Marco Polo Biography Song

Journal 1. Do you think it would be possible to create a new religion and people would follow it? Why or why not? 2.What if you took the best parts of the major religions and blended them together? Which parts would you choose?

The Mughals were Muslims who descended from Turks, Afghans, & Mongols living in central Asia Like the Ottomans & Safavids, the Mughals built a powerful army with guns & cannons

In 1494, Babur became king of the Mughals, expanded the army, & began invasions into India to create his empire In 1556, Babur’s grandson Akbar became king of the Mughal Empire & expanded the empire into almost all of India

Akbar was the greatest of all the Mughal rulers Akbar’s greatest achievement was cultural blending & religious toleration He held religious discussions with Hindu & Muslim scholars He ended the tax that non-Muslims were required to pay & created a fair & affordable tax system Because he was Muslim ruling in a largely Hindu region, Akbar allowed non-Muslims to worship freely He married many wives, among them were Muslim, Hindu, & Christian women

The best example of Akbar’s tolerance was his creation of a new religion called the Divine Faith The Divine Faith was an example of syncretism because it blended ideas from Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, & Zoroastrianism Akbar hoped the Divine Faith would end conflicts between Muslims & Hindus IMAGE: Mughal Emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605) holds a religious assembly in the Ibadat Khana (House of Worship) in Fatehpur Sikri; the two men dressed in black are the Jesuit missionaries Rodolfo Acquaviva and Francisco Henriques illustration to the Akbarnama, miniature painting by Nar Singh, ca. 1605 Din–i–Ilahi or "divine faith," describes the religious teachings developed by the third emperor of the Mughal Empire, Akbar the Great, in the late–16th century. Akbar's teachings had their foundations in regular discussions at the Ibadat Khana, "The House of Worship," in Fatehpur Sikri, where he hosted religious leaders and theologians of various faiths, including Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Jains. Seeking a common ground among religions, his teachings synthesize ideas from multiple faiths, do not have a sacred scripture and include a form of sun–worship that reflects Hindu and Zoroastrian influences. Virtues of celibacy, kindness and piety are encouraged, and vices of lust and pride are condemned. Despite transcendent aims, Din–i–Ilahi centered primarily on Akbar as a divine personage and did not attract many followers outside the realm of Akbar's court. But, the Divine Faith never attracted many Muslim or Hindu converts…When Akbar died, so did the Divine Faith

During Akbar’s reign, art flourished Mughal artists were known for their colorful paintings called miniatures

Mughal architecture was known for blending of Hindu & Islamic designs The greatest example of Mughal architecture is the Taj Mahal which was built in 1631 by Shah Jahan

Taj Mahal History of the Taj Mahal Engineering the Taj Mahal