Akbar the Great Timeline

(October 15, 1542 – October 27, 1605)

Akbar the Great, the third Mughal emperor, ruled from 1556 to 1605 and is widely regarded as one of India's greatest rulers. He expanded the Mughal Empire across much of the Indian subcontinent, promoted religious tolerance, abolished the jizya tax on non-Muslims, and fostered art, culture, and administrative innovation that defined the Mughal golden age. More Less

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Early Life and Accession

Birth of Akbar in Umarkot

Oct 15, 1542

Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar was born at the Rajput fortress of Umarkot in Sindh, where his father Humayun had taken refuge after losing his empire to the Suri dynasty. His birth gave Humayun renewed hope of restoring Mughal rule.

Image source: Akbar

Humayun recaptures Delhi

Jul 1555

With Persian support, Humayun defeated the forces of Sikandar Shah Suri and retook Delhi and Agra, restoring Mughal power in northern India just months before his death, paving the way for Akbar's succession.

Image source: Humayun

Akbar ascends the Mughal throne

Feb 14, 1556

After Humayun died from a fall in his library in Delhi, thirteen-year-old Akbar was proclaimed emperor at Kalanaur in Punjab. His regent Bairam Khan ruled effectively on his behalf during the early years of his reign.

Akbar dismisses regent Bairam Khan

1560

At eighteen, Akbar asserted his independence by dismissing Bairam Khan from the regency. Bairam rebelled but eventually submitted; while traveling to Mecca he was assassinated in 1561 by an Afghan seeking personal revenge.

Image source: Bairam Khan

Birth of heir Prince Salim

Aug 30, 1569

Akbar's eldest surviving son and future successor, Salim (later Emperor Jahangir), was born at Fatehpur Sikri. His birth followed prayers at the shrine of Salim Chishti, deepening Akbar's devotion to the saint.

Image source: Jahangir

Assassination of Abul Fazl

Aug 12, 1602

Abul Fazl, Akbar's close friend, biographer, and author of the Akbarnama, was assassinated at the instigation of Prince Salim, who feared Abul Fazl's influence blocked his path to the throne, deepening the rift between father and son.

Image source: Abul Fazl

Death of Akbar

Oct 27, 1605

Akbar died at Agra after a brief illness and was succeeded by his son Salim as Emperor Jahangir. He was buried in a magnificent sandstone mausoleum at Sikandra near Agra, leaving behind an empire spanning most of the Indian subcontinent.

Image source: Akbar's tomb

Military Conquests

Second Battle of Panipat

Nov 5, 1556

Bairam Khan led Akbar's army to a decisive victory over Hemu, the Hindu general who had seized Delhi and Agra for the Sur dynasty. Hemu's defeat secured the Mughal restoration in India.

Image source: Second Battle of Panipat

Conquest of Malwa

1561 - 1562

Mughal forces under Adham Khan captured Malwa from Baz Bahadur, expanding the empire into central India. The campaign was marred by atrocities that led Akbar to personally intervene and take control of subsequent conquests.

Image source: Mughal conquest of Malwa

Conquest of Gondwana

1564

Mughal forces invaded Gondwana, defeating the valiant queen-regent Rani Durgavati, who chose death over capture. The rich region was annexed, extending Mughal control further into central India.

Image source: Rani Durgavati

Siege of Chittorgarh

Oct 1567 - Feb 23, 1568

Akbar besieged and stormed the great Rajput fortress of Chittor held by the Sisodia clan. After the fall, thousands of defenders perished and the garrison's commander Jaimal was killed, marking one of the most consequential episodes of Akbar's Rajput wars.

Image source: Siege of Chittorgarh (1567–1568)

Fall of Ranthambore Fort

1569

Following the capture of Chittor, the powerful Mewar fortress of Ranthambore surrendered to Akbar without a prolonged siege, cementing Mughal dominance over Rajasthan and prompting many Rajput rulers to submit.

Image source: Ranthambore Fort

Conquest of Gujarat

1572 - 1573

Akbar personally led campaigns to annex Gujarat, gaining access to seaports like Surat and vast commercial wealth. To commemorate the victory he received the honorific title 'Ghazi' and built the Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri.

Image source: Mughal conquest of Gujarat

Conquest of Bengal

1574 - 1576

Mughal armies defeated Sultan Daud Khan Karrani, the last Afghan ruler of Bengal, culminating in the Battle of Tukaroi and later the Battle of Rajmahel. Bengal, with its immense wealth, became a core imperial province.

Image source: Bengal Subah

Annexation of Kabul

1585

After the death of his half-brother Mirza Muhammad Hakim, Akbar brought Kabul under direct imperial control, securing the empire's northwestern frontier and reuniting the territories of his father Humayun.

