Celebrating Akbar’s Vision: Creating an Indian Empire of Justice

The Archaeological Institute of America, Houston Society, and Asia Society Texas Center present a lecture by Michael Wood, Celebrating Akbar’s Vision: Creating an Indian Empire of Justice.

The 50th Anniversary Season of the Archaeological Institute of America, Houston Society concludes its Sankofa year which translates as “how the past impacts our future,” with a Celebration highlighting India.

Michael Wood, historian, filmmaker, and host of the landmark six-part 2009 PBS television series, The Story of India, will share an engaging talk about Akbar, the Muslim Emperor of Mughal India in the 1570s.  Akbar established a sprawling kingdom through warfare yet ruled his subjects with an emphasis on religious tolerance and judicial fairness.

In the 1570s, Akbar, the Muslim Emperor of Mughal India, began an audacious and visionary experiment which is still unique in history: fostering pluralism by consulting with leaders of all faiths. He invited Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Jains, Zoroastrians, and Sikhs to find common ground for peaceful coexistence.

Akbar was a patron of a brilliant flowering of art, architecture, poetry, and science that was in part the product of his philosophy of tolerance. Although his religious project failed after his death, it offered a vision for the future that still has relevance in today’s troubled and divided world.

In this illustrated talk, historian, filmmaker, broadcaster, and author Michael Wood reflects on Akbar’s extraordinary personality and on what led the emperor on his personal path towards tolerance and mutual understanding and the rich mosaic of contemporary India.

The lecture will be followed by a celebration of Indian culture including dance, food, and music.

Tickets are available at the Asia Society Texas Center, Visitor & Member Services at (713) 496-9901 or visit their website.