Who called Akbar ‘Zill-e-Ilahi’ (Shadow of God) and ‘Farr-e-Izdi’ (Light emanating from God)?
Abul Fazl, Akbar’s chief intellectual architect and court historian, called him ‘Zill-e-Ilahi’ (Shadow of God) and ‘Farr-e-Izdi’ (Light emanating from God). These titles were central to Abul Fazl’s formulation of the theory of divine light (Farr-i-Izidi), which argued that the emperor’s sovereignty was a divine gift, making him independent of religious dogma. The correct answer is (B) Abul Fazl.
Share
Abul Fazl, in his historical works the Akbarnama and Ain-i-Akbari, coined the exalted titles ‘Zill-e-Ilahi’ (Shadow of God) and ‘Farr-e-Izdi’ (Light emanating from God) for Emperor Akbar. This was not mere flattery; it was the intellectual foundation for Akbar’s supreme political and religious authority. Abul Fazl argued that Akbar received sovereignty directly from God, transcending the authority of the orthodox clergy (ulema) and legitimizing his policy of Sulh-e-Kul (universal peace).