[4] Abul Fazl was initially appointed into Akbar's court as a military commander serving in Deccan, where he was held in high regard.

He was popularly known for his theory Padshahat which stated the established owner, the emperor, could not be overthrown, as he was an agent of God for the welfare of his subjects and maintains peace and harmony in his empire.

Mubarak reached Agra in April 1543 and on the suggestion of Shaikh Alawal Balawal[10] set up his residence at Charbagh, which was built by Babur on the left bank of Yamuna.

Mubarak established his madrash in Agra where his special field of instruction was philosophy and he attracted a number of scholars to his lectures such as Mulla Abdul Qadir Badauni.

His father started teaching him about all the branches of Islamic sciences (manqulat) but Abul Fazl could not adhere to conventional learning and he sank in a state of mental depression.

[17] The following is the Abul Fazl's own account of his first twenty years from the A'in-i-Akbari:[18][19] As I have now recounted somewhat of my ancestors, I proceed to say a few words regarding myself and thus unburden my mind, to refresh this narrative and loosen the bonds of my tongue.

In the year 473 of the Jalali era, corresponding to the night of Sunday, the 6th of Muharram 958 of the lunar reckoning (14 January 1551), my pure spirit joined to this elemental body came forth from the womb into this fair expanse of the world.

And it was strange that by a freak of fortune my heart was disinclined, my will ever averse, and my disposition repugnant to conventional learning and the ordinary courses of instruction.

My father in his way conjured with the spell of knowledge and taught me a little of every branch of science, and although my intelligence grew, I gained no deep impressions from the school of learning.

Not many days had elapsed before his conversation and society induced me to go to college and there they restored to rest my bewildered and dissipated mind and by the wondrous working of destiny they took me away and brought another back.

Although I had a special gift which came down upon me from the throne of holiness, yet the inspirations of my venerable father and his making me commit to memory the essential elements of every branch of science, together with the unbroken continuity of this chain, were of immense help, and became one of the most important causes of my enlightenment.

For ten years longer I made no distinction between night and day, teaching and learning, and recognised no difference between satiety and hunger, nor discriminated between privacy and society, nor had I the power to dissever pain from pleasure.

I answered that my withdrawal, was now a matter of habit and custom, and how was it that no one was astonished when the natural inclination of a sick man on an attack of illness was averse from food.

Most of the current arguments of the schools, frequently misquoted and misunderstood when heard, and abstruse questions from ancient works, had been presented to the fresh tablet of my mind.

Before these points had been elucidated and the attribution to me of extreme ignorance had passed to that of transcendent knowledge, I had taken objection to ancient writers, and men learning my youth, dissented, and my mind was troubled and my inexperienced heart was in agitation.

All that I had stated before learned doctors and divines of which some of my friends had taken notes, was there found, and those present were astounded and withdrew their dissent, and began to regard me with other eyes and to raise the wicket of misunderstanding and to open the gate of comprehension.

In the serene hours of morning, with a little reflection, I discovered the beginnings and endings of each fragment and conjecturally penned a draft text which I transcribed on the paper.

With a parade of much learning, the intoxication of youth effervescing, the skirts of pretension spread wide, and the world-displaying cup of wisdom in my hand, the ringings of delirium began to sound in my ears, and suggested a total withdrawal from the world.

It is my firm hope that my last moments may be spent in doing His will and that I may pass unburdened to eternal rest.The Akbarnama is a document of history of Akbar's reign and his ancestors spread over three volumes.

[23] Abu'l Fazl was assassinated in 1602 while he was returning from the Deccan by Vir Singh Bundela (who later became the ruler of Orchha) between Sarai Vir and Antri (near Narwar) in a plot contrived by Akbar's eldest son Prince Salim (who later became the Emperor Jahangir),[24][25] because Abu'l Fazl was known to oppose the accession of Prince Salim to the throne.