Introduction

• Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, also known as Akbar the Great (1542-1605), was the Mughal Emperor from 1556 until his death.
• He was the third and one of the greatest rulers of the Mughal dynasty in India.
• Akbar was a strong personality and a successful general, gradually enlarging the Mughal Empire to nearly all of the Indian subcontinent north of the Godavari River.
• His supremacy and influence extended over the entire country due to Mughal military, political, cultural, and economic dominance.
• To unify the vast empire, Akbar established a centralized system of administration across the empire.
• He adopted a policy of conciliating conquered rulers through matrimony and diplomacy.
• To preserve peace and order in a religiously and culturally diverse empire, Akbar adopted policies that earned him the support of his non-Muslim subjects.
• Akbar eschewed tribal bonds and Islamic state identity, striving to unite the far-flung lands of his realm through loyalty to himself as an emperor with near-divine status.
• He promoted a Persianized culture to solidify his identity as the central figure of the empire.

Condition of India in 1556

• Akbar ascended the throne in 1556 after the demise of his father, Humayun, when he was only fourteen years old.
• At the time, the Mughal Empire faced several inherent problems.
• Akbar inherited a throne that was not established, and when he received the news of his father’s death, he was at Kalanaur in the Gurdaspur District of Punjab, where he was enthroned.
• According to Dr. Smith, Akbar’s enthronement “merely registered the claim of Humayun’s son to succeed the throne of Hindustan.”
• Humayun had recovered Delhi in June 1555, but he hadn’t had enough time to consolidate his power, leaving the situation still disturbed.
• The position of Akbar was shaky, and he was advised by everyone, except Bairam Khan, to leave India and retreat to Kabul.
• Sikander Sur had been defeated by Humayun, but his power was not crushed, and he still held influence in Punjab with aspirations to be the King of Delhi and Punjab.
• In the Eastern Provinces, the Afghans were strong under their King Muhammad Shah Adali, and Adali’s minister, Hemu, commanded a large army determined to prevent Akbar from securing his father’s domain.
• The Rajput princes were powerful, with substantial military strength, particularly those from Mewar, Jaisalmer, Bundi, and Jodhpur, and they posed a formidable threat to Akbar.
• The states of Gujarat and Malwa had become independent, with rulers acting independently and establishing diplomatic relations with other countries.
• Kabul was under the control of Miza Hakim, Akbar’s brother, who acted as an independent ruler and aspired to acquire the empire of India.
• Both Sindh and Multan were independent and did not show loyalty to the ruler of Delhi.
• Kashmir was under the rule of an independent Muslim ruler.
• Gondwana was ruled by Rani Durgawati, acting on behalf of her minor son.

Second Battle of Panipat (1556)

• Second Battle of Panipat was fought on 5th November 1556 between the forces of Hemu, the Hindu ruler of Northern India, and the army of Akbar.
• It was a decisive victory for Akbar.
• Early in Akbar’s career, he had to deal with the growing power of Hemu, the Prime Minister of Muhammad Shah Adali of Bengal.
• Upon hearing of Hemu’s rise, Akbar moved toward Delhi, where Tardi Beg, the Mughal governor, had retired, and Hemu took control of the city, entering as King Vikramajit.
• Hemu was an extraordinary man who worked hard and rose through the ranks, becoming a Chaudhry and eventually gaining the confidence of his master, Muhammad Shah Adali.
• Hemu became a great administrator and general, winning battles and expanding territories, making him a major threat to Akbar.
• Akbar, although distressed, accepted the advice of Bairam Khan to fight Hemu.
• After Tardi Beg’s expulsion, Akbar executed him to maintain morale and authority.
• The battle took place at Panipat in November 1556, during a severe famine in Delhi and neighboring territories.
• Initially, Hemu appeared to have the advantage, but he was struck in the eye by an arrow and became unconscious, marking a turning point in the battle.
• With Hemu incapacitated, the Afghan army fled, and 1,500 war elephants and other booty were captured by Akbar and Bairam Khan.
• Hemu’s defeat was partly due to his own mistakes:
  • He failed to take offensive action immediately after Tardi Beg’s withdrawal, when his position was strong.
  • He sent most of his artillery with the vanguard, which was captured by Ali Quli, raising Mughal morale.
  • Hemu made the mistake of directing his troops on the battlefield from an elephant, making himself an easy target.
  • His elephant driver mistakenly tried to carry Hemu away from the battlefield instead of to a safe place, allowing Ali Quli to capture him.
  • Hemu did not plan for leadership in the event of his death or injury, so his forces were left leaderless when he was incapacitated.
• The Second Battle of Panipat had far-reaching consequences:
  • The Mughals achieved a decisive victory over the Afghans.
  • The Afghan pretensions to the sovereignty of India were effectively ended.
  • Delhi and Agra were occupied by the Mughal forces.