Akbar fell ill on October 3, 1605, his trouble being dysentery or some kind of diarrhea. His condition grew worse owing to embittered relations between Salim and his son Khusrav and the intrigues of the nobles who became divided into two factions, one supporting Salim and the other Khusrav. It is said that Man Singh and Aziz Koka wanted to arrest prince Salim and to secure the throne for Khusrav. The emperor’s physician Hakim Ali failed to diagnose the trouble correctly and for eight days refrained from prescribing any medicine. Then he checked the patient’s dysentery by administering strong astringent. This brought fever and strangury.
On October 21 Akbar’s condition became worse and he nominated Salim as his successor. That day Salim visited him, and, as the emperor could no longer speak, he made a sign to the prince to put on the imperial turban and to gird himself with the sword of Humayun. There was a, recurrence of dysentery and Akbar is believed to have died on or about October 27, 1605.
His funeral was performed in accordance with Muslim rites, and he was buried at Sikandra five miles from Agra.