86 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [March, 



wearing of silk apparel at the time of prayer was permitted. The 

 prayers of the Islam, the fast of the Ramazan, and the pilgrimage to 

 Makka were interdicted. A new era, called the Divine Era, was 

 established, which commenced from Akbar's accession. The months 

 of the year were made Solar, and the old Parsi names of the months 

 were revived. All feasts of the Parsi calendar were introduced. The 

 study of Arabic was ordered to be discontinued, and the reading of 

 the Qoran and Muhammadan law was prohibited. Philosophy, 

 History, Arithmetic and Geometry, Literature and Astronomy were to 

 form the subjects of education. The life of the prophet was openly 

 criticized, and the courtiers vied with each other in relating damaging 

 stories about him, which Akbar received as so many presents made 

 to him. Thus they said, the prophet had openly lived as a highway 

 robber, and plundered the caravans of the tribe of Quraish, to which 

 he belonged ; he had married fourteen wives, mostly widows, and 

 allowed the faithful only four ; he had claimed the right of possessing 

 any married woman, whom he liked. The Shi'ahs at the same time 

 reviled the first three caliphs, which they look upon as meritorious. 



The frequent repetition of the formula, ' Allahu Akbar' was intro- 

 duced as a religious exercise. This formula had been used as far 

 back as 1575, on coins, in the commencement of grants, farmans, 

 and as a heading in books, letters, &c. It recommended itself to 

 Akbar for its ambiguity ; for it may mean, ' God is great,' or ' Akbar 

 is God.' Faizi, the court poet, openly acknowledged Akbar to be 

 God. Some of his poems are very clear on this point. Thus he says 

 in a ruba'i : — 



" If you wish to know the right path, as I now know it, 

 Remember that, without the Shah, you cannot know it. 

 Mere prostration is of little use, 

 Know Akbar, and you will know God." 



Mulla Sheri also, whose poems contain satirical remarks on the 

 New Creed, alludes to a possible apotheosis. He says in a qac;idah : — 



" This year the Shah has been raised to the dignity of a prophet, 

 Next year, if God's will be done, he will be made a god." 



In the same year the courtiers urged Akbar to use the sword, in 

 order to propagate his new faith, and referred to the success of the 

 ^afawi kings of Persia, who had tinnly established the Shi'itic form of 



