Akbar Misrepresented as Tyrant in Books, Warns Justice Rohinton Nariman

Justice Nariman’s Stance on Akbar and Historical Misrepresentation

The author of the present paper, Justice Rohinton Nariman, has recently pointed out a very important problem related to the distortion of historical figures in books. His comments were on the image of Mughal Emperor Akbar who he considers has been negatively portrayed as a tyrant. The misrepresentation, as Justice Nariman claims, is a serious issue that perverts our perception of history and does not help to recognize the nuances of historical characters and their periods. He claims that this kind of depiction tends to dismiss the good things and the progressive agenda of a ruler, and concentrates on a one sided and bias story.

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The True Legacy of Emperor Akbar

The remarks made by Justice Nariman reveal the aspects of the reign of Emperor Akbar that people usually overlook. Akbar is generally considered as one of the greatest rulers in the Indian history with his administrative skills, military brilliance and above all his religious tolerance policy. He not only coined the idea of Din-i Ilahi, a syncretic religion that aimed at uniting the finest aspects of different religions, but also did away with the tax of jiza on non-Muslims, which was a major move towards religious tolerance. His court was a blend of scholars, artists as well as intellectuals of various classes and this gave rise to a time of cultural and intellectual renaissance.

The Role of Historians and Writers

The question that was posed by Justice Nariman highlights how critical a role historians and writers have to play in the formation of a social perception. He postulates that political interests or lack of sufficient research has affected or influenced some historical accounts resulting on a mono-dimensional portrayal of historical people. A fair historical view ought to be characterized by both admiration of good and bad, strengths and weaknesses of a ruler. Reducing complicated historical accounts into a black and white construct, these books have done a disservice to the historical character as well as the readers, who walk away with a partial and mostly false interpretation of the past.

Akbar’s Contribution to Indian Society

The reign of Akbar was not simply the reign of military conquest, but of far-reaching social and administrative reform. He created a very effective central government and a sound tax system. His approach of inclusiveness was also adopted in his administration whereby he even employed individuals with different religious orientations to high positions. This strategy contributed towards the development of a feeling of cohesion and allegiance among his subjects. His support of arts, literature and architecture resulted in the development of wonderful works, one of them is the Fatehpur Sikri which is one of the best examples of works done by architects of his time.

Reclaiming a Balanced Historical Narrative

The admonition of Justice Nariman is a strong rebuke of having to reclaim a balanced and nuanced historical narrative. It requires a critical look at the sources and dismissing the narratives which are grounded not on the facts but prejudice. We need to go beyond ready labels and see the depths of the past, to have a true understanding of history. When we reconsider our historical figures as a result of being more receptive to them, we will be able to better understand the forces that have formed our present. The future generations need to learn a truthful and holistic history and not a distorted history to serve a purpose.