Photograph showing the garden at the mausoleum of the Mughal Emperor Akbar in Sikandra from the Murray Collection: 'Photographic views in Agra and its vicinity', taken by John Murray in the mid-1850s. Akbar (r.1556-1605) was an energetic and innovative ruler who succeeded in being a significant unifying force in India. His syncretism was reflected in the architecture built during his reign, including his tomb which blends Persian and Hindu elements. Dated inscriptions show that the tomb was completed by Akbar's son Jahangir in 1614. It is set in a vast square garden of the char-bagh (four-plot) plan, divided into quarters by red sandstone causeways containing water channels, interspersed with fountains and ponds.