Akbar was a Mughal Emperor from 1556 until his death. He was the third ruler of the Mughal (1)  DYNASTY in India. A strong (2) ICON and a successful general, Akbar gradually enlarged the Mughal Empire. His power and influence, however, (3) EXTENDED over the entire country because of Mughal military, political, cultural, and economic dominance. To unify the vast Mughal state, Akbar established a centralised system of administration throughout his empire and adopted a policy of conciliating (4)  CONQUERED rulers through marriage and diplomacy. To preserve peace and order in a religiously and culturally (5) DIVERSE empire, he adopted policies that won him the support of his non-Muslim subjects. Mughal India (6)  DEVELOPED a strong and stable economy, leading to commercial expansion and greater patronage of culture. Akbar himself was a (7)  PATRON of art and culture. He was (8) FOND of literature, and created a library of over 24,000 volumes