In what way was the rule of the mughals under akbar different from that of contemporary european monarchs? akbar encouraged discussion between members of different religions instead of attempting to force religious conformity. european monarchs did not arrange political marriages with their rivals, while the mughals did intermarry with hindus. the mughals relied on trade to generate wealth, while europeans relied on agriculture. the mughals ruled over a muslim state with few non-muslim citizens, while european rulers ruled over states with many religious groups.