dignities because he was convinced that they had been drawn into the
crime by the violent Adham Chân. In other ways too Akbar showed
himself to be ready to grant pardon to an almost incomprehensible
extent. Again and again when an insubordinate viceroy in the provinces
would surrender after an unsuccessful uprising Akbar would let him off
without any penalty, thus giving him the opportunity of revolting
again after a short time.

It was an eventful time in which Akbar arrived at manhood in the midst
of all sorts of personal dangers.

[Illustration: MAUSOLEUM OF AKBAR'S FATHER, HUMÂYUN.]

I will pass over with but few comments his military expeditions which
can have no interest for the general public. When Akbar ascended the
throne his realm comprised only a very small portion of the
possessions which had been subject to his predecessors. With the
energy which was a fundamental characteristic of his nature he once
more took possession of the provinces which had been torn from the
empire, at the same time undertaking the conquest of new lands, and
accomplished this task with such good fortune that in the fortieth
year of his reign the empire of India covered more territory than ever
before; that is to say, not only the whole of Hindustan including the
peninsula Gujerat, the lands of the Indus and Kashmir but also
Afghanistan and a larger part of the Dekkhan than had ever been
subject to any former Padishah of Delhi. At this time while the
Emperor had his residence at Lahore the phrase was current in India,
"As lucky as Akbar."[8]

[Footnote 8: J.T. Wheeler, IV, I, 180.]