Abu’l Fazl ibn Mubarak, grand vizier to the Mughal emperor Akbar, introduction to a Persian translation of the Mahabharata, a Hindu sacred text, sixteenth century India a) Describe ONE way in which Akbar’s actions in sponsoring the translations discussed in the passage are similar to actions taken by rulers of other empires during the period 1450–1750.

b) Explain ONE reason that Abu’l Fazl’s introduction may NOT be a completely objective and historically accurate source for the motivations behind Akbar’s policies.

c) Identify ONE other outcome of the interactions between Islam and South Asian religions in the period 1450–1750.