Image source: Kabul

Annexation of Kashmir

1586

Mughal forces conquered the Kashmir valley, adding its famed beauty and saffron-producing lands to the empire. Kashmir became a favored summer retreat for later Mughal emperors.

Image source: Kashmir

Conquest of Sind and Baluchistan

1590 - 1595

Mughal campaigns completed the absorption of Sind and parts of Baluchistan, consolidating control over the lower Indus valley and strengthening imperial access to the Arabian Sea trade routes.

Image source: Sindh

Mughal campaigns in southern India begin

1591 - 1600

Akbar launched expeditions against the Deccan sultanates of Ahmadnagar, Berar, and Khandesh. Prince Daniyal and minister Abul Fazl led forces; by 1600 Ahmadnagar's fortress had fallen and Khandesh was annexed, opening Mughal expansion southward.

Image source: Aurangzeb

Mughal campaigns in southern India begin

Beginning of the Mughal conquest of Kandahar

1595

The Safavid governor of Kandahar surrendered the strategic fortress city to the Mughals, giving Akbar control of a key node on routes between Persia and India, though the city remained contested with the Safavids.

Image source: Kandahar

Beginning of the Mughal conquest of Kandahar

Administration and Reform

Marriage alliance with the Kachhwaha Rajputs

1562

Akbar married Jodha Bai, daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amber, beginning his policy of incorporating Rajput chiefs into the Mughal nobility through marriage alliances, which transformed the empire's political foundations.

Image source: Akbar

Abolition of the jizya tax on non-Muslims

1564

Akbar abolished the jizya, the poll tax levied on non-Muslim subjects, as part of his broader policy of religious tolerance and integration of India's diverse communities into imperial administration.

Image source: Jizya

Introduction of the mansabdari system

1571

Akbar formalized the mansabdari system, ranking officials and military commanders with numerical grades that determined their salaries and obligations to supply cavalry, creating a unified bureaucracy drawing talent from all communities.

Image source: Mansabdar

Reform of the taxation system under Todar Mal

1573 - 1580

Finance minister Raja Todar Mal implemented the zabti system, standardizing land revenue assessment based on measured land and average yields over ten years, greatly stabilizing imperial finances.

Image source: Todar Mal

Death of Todar Mal and continued administrative consolidation

Nov 1586

Raja Todar Mal, architect of Akbar's revenue system, died in 1586. His reforms endured as the fiscal backbone of the Mughal Empire and influenced later systems under the British Raj.

Culture and Religion

Completion of the Agra Fort renovations

1565 - 1573

Akbar rebuilt the massive red sandstone Agra Fort, transforming it into a principal imperial residence and military stronghold that housed the Mughal court and treasury for generations.

Image source: Agra Fort

Foundation of Fatehpur Sikri

1569 - 1573

Akbar began building a new capital city near Agra, later called Fatehpur Sikri, honoring the Sufi saint Salim Chishti whose blessings were credited with the birth of Akbar's son Salim. The city served as the imperial seat until 1585.

Image source: Fatehpur Sikri

Translation bureau produces Persian versions of Sanskrit classics

1574 - 1699

Under Akbar's patronage, the Maktab Khana translated major works including the Ramayana, Mahabharata (as Razmnama), and the Atharva Veda into Persian, fostering an unprecedented cultural synthesis between Persianate and Indic traditions.

Image source: Akbarnama

Establishment of the Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri

1575

Akbar built the Ibadat Khana, a house of worship where scholars of Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and other faiths debated religious questions, reflecting his growing interest in comparative religion.

Image source: Ibadat Khana

Promulgation of the Mazhar decree

1579

Akbar issued a decree declaring himself the supreme arbiter in religious disputes among Islamic scholars, placing the emperor above the ulama in matters of interpretation and provoking strong opposition among orthodox Muslims.

Image source: List of national flags of sovereign states

Proclamation of Din-i Ilahi

1582

Akbar promulgated Din-i Ilahi ('Divine Faith'), a syncretic ethical order drawing on elements of multiple religions and centered on loyalty to the emperor. It attracted few disciples but symbolized his vision of spiritual unity, sulh-i-kul.

Image source: Din-i Ilahi

Key Facts

Akbar became the Mughal emperor in 1556 at just 13 years old after the death of his father, Humayun.
He significantly expanded the Mughal Empire through military conquests and strategic alliances, controlling most of northern and central India.
Akbar abolished the jizya tax on non-Muslims and promoted a policy of religious tolerance, even creating his own syncretic faith called Din-i Ilahi.
He established an efficient centralized administrative system, including the mansabdari system for organizing nobility and military ranks.
Akbar was a patron of the arts and learning, founding a culturally diverse royal court at Fatehpur Sikri and commissioning translations of Hindu, Persian, and Greek texts.

Source

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