Although Akbar was illiterate, he had a fine literary taste. He took interest in
philosophy, theology, history, and politics. He maintained a library full of
books on various subjects, and was fond of the society of scholars, poets and
philosophers, who read books to him aloud, and thus enabled him to be conversant
with Sufi, Christian, Zoroastrian, Hindu and Jain literature. He used to invite
scholars from different religions for discussions with him.
In his book, "Akbar, The Great Mogul" Vincent Smith wrote that "anybody who heard him arguing with acuteness and lucidity on a subject of debate would have credited him with wide literary knowledge and profound erudition and never would have suspected him of illiteracy". He was a patron to many literary figures, including the brothers Feizi and Abul-Fazel. The former was commissioned by Akbar to translate a number of Sanskrit scientific works into Persian; and the latter produced the Akbarnama, an enduring record of the emperor's reign. It is also said that Akbar employed Jerome Xavier (nephew of Francis Xavier) , a Jesuit missionary, to translate the four Gospels of the New Testament into Persian. He commissioned the Tarikh-i-Alfi, or "The History of a Thousand Years" to celebrate the year 1000 (1591-92CE) on the Muslim calendar, though only about thirty of the original hundreds of paintings and pages of the manuscript now remain.
Akbar also possessed a fair taste of art, architecture and mechanical works. Many pieces, including the magnificent Hamzanama, were produced under Akbar. Akbar is also credited with many inventions and improvements in the manufacture of matchlocks. He built a vast administrative machinery on a detailed plan. He looked, as we know from the Ain-i-Akbari, "upon the smallest details as mirrors capable of reflecting a comprehensive outline.
In his book, "Akbar, The Great Mogul" Vincent Smith wrote that "anybody who heard him arguing with acuteness and lucidity on a subject of debate would have credited him with wide literary knowledge and profound erudition and never would have suspected him of illiteracy". He was a patron to many literary figures, including the brothers Feizi and Abul-Fazel. The former was commissioned by Akbar to translate a number of Sanskrit scientific works into Persian; and the latter produced the Akbarnama, an enduring record of the emperor's reign. It is also said that Akbar employed Jerome Xavier (nephew of Francis Xavier) , a Jesuit missionary, to translate the four Gospels of the New Testament into Persian. He commissioned the Tarikh-i-Alfi, or "The History of a Thousand Years" to celebrate the year 1000 (1591-92CE) on the Muslim calendar, though only about thirty of the original hundreds of paintings and pages of the manuscript now remain.
Akbar also possessed a fair taste of art, architecture and mechanical works. Many pieces, including the magnificent Hamzanama, were produced under Akbar. Akbar is also credited with many inventions and improvements in the manufacture of matchlocks. He built a vast administrative machinery on a detailed plan. He looked, as we know from the Ain-i-Akbari, "upon the smallest details as mirrors capable of reflecting a comprehensive outline.
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