Emperor Akbar as a healer and his eminent physicians.

ABSTRACT

Akbar, however, was himself considered to be a healer to be healer by his miraculous powers. The court physician was one of the top-most officers of the court. Hakim Humam was such a physician who was one of the nine jewels (nauratnas) of Akbar. In 1581, Akbar curtailed the powers of Sadr (or Sadr-i-Jahan, the chief Justice and Administrator of the Empire) and he divided the empire in six zones with a Sadr in charge of each. Out of these six Sadrs, five were his physicians who were Hakim Abul Fath, Shaikh Fayzi, Hakim Humam, Hakim Ali, Hakim Ain-ul-Mulk. Tobacco was introduced either in 1604 or in 1605. Hakim Abul Fath opposed its circulation but Akbar permitted it. It was Abul Fath who found out a remedy for counteracting the pernicious effects of tobacco on health. His opinion was that if the smoke of tobacco passed through water the harmful effects would be minimised. So hukka was invented by him.