Akbar’s favourite cheeta Madan Kali was very privilleged- when he went out drummers announced his arrival. Akbar would feed him with his own hands and when ministers who were scared of the cheetah wondered “How he dared feed it” like a pet animal he replied because “If animal does not feel threatened by you and you treat it with care and love it will not attack you”.
Akbar’s favourite dog name was Mahuwa.
Akbar slept only 4.5 hours a day, 3 hours at midnight and rest in afternoon. He did not want to waste his precious life in sleeping and was workholic
After getting up Akbar would visit his pets stables everyday without fail to check on them. This angered his nobles and religious priests a lot.
Akbar would walk from Mathura- hunting grounds to Agra fort almost 60 Kms in few hours. His entourage could never walk back so fast and only one or two men were left with him when he reached Agra fort.
Akbar had food only once in day- he would inform one hour in advance at any time of day and they would prepare him food
Akbar gave up non veg after middle age and ate only veg and fruits in later years of his life
Akbar made marriage registration compulsory in his rule and girl minimum age was 14 and boy age 16 for marriage
Akbar banned first cousin marriages and also child marriage
At age of 19 once Akbar came across a tigress and 3 cubs in forest and he killed tigress with sword alone.
Akbar was a very courageous hunter from a young age and never actually feared anything. His greatest passion was hunting and hunted frequently during peace time in his empire. His hunts were accompanied only by loyal trustees, and more often Akbar Hunted alone. His hunts included: cheetahs, lions, tigers, black buck and even elephants. It is said that, in one such hunts Akbar was mortally wounded and recovered miraculously; but many still believe it could have been a major reason for Akbar’s mysterious death.
Akbar’s name in persian means “Great”
Akbar was both Turkish and Mongolian by father’s ansectory and Persian on mother’s side
Akbar regretted marrying many times and wrote that “Ideally a person should marry only once and second marriage only if he is childless”. This was made law for lay persons in his reign. Akbar had 300 legal wives and 5000 cocubbines
Akbar used marriage alliances with various royal houses as a way of expanding his empire. The political advantages of this steady stream of presentation of princesses were incalculable. In the end Akbar had more than 300 wives. The actual number of women in the harem was nearer to 5,000. Many of these were older women, but there were also young servant girls, or Amazons of Russia or Abyssinia as armed guards, all with the status only of slaves. It was these who, if so required, were the emperor’s concubines. The three hundred were technically wives, even though the Koran limits the number to four. Akbar wanted religious sanction of all these 300 wives.
Akbar called Jehangir affectionately by his pet name “Sheiku baba” all his life even in court or in front of others
Akbar called Shamshuddin Khan his faster father “Atagah”(means father in some language-persian/turkish) always even in court in front of other courtiers.