Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar (1542-1605) was the third emperor of the Mughal dynasty that ruled most of northern India from the early 16th to the mid-18th century. Through conquest and marriage alliances, the energetic ruler of Timurid descent continued his predecessors’ imperial expansion into India and consolidated his power over most of the northern and central parts of the subcontinent. As a patron of the arts, Akbar influenced art and culture throughout his empire during his reign. He personally commenced the construction of his tomb—a lofty five-storey structure made of red sandstone and adorned with four tall white marble minarets.
