૧૩૪ અકબર ચરિત્ર. are told in a sense,hostages to keep their fathers, Akbar's principal feudatories, in order. His favourite queen was the Jodhpore Bai, Jehangir's mother. As a proof of his earnest desire to make the two people one, we that Akbar encouraged marriage between Hindu bride- groom and Mussulman bride, and that he was himself not averse to such a union between one of his own daughters or cousins and a Hindu favourite. Bitter were the results of his own polygamoux alliances. In affairs of Faith as well as State, Akbar Was au eclectic. I believe his influence remains in these parts- Hindus and Mussulmans seein to live in greater amity than elsewhere. You will, of course, confront me with the "Cow question now agitating Agra. We'l, from what local inquiries I have been able to make, it is the work of a few bigots and malcontents. If the Mohlas and the Brahmins were tied back to back and thrown into the sea, the cow question would be settled out of hand. 59 It is said that the new faith established by Akbar, on the basis of primitive Zoroastrianism--the worship of the Invisible in presence of the symbolic elements, especially the Sun, disappeared with the fall of the Mogul Empire. I doubt this. ALLA BO-AKBAR JILLI-JALALI-IU! A grand idea never dies. There must be numerous follow- ers of the faith in India, and I should fancy, in Persis, though in Arabia it could have no chance. Ram Mohan and Keshub Chunder seem to have taken up Akbar's plan. Of the five or six tombs at Sekandra Akbar's is the simplest, I mean, the one covering his bones, There is a duplicate on the top floor richly ornamented, with the re- ceptacle for the Koh Noor gaping aside, and with the 99 names of God inscribed on it. The explanation is that this false tomb is to prevent another being made there,
