AKBAR, EMPEROR OF INDIA. 21
terms with the vanquished. It testifies to his nobility of
character as well as to his political wisdom that after this
complete success he not only did not celebrate a triumph,
but on the contrary proclaimed the renown of the van-
quished throughout all India by erecting before the gate
of the imperial palace at Delhi two immense stone ele-
phants with the statues of Jaymal, the "Lion of Chitor,"
and of the noble youth Pata who had performed the most
heroic deeds in the defense of Chitor. By thus honoring
his conquered foes in such a magnanimous manner Akbar
found the right way to the heart of the Rajputs. By con-
stant bestpwal of favors he gradually succeeded in so rec-
onciling the noble Rajputs to the loss of their independence
that they were finally glad and proud to devote themselves
to his service, and, under the leadership of their own
princes, proved themselves to be the best and truest soldiers
of the imperial army, even far from their home in the far-
thest limits of the realm.
The great masses of the Hindu people Akbar won over
by lowering the taxes as we have previously related, and by
all the other successful expedients for the prosperity of the
country, but especially by the concession of perfect liberty :
of faith and worship and by the benevolent interest with
which he regarded the religious practices of the Hindus.
A people in whom religion is the ruling motive of life, after,
enduring all the dreadful sufferings of previous centuries
for its religion's sake, must have been brought to a state
of boundless reverence by Akbar's attitude. And since the
Hindus were accustomed to look upon the great heroes and
benefactors of humanity as incarnations of deity we shall
not be surprised to read from an author of that time17
that every morning before sunrise great numbers of Hin-
* dus crowded together in front of the palace to await the
appearance of Akbar and to prostrate themselves as soon
17 Badaoni in Noer, II, 320.