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Akbar And The Jeziya
The falsehood that Akbar had lifted the Jeziya tax is impertinently repeated by interested parties in India. This tax was extracted by Muslim rulers from their Hindu subjects only, who formed the vast majority, on the specious plea that India was a Muslim country and the Hindus were permitted to practice their own religion instead of the religion of the sultan on payment of this tax. Actually, the Jeziya had 19 other disabilities clamped down on the Hindu population. Akbar did not remove it at all. If he had, how come in treaties with Hindu kings such as that of Ranthambhore, abolition of the tax is specifically mentioned. Where was the need for it?
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