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| 1568 |
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| Chitor was taken by Akbar and about 30,000 Rajputs massacred. | 1 |
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| 1571 |
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| A new Mughal capital city at Fatehpur Sikri, near Agra, was founded and magnificently built but abandoned on Akbar's death. Architecture became a key strategy in affirming the connection between Mughal rulers and the country; Akbar and his regional governors mounted an aggressive building campaign across expanded territories. | 2 |
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| 1572–73 |
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| Conquest of Gujarat gave Akbar access to the sea, new ideas, and revenues. To defend his conquest he rode 450 miles in 11 days with 3,000 horsemen. | 3 |
| Reorganization of administration was begun by (1) resumption to the crown of all lands, hitherto held by officials as temporary assignments but now to be administered and revenues collected directly; (2) establishment of the Mansabdari system, a unified state service of officers arranged in a hierarchy of military (cavalry) rank but performing civil (mainly financial) as well as military functions if required; (3) substitution of a single tax of one-third produce of the land for the traditional levy of one-sixth plus numerous cesses that were now declared abolished; (4) the branding of all horses maintained for government service, to prevent usual fraud. | 4 |
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| 1576 |
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| Bengal was definitely conquered from the Afghans. | 5 |
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| 1577 |
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| Khandesh was induced to submit as first step toward reconquest of the Deccan, actually accomplished only by Aurangzib (1659–1707). | 6 |
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| 1578 |
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| Public debates on religion held at the Mughal court and presided over by Akbar, and instituted for Muslims only in 1575, were thrown open to Hindus, Jains, Zoroastrians, Sabaeans, and Christians. Akbar showed new respect for animal life (Jain ahimsa) and Zoroastrian reverence for the sun, and invited to court from Goa the Portuguese Jesuits Antonio Monserrate and Rodolfo Acquaviva (1579; arr. 1580). These, like later missions (1590, 1595), failed despite a friendly reception. | 7 |
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| 1582 |
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| In spite of revolt that followed a claim to infallibility under Muslim law (1579), the emperor decreed a new Divine Faith much influenced by Sufi practice. The limited support he won for it collapsed at his death. Cultural patronage—including support for translation and illustration of Hindu epics—formed a central strategy in the development of a unique Indo-Persian cultural system. | 8 |
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| 1589–91 |
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| Jamal Khan, minister of Ahmadnagar, an adherent of the Mahdavi heresy that anticipated the advent of the Mahdi (world savior) in A.H. 1000, persecuted both Sunnis and Shi'ites. | 9 |
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| 1601–4 |
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| Prince Salim, later Jahangir, rebelled but was restored to favor. | 10 |
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| 1603 |
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| John Mildenhall, representative of the English East India Company (London Company, founded Dec. 31, 1600), arrived at Agra but secured no concession until 1608. | 11 |
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| 1605–27 |
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| JAHANGIR maintained his father's empire in northern India but allowed much political power to pass to his wife, Nur Jahan (1611). His personal interest in painting, however, led to expansion of Mughal cultural patronage, an important aspect in continuing political legitimacy. | 12 |
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| 1609–11 |
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| William Hawkins failed to secure a treaty for James I, as did Sir Thomas Roe (1615–19), but the English won trading rights at Surat after defeating a Portuguese fleet (1612). | 13 |
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