Mughal Emperor Akbar - The Sun Worshipper

Hi Friends,

Presently, i see a very interesting discussion happening on one of Abhay's posts and that is - Was Akbar totally a self-made man or was he influenced by anyone in his journey to become Akbar the Great?  

Well, the answer to this Q is NOT directly written anywhere but still it can be understood by a little deduction. :)

Why would Akbar pay reverence to Sun if he was NOT "influenced" by his Hindu courtiers/consorts/other agencies ? We all understand the extreme significance of the Sun worshiping act on Akbar's part - it would amount to blasphemy even now for a devout Muslim to worship any God other than Allah. Back then, the ulema was quite powerful and had a say in the administration of the empire and could even dethrone the Emperor if he was found to stray from the straight and narrow path prescribed by them. Yet Akbar was able to stand up to everyone and not only allowed his Rajput wives to practise Hinduism but even joined them in their prayers, rituals and festivals. Similarly, he adopted certain customs from other faiths such as the fire worship of the Zoroastrians and allowed every citizen to practise the faith they wanted to. 

Let's now see just how much Akbar was influenced by the customs of some other faiths and advocated them to others. Evolution of thought and the growth of an individual is a continual process and Akbar is a fine example of this. The following post deals with the same.


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Hindus have traditionally worshiped the Sun God since the beginning. The Sun is the source of heat and light on Earth and sustains life. It is the easiest compass used to find direction. It is responsible for causing day and night and seasons on Earth.

In spite of all this, it is hard to believe that a deeply religious man like Akbar chose to go against his faith and believe in the power of the Sun God. Yet, believe he did and openly. 

Coin of Akbar bearing his Image on one side and Sun on other

Influence of Birbal

It is said that Akbar's deep friendship with Birbal influenced him in the matter of Sun worship. Birbal is presumed to have convinced Akbar that since humanity received light and sustenance from the Sun, the Sun deserved the highest reverence.

This is what Badayuni has to say about Birbal's influence on Akbar in this regard. Look at the highlighted text.

Tarikh-i-Badouni, Vol-2, Pg-260

"On the other hand, Birbal the Hindu {{the Persian text calls him "cursed Birbal"}} tried to persuade the king that since the sun gives light to all, and ripens all grain, fruits, and products of the earth, and supports the life of mankind, that luminary should be the object of worship and veneration; that the face should be turned toward the rising, not toward the setting, sun; .... "

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Picture 1

Remember, Badayuni was one of the fiercest critics of Akbar's religious beliefs and his proclivity for adopting Hindu customs and being liberal with Hindus. Badayuni was especially critical of the influence of the Rajput wives on Akbar's habits and outlook.

Here, it seems Badayuni was aghast that Akbar should pray to the Sun, as it is forbidden in Islam to pray to anyone except Allah. What was more, he was upset by the suggestion that Akbar should look toward the eastern sky (while praying) instead of toward the west (the direction of Mecca). 

Badayuni further says:

Tarikh-i-Badouni, Vol-2, Pg-260-261

"Several wise men at court confirmed what he said by representing that the sun was the chief light of the world and the benefactor of its inhabitants, that it was a friend to kings and that monarchs established periods and eras in conformity with its motions. This was the cause of the worship paid to the sun on the New Year of the Persian emperor Jalal-ad-din, and the reason why he had been induced to adopt that festival for the celebration of his accession to the throne. Every day, therefore, Akbar used to put on clothes of the particular colour which accorded with that of the regent planet of the day. He began also, at midnight and at early dawn, to mutter the spells which the Hindus taught him for the purpose of subduing the sun to his wishes. 


Note: Persian emperor Jalal-ad-din referred ^^^ is the Seljuk ruler, Sultan Jalal-ad-din Malik Shah (1072-92). 

If we look at what Badayuni has recorded ^^^, one point emerges. That Akbar was convinced that the Sun was the friend of kings. And that if Akbar could somehow "control" the Sun, it would bid his every wish. 

Note: This scan from the Akbarnama (Vol 1, Chapter 4, pg 85) shows how Akbar's worship of the Sun was considered blasphemous by some.

Picture 2

This reason, however, seems personally to me to be a more plausible reason why Akbar may have chosen to worship the Sun rather than just being convinced that it was an object of veneration. Another reason may have been his desire to project himself as one of the (native Hindustani) people by showing them that he followed their beliefs and customs.  

