Question: Discuss the religious trends among the Muslim elite society of the Mughal Empire.
The most creative development or assimilation of ideas put forth by Akbar was that of Sul-i-Kul in 1578. It literally meant Peace with All. It was a concept elevated from the state of ‘fana’ derived from the Sufi tradition meaning to destroy or annihilate. It was elevated to a concept denoting peace and amity between heterogeneous people. In the view of I.A.Khan Akbar was supposed to have experiences a ‘melancholy’ up until Sul-i-Kul was established.
Sul-e-kul was an idea which was contested by the ulemah of the court and thus at its very beginning not embodying the peace with all it claimed to. Further, the incorporation of non –Muslim elites within the Ibadat Kana was not to strengthen either any Islamic or non-Islamic faith but create a new way of thinking which was Akbari in its character and not completely in line with any orthodox faith being discussed in the Ibadat Kana. Thus, to begin with Sul-i-kul was a break from all kinds of orthodoxy and very much the take of one man’s ideas of faith and applying it upon an empire which was diverse and complex in its multiple religious identities. Thus, institutionalized religion serving the needs of an expanding empire were one aspect in which Sul-i-kul can be seen as it worked in bringing all factions under the Akbari umbrella of security within a structures system with a Divine Monarch at its helm. However, it is not possibly to cloud the existence of a high degree of very real spirituality and religiosity in the King. Despite views of historians such as I.A.Khan which look at Akbars religious policy as not being born out of only an exposure to philosophical discourse but the development...
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...the focus of all loyalties.
Studying the relations of the Emperor with elites in the court of all factions, between institutionalized religion and freedom in religious practice and the image drawn of the Emperor in literary texts meant for a global literate elite audience and his actions within his Empire it is understood that Akbar wanted and expected a reciprocity in loyalty for the freedoms he bestowed upon his subjects. Akbar’s image as a monarch is drawn as loving towards the citizens of his Empire, despite their faith and imperial politics do affect Akbar’s ideas of religion. This essay sought to argue that imperial politics does overshadow religious identities in the Mughal hierarchy without discounting at any rate the very real connection the Emperor Akbar had to a spirituality which comprised of supreme benevolence, which was given in exchange for loyalty.
Al-Jabarti’s accounts were written with a criticism and tone that lacked very little neutrality. Clearly described is the questioning of Napoleon’s sincerity. They did not believe that a Christian could be a redeemer for Islam and distrusted him immensely. The disdain for Napoleon’s attempts to gain the trust and favor of the Is...
Akbar was considered the best of the Mughal rulers partly because of his tolerance of all religions. Akbar did his best to unify the Hindus and Muslims by giving both religions positions in the government. Traditionally, only Muslims would could be rulers zamindars while most of the population was Hindu. Akbar also married women of both religions, as an attempt to unify Hindus and Muslims. Akbar himself was interested in religions, inviting different people to discuss other religions with him. Akbar's greatest impact in trying to unite the Hindus and Muslims was creating the Divine Faith religion, but most people did not convert. When Akbar died, the following rulers did not support the same religious tolerance policy that he had. Aurangzeb tried to rid the empire of all Hindu. This caused revolts from both Hindus and Muslims, which created a period of instability allowing Europeans to come and take
Unlike most “victimized” cultures of Western European domination, the Ottoman Empire was considerably successful and powerful for many years, particularly in the sixteenth and early seventeenth century under the rule of Sulayman the Magnificent (Haberman, 132). By 1520, the Ottoman Empire had secured much of the Arab Middle East, Belgrade and most of Hungary (Haberman, 132...
The fifties was a learning year and the 60's became the time to express everything that they learned. The 60's was a time for new and innovative ways to entertain the people. Since the blacklisting continued in Hollywood, the making or films became very difficult to express. The restrictions, such as the production codes, kept the big corporations to produce films that had no interesting subjects. These films also had to be films that show no signs of communistic values. The film industry was failing to bring in the audience to the theaters. With the TV making a big wave all over, the U.S. the film industry was losing it is money. Then in 1961 something big happened, 20th Century Fox took apart its lot. This act was one that led to a chain reaction. Studios were assuming the role of distributors. This would allow the independent companies to come in and add a new flavor to the silver screen. During this time films changed it's traditional film making ideas. Things started to get graphic, more violent, sexual and more expressive. Movies had found a new look and with the production codes now gone and the blacklisting ending, there was an explosion of ideas that would be presented to the United States.
