While Akbar ruled the empire, it grew.
Abu ` l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad ( 15 October 1542 -- 27 October 1605 ) , popularly known as Akbar I ( [ əkbər ] , literally `` the great '' ) and later Akbar the Great , was the third Mughal emperor , who reigned from 1556 to 1605 . Akbar succeeded his father , Humayun , under a regent , Bairam Khan , who helped the young emperor expand and consolidate Mughal domains in India . A strong personality and a successful general , Akbar gradually enlarged the Mughal Empire to include nearly all of the Indian Subcontinent north of the Godavari river . During his rule , the Mughal empire tripled in size and wealth .