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reasons, and the consequences, which were hard, both physically and monitarily, had to be suffered by the people."
Even to-day the rule in most of the native Indian States is of this type. Akbar became popular because he had abolished such taxes and also because he had forbidden killing of bullocks, buffalos, horses, camels, etc. He had practically prohibited the custom of forcing a lady to become a Sati against her will.
Akbar was very generous also. He used to praise openly the virtues of his enemies also. Once when he invaded Chittod, two ministers of the Rana, named Jaymal and Pata, showed extraordinary bravery on the battle-field. Once Akbar felt that Jaymal and Pata were such fighters that they would not allow him to win. But both of them were killed in this battle. Akbar was so much impressed with their heroism that after his return to Agra he created statues of both of them in the fort at Agra. Kavi Rishabhadas, who wrote “Hirvijayasuriras" 24 years after Akbar's death, writes (P. 80 ) :
જયમલ પતાના ગુણ મન ધરે, બે હાથી પથરના કરે. જયમલ પતા બેસાર્યા ત્યાંહિ, ઐસા ઘર નહિ જગ માંહિ.
Akbar had placed these two statues on both the sides of the main gate of Agra fort; but later on Shah Jahan, after building the Delhi fort, put them at its main gate. Francis Bernier, who lived in India from 1655 to 1667, writes :
" The entrance of the fortress presents nothing remarkable except two large elephants of stone, placed at either side of one of the principal gates. On one of the elephants is seated the statue of Jemel, the renowned Raja of Chitor; on the other is the statue of Polta, his brother. These are the brave heroes who, with their still braver mother, immortalised their names by the extraordinary resistance with which they opposed the celebrated Ekbar; who defended the towns besieged by that great Emperor with unshaken resolution; and who, at length reduced to extremity, devoted themselves to their country, and chose rather to perish with their mother in sallies against the enemy than submit to an insolent invader. It is owing to this extraordinary devotion on their part, that their enemies have thought them deserving of the
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
