story of Islam.'
He gives a copy of it at p. 186 of the same remarkable book.]

'The document,' writes Abulfazl in the Akbarnamah, 'brought about
excellent results: (1) the Court became a gathering-place of the
sages and learned of all creeds; the good doctrines of all religious
systems were recognised, and their defects were not allowed to
obscure their good features; (2) perfect toleration, or peace with
all, was established; and (3) the perverse and evil-minded were
covered with shame on seeing the disinterested motives of his
Majesty, and thus stood in the pillory of disgrace.' It has to be
admitted that two of the Muhammadan sectaries who had been the
leaders of the party which inclined to persecution, signed the
document most unwillingly, but sign they did. Abulfazl's father, on
the other hand, who had exhausted all the intricacies of the creed of
Islam, and the dogmas of its several sects, signed it willingly,
adding to his signature that he had for years been anxiously looking
forward to the realisation of the progressive movement.

The signature of this document was a turning-point in the life and
reign of Akbar. For the first time he was free. He could give
currency and force to his ideas of toleration and of respect for
conscience. He could now bring the Hindu, the Parsi, the Christian,
into his councils. He could attempt to put into execution the design
he had long meditated of making the interests of the indigenous
princes the {159} interests of the central authority at Agra. The
document is, in fact, the Magna Charta of his reign.

The reader will, I am sure, pardon me if I have dwelt at some length
on the manner in which it was obtained, for it is the keystone to the
subsequent legislation and action of the monarch, by it placed above
the narrow restrictions of Islam. It made the fortune of Abulfazl. It
gained for him, that is to say, the lasting friendship of Akbar. On
the other hand it drew upon him the concentrated hatred of the
bigots, and ultimately, in the manner related in the last chapter,
caused his assassination.

One of the first uses made by Akbar of the power thus obtained was to
clear the magisterial and judicial bench. His chief-justice, a
bigoted Sunni, who had used his power to persecute Shiahs and all
so-called heretics, including Faizi the brother of Abulfazl, was
exiled, with all outward honour, to Mekka. Another high functionary,
equally bigoted, received a similar mission, and t