The millennial sovereign book description at the end of the sixteenth century and the turn of the first islamic millennium the powerful mughal emperor akbar declared himself the most sacred being on earth the holiest of all saints and above the distinctions of religion he styled himself as the messiah reborn. The millennial sovereign sacred kingship and sainthood in islam south asia across the disciplines the millennial sovereign sacred kingship and sainthood in islam the american historical review volume 118 issue 4 october 2013 pages 1148 1149 . At the end of the sixteenth century and the turn of the first islamic millennium the powerful mughal emperor akbar declared himself the most sacred being on earth the holiest of all saints and above the distinctions of religion he styled himself as the messiah reborn yet the mughal emperor was not alone in doing so. At the end of the sixteenth century and the turn of the first islamic millennium the powerful mughal emperor akbar declared himself the most sacred being on earth the holiest of all saints and above the distinctions of religion he styled himself as the messiah reborn yet the mughal emperor was not alone in doing so in this field changing study a azfar moin explores why muslim sovereigns . The millennial sovereign sacred kingship and sainthood in islam south asia across the disciplines a azfar moin on amazoncom free shipping on qualifying offers at the end of the sixteenth century and the turn of the first islamic millennium the powerful mughal emperor akbar declared himself the most sacred being on earth