th Orient and Occident.]

Akbar's repugnance to Islam developed into a complete revulsion
against every thing connected with this narrow religion and made the
great Emperor petty-souled in this particular. The decrees were dated
from the death of Mohammed and no longer from the Hejra (the flight
from Mecca to Medina). Books written in Arabic, the language of the
Koran were given the lowest place in the imperial library. The
knowledge of Arabic was prohibited, even the sounds characteristically
belonging to this language were avoided.[36] Where formerly according
to ancient tradition had stood the word _Bismilahi_, "in the name of
God," there now appeared the old war cry _Allahu akbar_ "God is
great," which came into use the more generally--on coins, documents,
etc.--the more the courtiers came to reverse the sense of the slogan
and to apply to it the meaning, "Akbar is God."

[Footnote 36: Noer, II, 324, 325. Beards which the Koran commanded to
be worn Akbar even refused to allow in his presence. M. Elphinstone,
525; G.B. Malleson, 177.]

Before I enter into the Emperor's assumption of this flattery and his
conception of the imperial dignity as conferred by the grace of God, I
must speak of the interesting attempts of the Jesuits to win over to
Christianity the most powerful ruler of the Orient.

As early as in the spring of 1578 a Portuguese Jesuit who worked among
the Bengals as a missionary appeared at the imperial court and pleased
Akbar especially because he got the better of the Ulemas in
controversy. Two years later Akbar sent a very polite letter to the
Provincial of the Jesuit order in Goa, requesting him to send two
Fathers in order that Akbar himself might be instructed "in their
faith and its perfection." It is easy to imagine how gladly the
Provincial assented to this demand and how carefully he proceeded with
the selection of the fathers who were to be sent away with such great
expectations. As gifts to the Emperor the Jesuits brought a Bible in
four languages and pictures of Christ and the Virgin Mary, and to
their great delight when Akbar received them he laid the Bible upon
his head and kissed the two pictures as a sign of reverence.[37]

[Footnote 37: J.T. Wheeler, IV, I,162; Noer, I, 481.]

In the interesting work of the French Jesuit Du Jarric, published in
1611, we possess very detailed accounts of the operations of these
missionaries who were honorably received at Akbar's court and wh