Ibadat Khana — Akbar's House of Worship

Ibadat Khana (literally meaning 'House of Worship') was a building constructed by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1575 CE at Fatehpur Sikri — his new capital city near Agra. It was a unique experiment in religious dialogue that has few parallels in medieval world history.

Question (Click to Flip)

What is Sulh-i-Kul?

Answer

Sulh-i-Kul means 'Universal Peace' or 'Peace with all'. It was Akbar's governing principle of treating all religions equally and maintaining absolute peace between different religious communities in his empire.

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Key Facts

Din-i-Ilahi was not a religion meant for the masses — it was an exclusive spiritual order with a very small following, primarily among Akbar's close nobles. After Akbar's death, it disappeared. Birbal was the only Hindu noble to accept Din-i-Ilahi.

Purpose and Significance

Akbar built the Ibadat Khana to facilitate religious discussions and debates among scholars of different faiths. Initially (1575-1578), only Muslim scholars from different sects (Sunni, Shia, Sufi) were invited.

However, from 1578 onwards, Akbar expanded the invitation to include:

Hindu scholars and priests
Jain monks
Zoroastrian (Parsi) priests
Christian Jesuit missionaries from Goa

This was a truly extraordinary act of religious openness for the 16th century.

Outcome — Din-i-Ilahi

The debates at Ibadat Khana deeply influenced Akbar's thinking. He became increasingly critical of orthodox Islamic clergy (the Ulema) who showed narrow-mindedness. This led Akbar to:

Issue the Infallibility Decree (Mazhar, 1579) — declaring himself the supreme arbiter in religious matters, above the Ulema
Ultimately formulate Din-i-Ilahi (1582) — a syncretic spiritual path that drew from Islam, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, and Jainism. It emphasized Akbar's concept of Sulh-i-Kul (Universal Peace/Tolerance).

Questions and Answers

What is Sulh-i-Kul?+

**Sulh-i-Kul** means 'Universal Peace' or 'Peace with all'. It was Akbar's governing principle of treating all religions equally and maintaining absolute peace between different religious communities in his empire.

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