Din-i-Ilahi and Akbar’s Policy of Religious Toleration (Sulh-i-Kul)
Medieval History › Mughal Period · Topic 6.19
The so-called Din-i-Ilahi, called tauhid-i-Ilahi by Abul Fazl and Badayuni, was a Sufi-type order of disciples loyal to Akbar and not a new religion: it had no scripture, priests or rituals beyond initiation. Behind it stood sulh-i-kul, peace and equal respect for all faiths, supported by translations, social reforms such as curbs on sati, and a secular, liberal state.
6 min read · UPSC Prelims · History · Mughal Period
At a Glance
- Term Tauhid-i-Ilahi, “Divine Monotheism”
- Character Sufi-type order of disciples (murids)
- Principle Sulh-i-kul, peace with all
- Initiation Sunday, with the shast
- Legacy Died with Akbar
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Medieval History: Mughal Period
Where Does It Fit?
This is the nineteenth topic of the category on the Mughal period. The previous topic described the Ibadat Khana debates, and this topic describes the order and the principle Akbar built after them. The next topic covers the Mughal conquest of the Deccan. Previous topic: jizyah Hall Ibadat Khana, Fatehpur Sikri, 1575 Fall of Chief sadr…">Akbar’s Religious Policy – the Ibadat Khana Debates.
What Conviction Led to the New Order?
In short: after meeting scholars of many faiths, Akbar concluded that truth was not confined to one religion and that harmony required stress on shared good points.
Contacts with religious leaders, learned works and meetings with Sufi saints and yogis convinced Akbar that all religions had good points obscured in controversy, and that behind the multiplicity of names there was one God. Badayuni records that the conviction grew in his heart that there were sensible men in all religions, and that if true knowledge was found everywhere, truth should not be confined to one religion.
What Was the Din-i-Ilahi?
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | Abul Fazl and Badayuni call it tauhid-i-Ilahi, “Divine Monotheism” |
| Nature | An order of the Sufi type; those who wished and whom the emperor approved could join |
| Initiation | On Sunday, the novice placed his head at the emperor’s feet, was raised up and given the formula or shast to repeat and concentrate on, containing Akbar’s motto Allah-o-Akbar |
| Rules | Abstain from meat as far as possible, at least in the month of birth; give a feast and alms on the birthday |
| Absent | No sacred books, priestly class, place of worship or rituals except initiation |
| Members | About eighteen in the select group of trusted nobles; thousands enrolled as disciples; most great Hindu nobles except Birbal declined; no force or money was used |
Badayuni says the select group promised to sacrifice property, life, honour and religion, but giving up religion apparently meant giving up attachment to narrow concepts and observances, which fits Sufi ideas.
Was It a New Religion?
Badayuni asserts that Akbar gradually turned away from Islam and set up a new religion compounded of many faiths. Modern historians are not inclined to accept this, think Badayuni exaggerated, and find little evidence that Akbar intended or promulgated a new religion. Enrolling disciples also had a political purpose: Akbar wanted nobles personally loyal to him who would support a state based on sulh-i-kul, equal toleration of and respect for all sections regardless of religion. Orthodox elements such as Badayuni did not support such a state. Badayuni also ascribes the move to flatterers who called Akbar the insan-i-kamil, or Perfect Man, and says that the ceremony of pabos, kissing the floor before the sovereign, once reserved for God, began at their urging. Abul Fazl, on the other hand, held it natural for people to look to a ruler for spiritual guidance.
What Was Sulh-i-Kul in Practice?
| Area | Measure |
|---|---|
| Tax | Jizyah and pilgrim tax abolished; forcible conversion of prisoners ended |
| Service | Able Hindus brought into the nobility |
| Translations | A large department translated Sanskrit, Arabic and Greek works into Persian: the Singhasan Battisi, the Atharva Veda and the Bible first, then the Mahabharata, the Gita and the Ramayana, the Panchatantra and geography works; the Quran was perhaps translated for the first time |
| Social reform | Sati stopped unless the widow persistently wished it, and young widows who had not shared the husband’s bed were not to be burnt; widow remarriage legalised; polygamy discouraged unless the first wife was barren; marriage age raised to 14 for girls and 16 for boys; sale of wine and spirits restricted |
| Education | Syllabus revised to give more place to moral education, mathematics, agriculture, geometry, astronomy, government, logic and history |
| Culture | Patronage of artists, poets, painters and musicians; the court of navaratna |
The social reforms had only limited success, as the success of social legislation depends on the willing cooperation of the people in an age of superstition. Even so, under Akbar the state became essentially secular, liberal and enlightened in social matters and a promoter of cultural integration.
