Ancient Indian Education: An Inquiry into its Origin, Development, and Ideals c7.38

c7.38

Akbar, who in his later years was very tolerant in religious matters, made arrangements for Hindu youths to be educated at the *madrasahs* as well as Muhammadans. His great finance minister was a Hindu named Todar Mal. Todar Mal ordered all official accounts to be kept in Persian, and this regulation, by compelling many Hindus to study that language, helped the growth and development of Urdu also, and its acceptance as the *lingua franca* of a great part of India.²