During the early modern period in South Asia, different communities interacted and clashed. This also meant that rulers and their policies also clashed with each other. The policies of the two greatest leaders of the Mughal Empire, Akbar and Aurangzeb went back and forth. While Akbar had to ascend the throne at the age of thirteen, Aurangzeb had to fight and go against his own family members to gain the throne. Akbar began his leadership at a young age and was never able to learn to read or read. write and remained illiterate all his life. Even though his grandfather and father were well educated, Akbar had great intellectual ability which helped him rule the empire. During his first year of reign, Akbar faced the challenge of a Hindu usurper, Hemu, who almost succeeded in putting an end to Mughal rule (Kulke, Rothermund 142). Although he was Muslim, he did not impose his religion on the people, who remained Hindu throughout his reign (Kulke, Rothermund 143). During Akbar's reign, Islam was spreading throughout Southeast Asia. During this period, Akbar abolished the jizya, which was a poll tax that Islamic rulers imposed on all non-Islamic subjects. He conceived of himself as one who gave laws rather than simply followed Islamic laws (Kulke, Rothermund 143). To maintain the unity of his empire, Akbar had to adopt programs that won the loyalty of the non-Islamic population. Allowing his people to remain Hindu and trying not to convince them to Islam was a key point because it allowed him to give the people their freedom and allowed him to gain his leadership. The Mughal Empire was an agrarian state, which depended on land revenue also known as land survey. It depended directly on the accurate evaluation of......middle of paper......em against their Muslim colleagues (SarDesai, 177). Why would a ruler of his own people want to use a policy against his own people? Doesn't this inform the people that something is wrong with the ruler of the empire? Akbar emerged as the leader of the Rajputs while Aurangzeb drove the Rajputs out of the nobility. Akbar was a great conqueror who expanded his empire through diplomacy. By abolishing the jizya, it was easier for him to win the heart of India. In this regard, people hated Aurangzeb and did not give him any respect for bringing jizya and other policies. Aurangzeb's reign was marked by the destruction of temples and general intolerance towards non-Muslim people. He failed to realize that the secular basis of Akbar's political system was not simply a matter of political tact. The secular basis was to form a peaceful and progressive political system in a plural society.