Akbar vs Shahjahan

Akbar and Shahjahan were both Mughal emperors who are known for their skills in different fields. Akbar was otherwise called ‘Akbar the Great’ and he was the third Mughal emperor. On the other hand Shahjahan was the fifth Mughal emperor.

Akbar is the son of Humayun whereas Shahjahan is the son of Jahangir. Akbar ruled India between 1556 A.D. and 1605 A.D and ascended the throne in Delhi. He ruled the country for almost 50 years. His coronation was celebrated on 14 February 1556. On the other hand the coronation of Shahjahan was celebrated on 25 January 1628 A.D in Delhi.

It is interesting to note that Akbar’s reign had a tremendous impact on art and culture in India. The emperor showed a lot of interest in the art of painting and he appointed painters to paint murals on the walls of his palace. Akbar supported the European school of painting too along with Mughal painting.

On the other hand the period of Shahjahan was hailed as the golden age of Mughal architecture. He built many monuments in and around Delhi, the most important being the Taj Mahal, built as a tomb for his wife Mumtaj. He had constructed several other building too such as the Red Fort, the Pearl Mosque and the Jama Masjid.

One of the most important achievements of Akbar is that he cemented his rule by developing diplomacy with Rajputs and by marrying Rajput princesses. On the other hand Shahjahan captured Rajput kingdoms. The empire experienced lot of peace during the reign of Akbar whereas the empire experienced troubles and challenges during the reign of Shahjahan. There were the Islamic rebellion and the Portuguese attack during his reign.

It is interesting to note that during the reign of Shahjahan the empire became a huge abode of military forces and the army became four fold of what it was during the reign of Akbar. There were not many disturbances and attacks or rebellions during the reign of Akbar.

Akbar was a great lover of literature and he ordered the translation of several Sanskrit works into Persian and several Persian works into Sanskrit during his period. On the other hand under Shahjahan’s reign the artistic and architectural exuberance in the country reached pinnacles of glory.

Akbar had three sons, namely Jahangir, Murad and Danyal. Shahjahan had four sons namely, Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Aurangazeb and Murad Baksh.

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