Akbar the Great

Considered to be the greatest of India’s Mughal emperors, Akbar (Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar) acted as both a prophet and a conqueror during his forty-five-year rule. He was the son of Humayun, and grandson of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire. Akbar began his rule as a child, rising to power under the guidance of a regent who expanded the realm significantly until the boy ruler dismissed him in 1560, when Akbar turned eighteen. Energetic and confident, Akbar continued the policies of imperial expansion, enlarging the Mughal Empire to include Afghanistan, Baluchistan, and almost the entire Indian peninsula north of the Godavari River. Yet, even as he defeated numerous chieftains and warlords, Akbar made sure to sow the seeds of future peace, offering conciliatory opportunities to those he brought under the rule of the Mughal Empire. Upon conquering the fierce Hindu Rajputs, Akbar reached out to them, placing many of their chiefs in positions of influence within his own administration; he even went so far as to twice marry a Rajput princess. Akbar’s overall goal was to create a utopian society with him as its ruler and divine counselor. He established a uniform system of government that unified the scattered and diverse regions and kingdoms of his domain. His courts at Delhi and Agra became centers of education and cultural achievement. And in perhaps the most unusual and ambitious of his policies, Akbar, having grown disillusioned with traditional Islam, promoted a religious tolerance movement that focused on open spiritual debate. He even created a new faith combining aspects of Islam, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and Christianity. He called this all-encompassing spirituality “The Faith of the Divine.” Akbar is remembered as a visionary ruler for good reason. His strength as a military commander was tempered with a strong sense of respect towards all subjects that he absorbed into his growing empire. While eccentric, his ideas were startlingly ahead of their time. In Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, Akbar the Great is the judicious and forward-thinking ruler that he was in life. He will take longer than some leaders to amass his troops and attack, trading speed for preparation. Akbar mainly fields cavalry armies and jumps at the opportunity to establish Trading Posts on Trade Routes as early as possible.

From the game's History encyclopedia, AoE3: DE 100.19.18309.