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- Ekber Shah is one of
the biggest and strongest rulers of Turk-Mongol Empire established in India. Ekber Shah
was born in 1542. He is the grandson of Babur Shah, who founded this Empire in India. His
father’s name is Humayun Shah. He lost his father when he was 14. The state was governed
by another Turk, Bayram Khan, who was his vizier for a long time.
Ekber Shah, who ascended the throne when he was
fourteen, reigned for 49 years. He forcedly retired his atabey, Bayram Khan, who was his
first assistant and in charge of state governance until he was twenty and sent him to
pilgrimage to Mecca, and became the only ruler of the state. He was very intelligent and
skillful. He put down the rebellions in the country. He expanded the borders of the
Empire.
- He established a strong
organization. He prevented rebellions and separatist movements. He seized Bengal in 1578,
Kabil in 1581, Kashmir in 1587, Sind in 1592 and Kandehar in 1594, thus having nearly
completed conquest of whole India and Afghanistan. He improved his country. He established
a sound state organization. He strengthened and reinforced the state by passing laws in
relation with administration and finance. Ekber Shah was both a great statesman and a big
thinker. He lifted the tradition of burning widows of Buddhists. He tried to put an end to
sect struggles in India. He planned to unite all people there around an imam and a
religion. He called his idea “Tevhid-i Ýlahi (Divine Unity)”.
Being inspired by this idea, he enabled Indians’ being citizens and participation in the
state as soldiers and civil servants. His providing equal status to Muslims and Indians
reduced the tension within the country. He adopted and made people adopt the understanding
of “state exists for people, not people for the state”. Turks were a minority in India
with great population and they were mostly soldiers and servants. Since he realized
equality in many fields, domination of minority over the majority stopped being a problem.
Ekber Shah got sick in 1603 and became unable to
speak. He called his son Cihangir himself and made him wear his sword and ruler’s turban
with his own hands. Ekber Shah died in 1605. He had started a tomb construction for
himself in Sýkanda before his death. This tomb resembling a pyramid was completed by his
son Cihangir, and he was buried there.He established a strong state in India within a
period of nearly fifty years. He created a social order in his country, tried to get
people closer and he protected culture and art.
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