Akbar the Amazing Trivia Quiz

Answer: Abul Fath Jelaluddin Muhammed Akbar

Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbįr, (alternative spellings include Jellaladin) is also known as Akbar the Great (Akbar-e-Azam).

Answer: Din-i-Ilahi

Akbar was the first Mughal ruler who had a tolerant attitude towards religions other than Islam. He loved to hold philosophical and religious discussions. This led to the creation of Ibadat Khana or the Hall of Worship at Fatehpur Sikri. From the discussions held at Fatehpur Sikri, he concluded that no single religion could claim the monopoly of Truth.

After this thought he formed a new religious order called the Din-I-Ilahi in 1581. The word Din-i-Ilahi means Divine Faith. The Din-i-Ilahi, as propounded by Akbar, was a mixture of various religions.

The new religion combined mysticism, philosophy and nature worship. It recognized no gods or prophets and the emperor was its chief exponent.

Answer: Tansen

It is said that Tansen's music possessed "supernatural grace" and that he could work miracles with his singing. This is called "Naada Siddha" ("Magic with Music")in Sanskrit. He is supposed to have acquired such supernatural abilities through the association with the saintly Swami Haridas. It is said that there were occasions where he could create rain by singing the monsoon song "Raag Megh Malhar". It is also said that he could create fire by singing Raag Dipak. There is also a myth that he died when he sang the "Raag Dipak" as he himself burst into flames. (A "Raag" is a composition set to mathematical patterns of precision.)

Answer: Mahesh Das

It was due to Mahesh Das' exemplary display of bravery during one of the Emperor's expeditions in war, that the title of "Veervar" ("The Valiant One") was conferred om him. As time passed, his original name was forgotten and his title stuck, though in corrupted forms (Veer Bal, Bir Bal, Birbal).

Answer: Jumma Masjid

Akbar's most magnificent architectural undertaking was the new capital city that he built at Sikri. The city was named as Fatehpur to commemorate Akbar's conquest of Gujarat in 1572. The most impressive architectural wonder of this was the grand Jumma Masjid (also spelled as 'Jamma' or 'Jama'). The Southern Entrance to this Masjid is known as Buland Darwaza.

Answer: Jodha Bai

Akbar married a Hindu princess, Jodha Bai of Mewar, an aunt of Maharaja Man Singh of Jaipur. This was one of the greatest efforts by Akbar to bring the two major religions in India together. Jodha Bai bore the heir to the Mughal empire, Jehangir and was also Akbar's favourite Queen.

Answer: A-i-ni Akbari & Akbar Nama

Abul Fazl, the gifted historian of Akbar's court composed in the Persian language a work that is in two parts. The first one is Akbarnāma, "Akbar Book," contains the complete history of Akbar's rule. The second part is "Aīn ī Akbarī" ("The Institutions of Akbar") a description of the political and religious constitution and administration of Akbar's empire.

Answer: Zarathusthra & Hindu Brahman philosophy

Purushottama and Debī taught Sanskrit and Brahman philosophy to the Emperor in his palace, instructing him at the dead of the night on profound esoteric doctrines of the Upanishads. From Gujarat Akbar summoned the Parsis, followers of the religion of Zarathustra and learnt their highly developed system of ethics which places sinful thoughts on the same level as sinful words and actions.

Answer: Ulemas

The Ulemās, the representatives of Islam orthodoxy, behaved in a very controversial manner. At the Ibadat Khana, where religious discussions took place, they had no success with their arguments. Hence they began to cry out of fury, to insult their opponents and resorted to violence.

They cursed, thus displaying their inferiority. Akbar had a contempt for them as he regarded their ethics as mere rhetoric, seldom put into practice.

Answer: Jerome Xavier of Navarre

Akbar had his second son Murad instructed by Jesuits. He asked one of the last Jesuits who visited his court, Jerome Xavier of Navarre to translate the four Gospels into Persian, which at that time was the court language of the Mohammadens.