According to the description of his son, the Emperor Jehangir, Akbar’s complexion is said to have been the yellow of wheat; the Portuguese Jesuits who came to his court called it plainly white.  Although not exactly beautiful, Akbar seemed beautiful to many of his contemporaries, including Europeans, probably because of the august and at the same time kind and winsome expression which his countenance bore.  Akbar was rather tall, broad-shouldered, strongly built and had long arms and hands.

  [Footnote B:  Noer, II as frontispiece (comp. also pp. 327, 328); A.
  Mueller, II, 417.]

Akbar, the son of the dethroned Emperor Humayun, was born on October 14, 1542, at Amarkot in Sindh, two years after his father had been deprived of his kingdom by the usurper Sher Chan.  After an exile of fifteen years, or rather after an aimless wandering and flight of that length, the indolent pleasure-and opium-loving Humayun was again permitted to return to his capital in 1555,—­not through his own merit but that of his energetic general Bairam Chan, a Turk who in one decisive battle had overcome the Afghans, at that time in possession of the dominion.  But Humayun was not long to enjoy his regained throne; half a year later he fell down a stairway in his palace and died.  In January 1556 Akbar, then thirteen years of age, ascended the throne.  Because of his youthful years Bairam Chan assumed the regency as guardian of the realm or “prince-father” as it is expressed in Hindi, and guided the wavering ship of state with a strong hand.  He overthrew various insurgents and disposed of them with cold cruelty.  But after a few years he so aroused the illwill of Akbar by deeds of partiality, selfishness and violence that in March 1560 Akbar, then 17 years of age, decided to take the reins of government into his own hand.  Deprived of his office and influence Bairam Chan hastened to the Punjab and took arms against his Imperial Master.  Akbar led his troops in person against the rebel and overcame him.  When barefooted, his turban thrown around his neck, Bairam Chan appeared before Akbar and prostrated himself before the throne, Akbar did not do the thing which was customary under such circumstances in the Orient in all ages.  The magnanimous youth did not sentence the humiliated rebel to a painful death but bade him arise in memory of the great services which Bairam Chan had rendered to his father and later to himself, and again assume his old place of honor at the right of the throne.  Before the assembled nobility he gave him the choice whether he would take the governorship of a province, or would enjoy the favor of his master at court as a benefactor of the imperial family, or whether, accompanied by an escort befitting his rank, he would prefer to undertake a pilgrimage to Mecca.[5] Bairam Chan was wise enough to choose the last, but on the way to Mecca he was killed by an Afghan and the news caused Akbar sincere grief and led him to take the four year old son of Bairam Chan under his special protection.