Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s5.4

c7.s5.4

It would not be without some interest to examine in this connection some observations of the Mughal Emperor Babur which have become famous and quite popular with some uncritical historians. We have noticed in our introduction the great damage done to the perspective of Indian social history by the undue emphasis which Abu’l Fazl puts on the achievements of his patron and ruler, the great Mughal Emperor Akbar. This popular misconception gains additional force and strength by the observations of the founder of the Mughal dynasty whose intellectual honesty, and acute powers of observation, talent, and cultivated tastes are beyond dispute. He combined in himself the virile qualities of the two sturdy races of Asia, the Mongol and the Turk. To these he added the urbanity of the Persian. We are indebted to him for giving Hindustan a dynasty of successive magnificent rulers and builders of empire whose work lasts to this day. The Taj at Agra, the Jami‘ Mosque and Fort at Delhi, are as much symbolical of the glory of the Mughals as the poetry of Khan-i-Khanan, the stories of Birbal, the talent of Abu’l Fazl or the administrative genius of Todar Mal, all of which have enriched the culture of Hindustan. In fact, the legend of Akbar, the Mughal Emperor, in the popular mind occupies the same position as the mythical heroes and the *rishis* and *munis* of the ancient. Far from denying the Mughal contribution, therefore, we would give it an honoured place in evaluating the stock of Indian culture.