Akbar significantly expanded the Mughal Empire, conquering key regions across the Indian subcontinent. His major military victories included the conquest of Gujarat, Bengal, Rajasthan, and Kashmir. He also consolidated control over the Deccan Plateau, and his victory at the

Siege of Chittor (1568): marked his dominance over the Hindu Rajput kingdoms, many of which became vassal states or allies of the Mughals. These victories allowed him to assert military, political, cultural, and economic dominance across the Indian subcontinent.  

Akbar also modernized the Mughal military, emphasizing a strong cavalry and effective use of artillery. He maintained a standing army and a system of mansabdars, military and administrative officials ranked based on the number of troops they commanded. The mansabdars had to maintain a quota of horses, elephants, camels, mules and carts. Akbar also sought the most advanced gunpowder weapons from the Ottomans, Portuguese, and Italians. He began using rockets and employed  Fathullah Shirazi, a Persian polymath and mechanical engineer who developed an early rapid fire gun with multiple barrels, similar to an early machine gun. 

Akbar also introduced administrative reforms to rule over his now larger and more diverse empire. His bureaucracy consisted of departments with specific regulations and responsibilities, such as finance and military intelligence. To reduce the power of local elites, he  placed the empire under a more centralized bureaucracy with provincial governors who answered directly to him. The mansabdari system served as a ranking system for both military and civil officials, which each individual's mansab (rank) determining the number of soldiers they were responsible for and their administrative duties. These mansabdars were paid generous salaries and received grants of jagirs: the power to govern and collect taxes from estates. They kept part of the tax revenue for themselves, and the rest went to the Mughal state. 

To preserve peace and order in a religiously and culturally diverse empire, Akbar adopted pluralist policies that won him the support of his non-Muslim subjects, including abolishing the jizya (tax on non-Muslims) and appointing them to high civil and military posts. He incorporated many of the conquered Rajputs into the Mughal nobility, granting them mansabdari ranks. In doing so, Akbar not only expanded his empire but also created a multicultural elite and a policy of inclusion and cooperation.

Spurred by both his conquests and land reforms, Akbar's government collected income of what today would be $10.6 billion annually by the end of his reign. By comparison, Elizabeth I of England, who had an almost identical period of reign (1558-1603), was bringing in today's equivalent of $163 million on average. His land revenue system, called zabt, was based on a uniform currency, with taxes paid in cash based on the productivity of the land, establishing a regional taxation schedule based on the ability of peasants to pay (payments were cancelled in times of natural disasters or failed harvests). Akbar invested in agricultural reforms to support this system, including the establishment of agricultural research centers and tax exemptions to those who brought new land under cultivation.

Agriculture was the backbone of India's economy, but trade was becoming even more important. Akbar's new tax system incentivized the growth of cash crops; and cotton, sugarcane, and opium flourished as more peasants entered the market economy. To encourage trade, Akbar invested in roads and highway patrols to prevent banditry. 

Like Emperor Babur, Akbar believed that religious harmony meant social harmony, espeically between Muslims and Hindus. His policy of Sulh-i-Kul (peace for all) promoted religious tolerance and harmony among the empire’s diverse religious communities, similar to what Guru Nanak preached in the early years of Sikhism. This tolerance became part of Akbar's support of the religious movement Din-i-Ilahi, which (again, like Sikhism) promoted tolerance, piety, wisdom, and kindness in an attempt to transcend religious differences and promote a universal vision. And to further his policies of religious tolerance and integration, Akbar married a Rajput princess and formed alliances with Rajput nobles.  He also reformed the empire's legal code, combining Islamic law (Sharia) with local laws and customs to create a more equitable legal framework that applied to all subjects. He also prohibited sati (the burning of widows upon the death of their husband) and raised the age for marriage. 

With command over a diverse empire, Akbar encouraged a synthesis of Persian, Indian, and Central Asian artistic traditions. He supported the development of Mughal miniature painting and created schools for both Muslims and Hindus. His reign included the flourishing of painting, literature, and Mughal architecture, including the capital city Fatehpur Sikri. His Jama Mosque at Fatehpur Sikri combined Islamic, Hindu, and Jain architecture and was the largest mosque in India at the time, serving as a symbol of Mughal pride. Akbar also renovated the Agra Fort, which became the primary residence of Mughal emperors until the late 17th century.