Revisiting the History and Historiography of Mughal Pluralism

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.13169/reorient.5.2.0137
• Pages: 137-182
• Published date: 01 April 2020
• Date: 01 April 2020
• Author: Rajeev Kinra
• Subject Matter: pluralism,Mughal history,ṣulḥ-i kull,Abu al-Fazl,tolerance

ReOrient 5.2 Produced and distributed by Pluto Journals



REVISITING THE HISTORY AND

HISTORIOGRAPHY OF MUGHAL PLURALISM

Rajeev Kinra

Abstract: The concept of ṣulḥ-i kull is well known as a core feature of the Mughal Empire’s

state ideology, one that made it, comparatively speaking, arguably the most tolerant and

inclusive state in the entire early modern world. Often translated as “peace with all,” the

term has become almost synonymous in South Asian historiography with the policies

of religious pluralism promoted by the dynasty’s most celebrated emperor, Jalal al-Din

Muhammad Akbar “the Great” (r. 1556–1605) and his famed courtier and biographer,

Abu al-Fazl ibn Mubarak (1551–1602). Surprisingly enough, however, despite its ubiquity

in discussions of Mughal attitudes toward religious and cultural pluralism, a comprehen-

sive intellectual history of the term ṣulḥ-i kull does not, in fact, appear to have ever been

attempted. It is often taken for granted that ṣulḥ-i kull was the obvious term to express

the ethos of civility, universal reason, and inclusiveness that Akbar wanted to promote.

But why did Akbar and Abu al-Fazl choose this term, specifically? What exactly did they

mean by it? And how was the term actually understood in practice, not just in Akbar’s era

but also in the subsequent decades and indeed centuries? These are the kinds of ques-

tions this article seeks to address.

Keywords: pluralism, Mughal history, ṣulḥ-i kull, Abu al-Fazl, tolerance

. . . 





 . . .

. . . but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation,

he is rewarded by God . . .

(Qur’an 42:40)

ṣulḥ-i kull

state ideology, one that made it, comparatively speaking, arguably the most toler







   

         

138 REORIENT

www.plutojournals.com/reorient





tory of the term ṣulḥ-i kull does not, in fact, appear to have ever been attempted.

1



            

ṣulḥ-i kull

seem to take it for granted that ṣulḥ-i kull   

     

    





2

ṣulḥ-i kull









of thinking is problematic for all sorts of reasons, as a good deal of recent scholar

          

        

assume that the notion of ṣulḥ-i kull 

raisons d’état.

   

order for the empire to succeed, and thus, by implication, his pluralistic tendencies



but rather merely out of pragmatic necessity, as a means to a practical end.

  

 



and the category “Muslim” is itself treated as entirely homogenous, monolithic,



enough from the section title mentioned above, the authors begin the section itself



India’s religious diversity and its Hindu majority bothered strict Muslims in the

ruling elite. Muslim scriptures had thunderously denounced idolatry and

paganism since the birth of Islam in Mecca. Most Middle Eastern Muslims could

not help but feel that Hinduism was even more objectionable, because it had

more idols and more myths.

REVISITING THE HISTORY AND HISTORIOGRAPHY OF MUGHAL PLURALISM 139

ReOrient 5.2 Produced and distributed by Pluto Journals

Only by taming their supposedly instinctive (nay, thunderous!) “Muslim” hostil



the birth of Islam in Mecca”) could the Mughals thrive, or even survive in India,





version or death.”

        



no space for the possibility of debates within    

related to religious pluralism, tolerance, and accommodation, or that Muslim

   

         

      

fact that Islam had been an established religion in the subcontinent for roughly



        

     

    

  non    





          

any time) should normally have been    

  

 

accept” the Other or face obliteration.

        

accommodation came from within Islam



notion that the Mughal rulers might have had genuine philosophical commitments

that led them to embrace an enlightened policy of religious pluralism based on a

belief in reason, dialogue, and civility rather than be reluctantly forced to accept

it for pragmatic raisons d’état  



of ṣulḥ-i kull  because they thought that that’s

what a good and rational Muslim ruler should do. Rather, they are portrayed as

having accepted such policies in spite of    



           

            