16 Christian-themed Mughal miniatures from the courts of Akbar and Jehangir
The two men dressed in black are the Jesuit missionaries Rodolfo Acquaviva and Francisco Henriques
illustration to the Akbarnama
In his eagerness to learn about different religions, Akbar built hall of prayer at Fatehpur sikri in 1575 known as the Ibadat Khana. At this place, he invited selected mystics, intellectuals and theologians, and held discussions on religious and spiritual themes. He invited scholars belonging to various religions such as Hinduism, Islam , Zoroastrianism , Christianity and even atheists. He conducted religious debates with these people. They visited Ibadat Khana and discussed their religious belief with Akbar. The result of these discussions at the Hall of Prayer led them to the conclusion that all religions lead to the same goal. More on the Ibadat Khana
Rodolfo Acquaviva (2 October 1550–25 July 1583) was an Italian Jesuit missionary and priest in India who served the court of Akbar the Great from 1580 to 1583. He was killed in 1583 and beatified in 1893. More on Rodolfo Acquaviva…