rd of his life, three years, be it borne in mind, before he
had come under the influence of either of the two illustrious
brothers, Faizi and Abulfazl, he, prompted by his own sense of the
eternal fitness of things, issued an edict abolishing the jizya.
Thenceforth all were equal in matters of faith before the one
Eternal.

The dealings of Akbar with the Hindus were not confined to the
abolition of taxes which pressed hardly {176} on their religious
opinions. He endeavoured, with as little show of authority as was
possible, to remove restrictions which interfered with the well-being
and happiness of the people. What he did regarding Sati I have
already related. The kindred question of the re-marriage of a widow
met with the greatest encouragement from him. He even went further,
and issued an edict rendering such re-marriage lawful. In the same
spirit he forbade marriages before the age of puberty, a custom
deeply rooted amongst the Hindus, and carried on even at the present
day, though theoretically condemned by the wisest among them. He
prohibited likewise the slaughter of animals for sacrifice, and
trials by ordeal. Nor was he less stringent with those of the faith
in which he was born. His method with them took the form rather of
example, of persuasion, of remonstrance, than a direct order.

He discouraged the excessive practice of prayers, of fasts, of alms,
of pilgrimages, but he did not forbid them. These were matters for
individual taste, but Akbar knew well that in the majority of
instances open professions were merely cloaks for hypocrisy; that
there were many ways in which a man's life could be utilised other
than by putting on an austere appearance, and making long prayers.
The rite of circumcision could not, indeed, be forbidden to the
Muhammadans, but Akbar directed that the ceremony should not be
performed until the lad had attained the age of twelve. To humour the
{177} prejudices of the Hindus, he discouraged the slaughter of kine.
On the other hand, he pronounced the killing and partaking of the
flesh of swine to be lawful. Dogs had been looked upon by Muhammadans
as unclean animals, and the strict Muhammadan of the present day
still regards them as such. Akbar declared them to be clean. Wine is
prohibited to the Muslim. Akbar encouraged a moderate use of it.

In the later years of his reign (1592) he introduced, to the great
annoyance of the bigoted party at his court, the practice of shaving
the b