Q, 3. What do you mean by Sulh-i kul? How was it implemented thrbugh state policies in Akbar's reign? Ans. Sulh-i-kul as described by Abul Fazl was absolute peace as the corner stone of enlightened rule. Mughal chronicles present th£ empire as comprising many different ethnic and religious communities Hindus, Jainas, Zoroastnans and Muslims. As the source of all peace and stability the emperor stored above all religions and ethenic groups, mediated among them, and ensured that justice and peace prevailed. In Sulh-i-kul all religions and schools of thought had freedom of expression but on condition that they did not undermine the authority of state or fight among themselves. The idea of Sulh-i-kul was implemented through state policies in which nobilities comprising of Iranis, Turanis, Afgans, Rajputs, Deccanis all of whom were given positions and awards purely on the basis of their service and loyalty to the king. Akbar abolished the tax on pilgrimage in 1563 and jizya in 1564 as the two were based on religious discrimination for which instructions were sent to officers of the empire to follow the precept of Sulh-i-kul in administration. All Mughal emperors gave grants to support the building and maintenance of places of worship. http://aura.edu.in/read/other-publisher/history/0080.html
Akbar was a Sulh Kulli too Religious policy Portrait of the Mughal Emperor Akbar invocation of a Dua prayer. Akbar, as well as his mother and other members of his family, are believed to have been Sunni Hanafi Muslims.[110] His early days were spent in the backdrop of an atmosphere in which liberal sentiments were encouraged and religious narrow-mindednness was frowned upon.[111] From the 15th century, a number of rulers in various parts of the country adopted a more liberal policy of religious tolerance, attempting to foster communal harmony between Hindus and Muslims.[112] These sentiments were earlier encouraged by the teachings of popular saints like Guru Nanak, Kabir and Chaitanya,[111] the verses of the Persian poet Hafez which advocated human sympathy and a liberal outlook,[113] as well as the Timurid ethos of religious tolerance in the empire, persisted in the polity right from the times of Timur to Humayun, (the second emperor of the mughal empire), and influenced Akbar's policy of tolerance in matters of religion.[114] Further, his childhood tutors, who included two Irani Shias, were largely above sectarian prejudices, and made a significant contribution to Akbar's later inclination towards religious tolerance.[114] When he was at Fatehpur Sikri, he held discussions as he loved to know about others' religious beliefs. On one such day he got to know that the religious people of other religions were often bigots (intolerant of others religious beliefs ). This led him to form the idea of the new religion, Sulh-e-kul meaning universal peace. His idea of this religion did not discriminate other religions and focused on the ideas of peace, unity and tolerance.[citation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akbar
