oppressive taxation, and exploitative customs like Meena Bazaar. While romantic tales elevated his legacy, the darker chapters were either omitted or deliberately erased from public discourse.
India’s mainstream education system, particularly through NCERT history books, has similarly painted Akbar as the archetype of a benevolent monarch—one who practiced secularism, engaged in interfaith dialogue, and respected all religions. But a closer examination of primary Persian sources, eyewitness court chroniclers, and regional Hindu accounts reveals a darker side of this celebrated emperor.
This article focuses on massacres, forced conversions, temple destruction, exploitative practices, and whitewashing of facts in modern education—episodes not of an enlightened liberal, but of a ruler bent on absolute power, using religion as both sword and shield.
1. The Chittorgarh Massacre (1568): A Case of Imperial Terrorism
After a fierce siege of Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthan, Akbar’s army breached the stronghold in February 1568. What followed was one of the bloodiest massacres in medieval Indian history.
- Around 30,000 civilians—mostly Hindus—were massacred by Akbar’s order.
- Rajput women committed Jauhar en masse to avoid enslavement and dishonor.
- Survivors were taken as prisoners, and many were forcibly converted.
Primary Source:
“Akbar ordered a general massacre of 30,000 Hindus after the victory. The queens and noblewomen of the fort performed Jauhar… The walls were slippery with blood.”
— Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh by Mulla Abdul Qadir Badauni, Vol I, p. 328
Scholarly Interpretation:
- Sir Jadunath Sarkar confirms the massacre and emphasizes that temple destruction and civilian killings were tools of political messaging.
- R.C. Majumdar writes:
“The slaughter of thirty thousand people after the fall of Chittor was not an accident of war but a deliberate policy of terrorism and intimidation.”
— The History and Culture of the Indian People, Vol. VII, p. 203
2. Ranthambore and Nagaur: The Forgotten Slaughters
Following Chittorgarh, Akbar launched an assault on Ranthambore Fort in 1569. Known for its Rajput resistance, the fort fell after a brutal campaign.
- Many defenders were executed post-surrender.
- Women in the fort, fearing dishonor, committed Jauhar.
At Nagaur in 1570, a lesser-known but devastating campaign led to:
- Dozens of temples being looted or razed.
- Local Brahmins being killed or forced to flee.
Source:
Nizamuddin Ahmad’s Tabaqat-i-Akbari notes that Akbar’s forces conducted “acts of jihad”, purging non-believers and their shrines from conquered regions.
3. Temple Destruction: The Reality Behind Political Strategy
Though Akbar is credited with a more tolerant policy in his later years, his earlier campaigns saw extensive temple desecration:
- Temples in Chittorgarh, Malwa, and Gujarat were destroyed.
- The temple of Keshav Rai at Mathura was reportedly converted into a mosque and the idols defaced (Sita Ram Goel, Hindu Temples: What Happened to Them).
- According to Badauni, Akbar “thought nothing of tearing down places of idol worship in conquered lands”.
The selective sparing or donation to some temples later in his reign was more diplomatic than ideological—aimed at securing political loyalty, particularly from Rajputs.
4. Religious Edicts, Fatwas, and Sharia Law
Islamic clerics at Akbar’s court played a significant role in shaping his early religious policy. Fatwas were issued to justify:
- The slaughter of Hindu prisoners.
- Forced conversions in the aftermath of military victories.
- The enslavement of non-Muslim women and children.
From Ain-i-Akbari:
“If they submit not, they are to be slain, or taken captive… The spoils of war belong to the victors as per Sharia.”
— Ain-i-Akbari, Book II, trans. H. Blochmann, p. 204
Though Akbar distanced himself from orthodox Islam later in life, these edicts had already shaped his imperial expansion.
5. Forced Conversions and Suppression of Hindu Practice
During campaigns in Gujarat, Malwa, and Berar, Akbar’s generals and governors forcibly converted thousands.
- In many cases, conversion was the price of release from prison.
- Temples were converted to mosques, and idol worship was banned in court-administered areas.
- Cow slaughter bans were lifted, deeply offending local Hindu populations.
Even Badauni lamented:
“There was no freedom of conscience in the early years; Hindus lived in fear.”
Sita Ram Goel documents multiple temple sites where inscriptions were replaced with Quranic verses, indicating both physical and ideological domination.
6. The Meena Bazaar: A Cloaked Exploitation
Often romanticized in literature, the Meena Bazaar was:
- A palace-based market where court women displayed goods.
- A venue where Akbar would select women for his harem.
- Restricted from public scrutiny, but accounts by European travelers (like Monserrate) suggest it involved objectification of women under the guise of festivity.
Vincent Smith in Akbar the Great Moghul writes:
“The Meena Bazaar served dual purposes—commerce and carnal selection. It reinforced Akbar’s control over both state and sexuality.”
7. Anarkali and Court Cruelties
Though debated by some modern historians, the Anarkali legend persists through oral history and multiple Persian accounts:
- Anarkali, a court dancer, was buried alive by Akbar for her alleged affair with Prince Salim (later Jahangir).
- The incident is mentioned in Lahore Gazetteers and referred to by travel accounts like those of William Finch.
Regardless of her existence, the story underscores Akbar’s severe enforcement of discipline and honor, even at the cost of human life.
8. Political Marriages and Religious Subjugation
Akbar married over 300 women, many of them Rajput princesses.
- These marriages were strategic: to subjugate rival Hindu clans.
- Though often portrayed as alliances, the women were expected to adopt Islamic customs.
- Children from such unions were raised as Muslims, ensuring dynastic control.
While the marriage to Jodha Bai is glorified, sources like Badauni and Abul Fazl confirm that conversion was often a precondition for acceptance into the harem.
9. The Whitewashing of Akbar: A Textbook Betrayal
Modern Indian textbooks, especially those from the NCERT curriculum, have:
- Skipped or diluted the Chittorgarh and Ranthambore massacres.
- Omitted references to temple demolitions or forced conversions.
- Over-emphasized Akbar’s later liberalism while ignoring his formative years of violence.
This whitewashing was part of post-independence efforts to promote communal harmony but has led to the erasure of historical trauma for large sections of society.
Sita Ram Goel remarks:
“India is perhaps the only country where invaders are glorified, and their crimes against the natives are edited out of public memory.”
References
- Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh, Mulla Abdul Qadir Badauni (Translated by G.S.A. Ranking, Vol I, Calcutta, 1884)
- Ain-i-Akbari, Abul Fazl (Translated by H. Blochmann, Asiatic Society of Bengal)
- Tabaqat-i-Akbari, Nizamuddin Ahmad (16th century Persian chronicle)
- Sarkar, Jadunath. A History of Jaipur, Orient Longman, 1984
- Majumdar, R.C. The History and Culture of the Indian People, Vol VII
- Goel, Sita Ram. Hindu Temples: What Happened to Them, Vol II
- Smith, Vincent. Akbar: The Great Mogul, Clarendon Press, 1917
- Lahore District Gazetteer, 1893-94
- Monserrate, Antonio. Commentarius in Indiam, 1590
- William Finch’s travel account, 1611
Conclusion: Reclaiming a Lost Narrative
Akbar’s legacy is one of paradox: a ruler who began as a brutal conqueror and evolved into a political unifier. But glorifying one phase while erasing the other is historical dishonesty. The truth of his massacres, forced conversions, suppression of faith, and political subjugation must be remembered—not to stoke division, but to acknowledge a fuller, honest version of India’s past.
History must not be a eulogy. It must be a mirror.