Akbar started the celebration of the Iranian festival of Nau Ruz-i Jalali {Jalal's New Year - Jalal here referring to the Seljuk ruler who had started the celebration of this festival and not Akbar} in Ajmer on 21st March, 1574 (the date of 21st March corresponding to the vernal equinox was fixed for the celebration by the Seljuk ruler). The celebration lasted for 6 days. Akbar threw a grand feast and distributed one lakh rupees to his officials and noblemen. Describing Akbar celebrating the festival in his capital - Fatehpur Sikri - for the first time, in 1578/79 A.D., Badayuni tries to understand the emperor's motivation and it is then that he wrote the above lines.   

{{We will look at the celebrations of the New Year festival in detail later.}}

Note: Ajmer was really close to Akbar's heart; so much so that he started the celebration of the new year festival from this holy place. :)


Influence of Zoroastrians - Traditional Sun / Fire Worshippers

Badayuni then goes on to relate that in addition to Birbal, there were Zoroastrians in the court who also revered the Sun and worshiped Fire.     

Tarikh-i-Badouni, Vol-2, Pg-261

"Fire-worshippers also came from Nausari in Gujarat, proclaiming the religion of Zardusht [=Zoroaster] as the true one and asserting that reverence to fire is superior to every other kind of worship. They attracted the king’s regard and taught him the peculiar terms, ordinances, rites, and ceremonies of the ancient Persians; so that at last he directed that the sacred fire should be made over to the charge of Abu-l-Fazl, and that, according to the fashion of the Kings of Iran, in whose temples blazed perpetual fires, he should take care that it was never extinguished either by night or day – for that it is one of the emblems of God and one light from among the many lights of His creation."

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Picture 3

It appears that Akbar was so influenced by the Zoroastrians that he got sacred fire lit and kept in charge of his closest aide Abul Fazl. He was convinced that fire was one of the symbols that represented God on earth and that as long as he kept the fire burning, God's grace would be ever present upon him like a benevolent shadow.

Fire is sacred to Hindus too and no worship is complete without it. Fire is considered one of the purest elements in the Universe and the accepted witness to all major events. Many Hindus always keep a hom burning just like the sacred fire of the Zoroastrians. 


Influence of Rajput Wives

As I mentioned above, Badayuni was perturbed by the influence of the Rajput wives of Akbar in making him follow Hindu religious rites and rituals. He (Badayuni) says in this regard (refer to the highlighted text in Picture 3 above):

Tarikh-i-Badouni, Vol-2, Pg-261

"From his earliest youth, in compliment to his wives, the daughters of the Rajas of Hind, Akbar had, within the female apartments, continued to burn the hom, which is a ceremony derived from fire-worship; but on the New Year festival of the twenty-fifth year after his accession (987 A.H., 1579 A.D.) he prostrated himself both before the sun and before the fire in public, and in the evening the whole court were required to rise up respectfully when the lamps and candles were lighted."

Fire is symbolic of the Sun on earth in many ways. That Akbar should bow to the Sun and fire both - going against his faith and even making it imperative for his nobles to follow their emperor - was disconcerting to the orthodox Badayuni.

Just as we saw in the show - where Jodha keeps a diya ever burning by the side of her Kanha and which was never allowed to go out even in her absence by Akbar - it seems a sacred fire - the hom - was kept ever burning in the harem of the Hindu wives of Akbar. And he also seems to have followed the practice of having lamps and candles lit at dusk and bowing to them - a Hindu ceremonial ritual. 

So we see that Akbar kept the hom burning in the harem and a sacred fire burning in the care of Abul Fazl. It is really rare to come across a true secular leader who followed the customs of various faiths with equal earnestness.


Celebrating Nau Ruz - Influence of Jalal-ad-din Malik Shah

As seen earlier, it appears that Akbar was fond of celebrating the Nau Ruz festival elaborately in Fatehpur Sikri. This Iranian New Year festival is an occasion to celebrate spring when the Sun returns to warm the earth and its inhabitants after a long and harsh winter. 

Father Monserrate, the Portuguese Jesuit, witnessed a lavish celebration of this festival in March 1582. 

