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Ilahi

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Ikriti, Shemarja ben-Ellah

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(the divine) of Akbar was a system of philosophic deism introduced by Akbar, the emperor of Delhi, in the latter half of the 16th century. He proposed to found a new creed on the basis of universal toleration, combining in one religious body the Hindus, Mohammedans, and Christians, along with the followers of Zoroaster. His object in establishing a new creed was both political and religious; he was the only one of the Delhi emperors who regarded India as his country, and who sought to efface from the memory of the Hindus the fact that they were a conquered people. Ilahi, or the divine system, was essentially eclectic in character. The fundamental point on which Akbar insisted was the great doctrine of the Divine Unity, which he declared was but obscurely revealed in the prophets. But while he thus adopted a Mohammedan basis for his creed, he took care at the same time to declare his entire disbelief of the divinity of the Koran. From the time of his rejection of the Koran, the emperor professed himself to be an impartial inquirer after truth, and accordingly he conversed openly with the teachers of every religion. He finally decided upon a system, which was the revival of Zoroastrianism in a modified form. Having acquired sufficient influence over the theologians, doctors of the law, and learned men, to secure their public recognition of him as the sole protector of the faith, Akbar propounded his creed, which was accepted by several Hinduis and Mohammedans. Encouraged by his success, he now ordered the abolition of the old confession of Islam, "There is no God but God, and Mohammed is his prophet," and the substitution of another, "There is no God but God, and Akbar is the vicar of God." He next abrogated the five daily prayers, the ablutions, fasts, alms, and pilgrimages enjoined upon the faithful. He abolished the religious services observed on Fridays, and dismissed the muezzins. He ordered that that should be considered as clean which was declared by the Koran. to be unclean. He permitted the sale of wine, and the practice of games of chance. He forbade the marriage of more than one wife, and enjoined the postponement of the circumcision of boys until twelve years of age, and even then the ceremony was to be entirely optional. He finally ordered the sera of his own accession to the throne to be used instead of the Hegira. At first he received considerable support from various sections, but his system became more and more unpopular, and, on the accession of his son Jehanghir, the empire returned to Islamism.