What Remained After Akbar?
The tauhid-i-Ilahi virtually died with Akbar, although Jahangir continued for some time to enrol disciples and give the shast. But the personal bond with the nobles succeeded: many nobles took pride in calling themselves banda, slaves, or murids of the emperor, and by and large they did not support elements preaching religious orthodoxy in social and political matters. The belief in the king’s miraculous power, such as curing by touch or by breathing on a pot of water, continued, and even the orthodox Aurangzeb could not shake it off.
As an analytical point, sulh-i-kul is best understood as a principle of state, not a creed: the state aimed to stand above sects and to give all communities equal respect. The Rajput side of this is in Akbar’s Relations with the Rajputs and the Growth of a Composite Ruling Class, and the later reaction under Aurangzeb is in Aurangzeb’s Religious Policies (Reimposition of Jizya).
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Frequent MCQ Is Din-i-Ilahi a new religion?
- Concept Sulh-i-kul as state ideal
- Contrast Sets up Aurangzeb’s policy
What Came Next?
The next topic describes the Mughal conquest of the Deccan Sultanates. Next topic: Mughal Conquest of the Deccan Sultanates (Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, Golconda).
Key People and Terms
- Tauhid-i-Ilahi Divine monotheism
- Sulh-i-kul Peace with all
- Shast Initiation formula
- Murid Disciple
- Pabos Kissing the floor before the ruler
- Insan-i-kamil The Perfect Man
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Initiation on Sunday with the shast.
- About 18 in the select group.
- Only Birbal among the great Hindu nobles joined.
- Marriage age raised to 14 and 16.
- The order died with Akbar.
Do Not Confuse With
- Din-i-Ilahi and a religion Sufi-type order versus a creed with scripture
- Abul Fazl and Badayuni Supporter versus critic
- Sulh-i-kul and Din-i-Ilahi State principle versus order of disciples
Memory Hook
One God, many names; a motto, a shast, a Sunday; peace to all, but no new creed.
Mains Angle
Questions here ask whether Din-i-Ilahi was a religion and what sulh-i-kul meant. These points add depth.
- Nature Order, not religion
- Purpose Loyalty and toleration
- Legacy Died with Akbar; the idea of a secular state endured
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Was Din-i-Ilahi a new religion? Examine Akbar’s policy of sulh-i-kul.”
How to Answer
- Beliefs All faiths hold truth.
- Order Features of tauhid-i-Ilahi.
- View Badayuni against modern historians.
- Policy Sulh-i-kul in practice.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Din-i-Ilahi?
The Din-i-Ilahi, called tauhid-i-Ilahi or Divine Monotheism by Abul Fazl and Badayuni, was a Sufi-type order for chosen disciples loyal to Akbar. It had no scripture, priests or places of worship, only an initiation ceremony.
Was Din-i-Ilahi a new religion?
Badayuni said Akbar set up a new religion, but modern historians think this exaggerated and find little evidence that Akbar intended or promulgated one. The order was small, voluntary and mainly aimed at personal loyalty to the emperor.
What is sulh-i-kul?
Sulh-i-kul means peace to all or equal toleration of and respect to all sections regardless of religion. It was the guiding principle of Akbar's state, as explained by Abul Fazl through a ruler's paternal love for all subjects.
What social reforms did Akbar introduce?
Akbar restricted sati unless the widow persistently wished it, legalised widow remarriage, discouraged more than one wife unless the first was barren, raised the marriage age to 14 for girls and 16 for boys, and limited the sale of wine.
What happened to the Din-i-Ilahi after Akbar?
The tauhid-i-Ilahi virtually died with Akbar, though Jahangir continued enrolling disciples and giving them the shast for some time. Many nobles, however, still took pride in calling themselves slaves or murids of the emperor, which tied them personally to the throne.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 Tauhid-i-Ilahi had a priestly class and scripture.
It had neither.
2 Birbal was the only great Hindu noble to join the select group.
Others declined.
3 Akbar raised the marriage age to 14 for girls and 16 for boys.
Social reforms had limited success.
4 The Din-i-Ilahi continued strongly under Aurangzeb.
It virtually died with Akbar.
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