tself to him in the mystical illumination of
his soul."[41] This conviction Akbar held in common with many rulers
of the Occident who were much smaller than he. Idolatrous marks of
veneration he permitted only to a very limited degree. He was not
always quite consistent in this respect however, and we must realize
how infinitely hard it was to be consistent in this matter at an
Oriental court when the customary servility, combined with sincere
admiration and reverence, longed to actively manifest itself.

[Footnote 41: Noer, II, 314, 355.]

Akbar, as we have already seen, suffered the Hindu custom of
prostration, but on the other hand we have the express testimony to
the contrary from the author Faizi, the trusted friend of the Emperor,
who on the occasion of an exaggerated homage literally says: "The
commands of His Majesty expressly forbid such devout reverence and as
often as the courtiers offer homage of this kind because of their
loyal sentiments His Majesty forbids them, for such manifestations of
worship belong to God alone,"[42] Finally however Akbar felt himself
moved to forbid prostration publicly, yet to permit it in a private
manner, as appears in the following words of Abul Fazl[43]:

[Footnote 42: In Noer, II, 409.]

[Footnote 43: In Noer, II, 347, 348.]

"But since obscurantists consider prostration to be a blasphemous
adoration of man, His Majesty in his practical wisdom has commanded
that it be put an end to with ignorant people of all stations and also
that it shall not be practiced even by his trusted servants on public
court days. Nevertheless if people upon whom the star of good fortune
has shone are in attendance at private assemblies and receive
permission to be seated, they may perform the prostration of gratitude
by bowing their foreheads to the earth and so share in the rays of
good fortune. So forbidding prostration to the people at large and
granting it to the select the Emperor fulfils the wishes of both and
gives the world an example of practical wisdom."

The desire to unite his subjects as much as possible finally impelled
Akbar to the attempt to equalize religious differences as well.
Convinced that religions did not differ from each other in their
innermost essence, he combined what in his opinion were the essential
elements and about the year 1580 founded a new religion, the famous
Din i Ilahi, the "religion of God." This religion recognizes only one
God, a purely spiritua