Akbar (1542-1605) was considered to be the real founder of the Mogul Empire. At the age of 14 and with no formal education, he succeeded Humayun to the throne and went on to carve a massive kingdom in northern India It was Akbar who put in place the empire's infrastructure, including taxation and communication systems. Despite his intellectual and military prowess, Akbar never fully learned to read or write.
Akbar, a muslim, was well-loved by his subjects, Hindus included. In addition to religious harmony, he encouraged racial tolerance. He appointed Hindus to his court and abolished laws which discriminated against them. An ill-fated venture was his attempt to introduce a religion, which he called the Din Ilahi, which blurred the boundaries between Hindu and Muslim.
