The Politics of Inclusion: Akbar’s Approach to Religious and Cultural Diversity in Governance

Abstract

The article investigates Mughal Emperor Akbar’s governance strategies for managing the vast religious and cultural diversity of his empire. Recognizing that a multi-ethnic, multi-religious populace was central to the Indian subcontinent’s social fabric, Akbar employed policies that emphasized inclusion, religious tolerance, and political pragmatism to preserve harmony and stability in his empire. This inclusive policy allowed for the integration of non-Muslims into the highest levels of the Mughal administration and military, a marked departure from the orthodox practices of his predecessors. This paper explores Akbar’s diplomatic and matrimonial alliances with the Rajputs, his reforms and innovation measures such as the prohibition of Sati, the philosophy of Sulh-i-Kul (universal peace), which sought to transcend religious and cultural divides, abolition of the jizya, creation of the Ibadat Khana as a platform for interfaith dialogue, his patronage of translations of sacred Hindu texts into Persian, and introduction of the Din-iIlahi, as part of his broader vision to create a pluralistic state. Through these actions, Akbar’s politics of inclusion aimed not only at political consolidation but enabled him to rule a vast territory for a longer period and earn the title of ‘Akbar the Great’. His political and administrative reforms, such as the Mansabdari system, incorporated officials from diverse religious backgrounds, creating a merit-based bureaucracy that helped maintain the Empire. Akbar’s reign remains a key period of study for understanding governance, pluralism, and political inclusion in pre-modern India.