QUESTION 2
GS1
10 marks
Examine the main aspects of Akbar’s religious syncretism.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Examine the key elements of Akbar's religious policy and how they combined different traditions.
ExamineGo into the details, test each point against evidence, and conclude on what it shows.
Demand-wise check
- 1Ibadat Khana debates at Fatehpur Sikri (1575)≈35 words
- 2Sulh-i-kul (universal peace), abolition of jizya (1564) and pilgrim tax≈35 words
- 3Mahzar (1579), Din-i-Ilahi (1582), translations (Mahabharata as Razmnama), Rajput alliances≈35 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
ContextStages of his policyKey institutions and actsPolitical motivesAssessment
Where marks usually go
- Treating Din-i-Ilahi as a mass religion; it had few followers
- Not showing the political purpose behind syncretism
Draw this
- Timeline: 1564 jizya abolished → 1575 Ibadat Khana → 1579 Mahzar → 1582 Din-i-Ilahi
Value addition
- SourceAbul Fazl's Akbarnama and Ain-i-Akbari describe sulh-i-kul as the guiding principle of rule.Abul Fazl, Akbarnama
- ExampleThe Mahabharata was translated into Persian as the Razmnama at Akbar's maktab khana.Razmnama manuscript
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Ajay R Raj · AIR 109 · Page 5 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Akansh Dhull · AIR 3 · Page 23 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Monika Srivastava · AIR 16 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Ajay R Raj · AIR 109 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
Next: plan for one minute, write it in 7 minutes, then get it checked.