Akbar's 'Gung Mahal' Experiment: The Tragic Quest for Language's Origin

• Emperor Akbar conducted a controversial experiment in the late 16th century to understand the origin of language.
• Twelve innocent children were raised in 'Gung Mahal' by mute nurses, strictly isolated from any spoken language.
• The goal was to determine if humans are born knowing a language or if it's learned through hearing.
• After 3-4 years, Akbar found the children could not speak any words, only communicating through mute sounds and gestures.
• The experiment, documented in 'Ain-i-Akbari' and 'Akbarnama', left the children permanently mute, communicating via sign language.