Instead, it should be seen as a process of evolution and can be studied as the changing outlook of the Mughal state towards religious matters under Akbar. Thus, the evolution of the Sulh-i-Kuhl (Universal Peace), which was to become the state religious policy in the final 25 years of Akbar's reign, was not a sudden policy but the culmination of a process that had started many years ago at the time of Akbar's accession to the throne. K.A. Nizami sees the change as nothing more than a changing attitude towards the ulama, while S.A.A. Rizvi and Athar Ali see it as representing a much wider change in Akbar's perspective on religion and the development of his religious ideas. I.A. Khan links the changes that were introduced in the organisation of the Mughal government and religious policy to the structure, composition and changes of the nobility under Akbar. .
Before we go on to study this process and the various measures adopted by Akbar it would be important to understand the context and environment under which Akbar's religious outlook was shaped. Akbar's state policy in the field of religion was determined by his Turko-Mughal traditions; the movement of Hindu-Muslim rapprochement, spearheaded by the Bhakti saints and liberal Sufis; Akbar's own inquisitive nature and his abiding interest in Sufism.
Firstly, his liberal outlook can be traced back to his Turko-Mongol background, which did not involve a rigid religious tradition. Chengiz Khan, for instance, followed the policy of yesa-i-chegaliz, i.e., the ruler treated all religions with the same respect and saw them as more or less representing the same truth. So did Timur, so that in his dominions and in the dominions of his successors, there was no persecution of Shias and even Christians and Heathens found place in his government and armed forces. Early Mughals also followed such a liberal policy. In the recently discovered Khat-i-Baburi, the will of Babur, Babur advises Humayun to recognize the diversity of Indian society and respect all local norms and traditions.