The next year (1583), the festivities were expanded and assumed the form they would take for the next 75 years or so. The festival now lasted for 19 days. High ranking nobles competed with each other in decorating the public buildings of the palace fortress. On the first and last days of the celebration, Akbar held a grand assembly and presented the nobles and officials with horses, robes of honor and increases in rank and salary. On the other days, the emperor visited the mansions of the nobles, one by one. Each noble was responsible for one day's entertainment. The noble offered rich cloth from India, Khurasan (in Iran) and Iraq; pearls, rubies and gold; and elephants, camels and Arabian horses. 

Look at the following lines by Badayuni:    

Tarikh-i-Badouni, Vol-2, Pg-261

"On the festival of the eighth day after the sun’s entrance into Virgo in this year, Akbar came forth to the public audience-chamber with his forehead marked like a Hindu’ and with jewelled strings tied on his wrist by Brahmans as a blessing. The chiefs and nobles
adopted the same practice in imitation of him and on that day presented pearls and precious stones suitable to their respective wealth and station. It also became the current custom to wear on the wrist the rakhi, an amulet formed of twisted linen rags." 

Read the highlighted text ^^^ where it is mentioned that the nobles presented pearls and precious stones suitable to their respective wealth and station to the emperor. On this day, these high officials also presented a jewel to Mariam-uz-Zamani according to their estate. (Link : <- This has been mentioned in an old post.)

Even today, many Hindus tie colored string on their wrist as an amulet to guard them. Badayuni says in this regard that Akbar may be celebrating his birthday on the 8th day of the sun entering Virgo and thus appearing like a Hindu in public (Akbarnama, Vol 1, Chapter 3, Pg 72):

Picture 4

Introduction of Solar Calendar

Akbar's fascination with the sun extended to the introduction of a new era and a new calendar based on the sun's movement. 

He invited the Iranian scientist and intellectual Amir Fathullah Shirazi to develop a new solar calendar based on the one developed by Omar Khayyam for Sultan Jalal-ad-din Malik Shah. The months of the year were Persian and the year started on the vernal equinox. 

Akbar also introduced a new era - the Ilahi or Divine - the first time he celebrated the festival in Fatehpur Sikri. 

Amir Fathullah recalculated and renumbered the early years of Akbar's reign. Since Akbar had become king in mid-February, 1556, it was decided to make the vernal equinox of that year the date for both his accession and the start of the new era. 

Since now 2 events had to be celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox, the accession of the emperor - jashn-i-julus - and the new year - jashn-i nau ruz, the celebrations became more elaborate.

Did Akbar have any special reasons for introducing the solar calendar or was it just a whim based on his reverence for the Sun? 

Abul Fazl says that Akbar introduced this calendar for economic reasons. Farmers in an agrarian economy needed a calendar that would coincide with the seasons. Since the solar calendar is 11 days longer than the lunar calendar, there are about 31 lunar years for 30 solar years. Fazl says:

Ain-e-Akbari, Vol-2(B-3), Pg-29:

"By this means the road was opened to grievous oppression, because 31 lunar years are equal to only 30 solar years and great loss occurred to the agriculturists as the revenue was taken on the lunar years and the harvest depended on the solar. "

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Picture 5

That is, the peasants had only as many harvests as the solar years but they were earlier being taxed per the lunar calendar. They were paying an extra year's tax every 30 years even though they didn't have any corresponding harvest. This anomaly in the land revenue system was rectified during Akbar's reign, which is still remembered for administrative reforms.   

The adoption of a new era based on a new calendar was tied to the celebration of Nau Ruz by Akbar. It seems that he wanted the new era to herald the start of a new empire based on his ideas. The new era coincided with the expansion of the Nau Ruz celebrations in 1583. This decision had both symbolic and economic aspects. He wanted to reorganize and revitalize the Mughal empire. It took him nearly 15 years to discipline his followers and defeat his major enemies. It was only at the end of this period when he had moved to his new capital of Fatehpur Sikri that he began the political, economic and religious restructuring of his empire. The solar calendar also eased the collection of taxes in an agrarian economy.           

Even Jahangir has mentioned in his memoirs that his father held Sunday blessed and paid it great respect because it is dedicated to the Great Luminary {the Sun}. He says that throughout his dominions, this was one of the days on which it was forbidden to kill animals.

Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri, Vol-1, Pg-9 :

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Picture 6

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I leave it to the readers to ponder on the maturity of Akbar in allowing various faiths to coexist equally in his empire and the manner in which he adopted and advocated customs from each faith to his followers. No wonder, he went on to become Akbar the Great, after absorbing positive influences from all quarters. :)



Article Category : Mughals.