Freedom has been discussed and debated for a while now and yet no one can completely agree that it exists. Since the Civil, War America has been conditioned to be divided politically. The conflict over the meaning of freedom continues to exist from the civil war, throughout the sixties and in the present. The Civil War was fought over the question of what freedom means in America. The issue was in the open for all to see: slavery. Human slavery was the shameless face of the idea of freedom. The cultural war in the sixties was once more about the question of what freedom is and what it means to Americans. No slaves. Instead, in the sixties and seventies four main issues dominated the struggle for racial equality: opposition to discriminatory immigration controls; the fight against racist attacks; the struggle for equality in the workplace; and, most explosively, the issue of police brutality. For more than two centuries, Americans demanded successive expansions of freedom; progressive freedom. Americans wanted freedom that grants expansions of voting rights, civil rights, education, public health, scientific knowledge and protections from fear.
An examination of the Jihad’s etymological context will lend a keener insight into why the word is often associated with violence. Pre-Islamic Arabia was populated with tribes that often engaged in civil warfare because it was the tradition and norm to settle disputes violently rather than through peaceful means. Commenting on this, Asghar Engineer, a learned western Muslim wrote:
know what they was crying for. One day this is going to be a pitiful
Monserrate, S.J., Trans. Hoylands, S.J. The Commentary of Father Monserrate, S.J. On his Journey to the Court of Akbar. London: Milford, 1922.
In the early 6th century, Muhammad introduced Islam into the Arab world, and asserted that there was only one true God. Islam demanded that believers obey God’s will and laws (Islamic Law, web). By introducing Isla...
Throughout his life, the Prophet Muhammad proved to be exceptionally adept at uniting diverse groups, negotiating a series of alliances and loyalty arrangements that spanned religious, tribal, ethnic, and familial lines (Berggren 2009). Among other things, this ability enabled Muhammad to forge a shared identity and found a nascent Islamic state from a diverse and even heterogeneous community (Rahman 1982; Ernst 2003, pp. 87-93). This diversity proved to be both a source of strength and conflict for Islam, and following the death of Muhammad early Islamic communities engaged in extensive debates not only about the nature of his teachings or how to carry his legacy forward, but also about the terms that should be used to define his authority. Although this debate produced a colorful array of movements within the tapestry of early Islamic civilization, this essay offers a critical examination of two particularly distinct perspectives on the nature of prophetic authority: namely, those articulated
The Suleymaniye mosque was truly a masterpiece during the time it was built in the mid 1500s. Today, it still never fails to captivate its audience through the complexity of its design and the intellectual analysis of its significance. The mosque was actually said to be as magnificent as the Seven Wonders of the World according to two European travelers, Freynes Moryson and John Sanderson, soon after its completion (Nelipogulu 221). The mosque is definitely symbolic in the city of Istanbul, sitting a top the highest hill, in that it represents central power and strength of the Turkish Empire (see Image 1) (Yayinlari 30). As we take a closer look at the Suleymaniye we see many aspects of religion through its sensual and visual experience. We also find a great deal of complexity, from the contradictory aspects Sinan applied to the mosque, throughout a more in depth intellectual analysis.
“On the other hand, Islam was dangerous: it undermined the power of kings, according sovereignty to one supreme god who was completely alien to the Bambara universe” (41).
The Islamic tradition, as reflected in Naguib Mahfouz’s Zaabalawi, has over the course of history had an incredible impact on Arab culture. In Mahfouz’s time, Islamic practices combined with their political relevance proved a source of both great power and woe in Middle Eastern countries. As alluded to in Zaabalawi, Mahfouz asserts the fact that not all Muslims attain religious fulfillment through this common tradition, and other methods outside the scope of Islam may be necessary in true spiritual understanding.
On the Harmony of Religion and Philosophy gives us insight to the philosophical views of a certain sect of Islam, and how it influenced it 's followers to view the world around them. Although it is helpful, this is written from a very biased position and it cannot be said that the views of the author are the views of Muslim culture as a whole. There is a constant attack on another religious group throughout the article that helps us to understand what this specific sect deems right and wrong through comparison of the groups.
Streusand, Douglas E. Islamic Gunpowder Empires Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals. Boulder, Colo: Westveiw Press, 2011.