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The Sharpest Shield and Sword

A man who made spears and shields once came to Akbar's court.

"Your Majesty, nobody can make shields and spears to equal mine," he said. "My shields are so strong that nothing can pierce them and my spears are so sharp that there's nothing they cannot pierce."

"I can prove you wrong on one count certainly," said Birbal suddenly.

"Impossible!" declared the man.

"Hold up one of your shields and I will pierce it with one of your spears," said Birbal with a smile.

The True King

The King of Iran had heard that Birbal was one of the wisest men in the East and desirous of meeting him sent him an invitation to visit his country.

In due course, Birbal arrived in Iran. When he entered the palace he was flabbergasted to find not one but six kings seated there. All looked alike. All were dressed in kingly robes. Who was the real king?

The very next moment he got his answer. Confidently, he approached the king and bowed to him.

"But how did you identify me?" the king asked, puzzled.

Birbal smiled and explained: "The false kings were all looking at you, while you yourself looked straight ahead. Even in regal robes, the common people will always look to their king for support."

Overjoyed, the king embraced Birbal and showered him with gifts.

Back to Square One

As usual a lot of people were present in Akbar's durbar.

A famous astrologer had come from a far away country.

He was talking about the Solar System and the Earth's shape.

At one point Akbar said, "If the earth is round, and if one travel strait towards one direction, he will come back to the same spot from where he has started the journey."

"Theoretically it is correct", said the astrologer.

"Why not in real life?", asked the king.

"One has to cross oceans, mountains and forests to keep the path straight." the astrologer said.

"Sail through the oceans, make tunnels in the mountains and use elephants to cross the forests." Akbar found the solution.

"Still it is impossible" said the astrologer.

"Why?" Asked Akbar.

"It may take years to complete the whole journey" said the astrologer

"Years? How many?" asked Akbar.

"I don't know. May be a hundred years or more" said the astrologer

"Don't worry I will ask my ministers. They have an answer for everything" Akbar looked at the ministers.

"Impossible to calculate"

"Around 25 years"

"Fifty years or less"

"80 days"

"Why Birbal, you haven't uttered a word" the king showed his surprise at Birbal's silence.

"I was just calculating the time required to go round the earth" explained Birbal.

"And did you get the answer?" asked the king.

"Sure." Said Birbal "It will take just one day."

"Just one day! Birbal it is Impossible! Even it will take more than one day to cross our country." Said Akbar.

"It is possible. Provided you travel at the speed of the Sun" said Birbal with a smile.

The Well Dispute

Once there was a complaint at King Akbar's court. There were two neighbours who shared their garden. In that garden, there was a well that was possessed by Iqbal khan. His neighbour, who was a farmer wanted to buy the well for irrigation purpose. Therefore they signed an agreement between them, after which the farmer owned the well. Even after selling the well to the farmer, Iqbal continued to fetch water from the well. Angered by this, the farmer had come to get justice from King Akbar. King Akbar asked Iqbal the reason for fetching water from the well even after selling it to the farmer. Iqbal replied

that he had sold only the well to the farmer but not the water inside it. King Akbar wanted Raja Birbal who was present in the court listening to the problem to solve the dispute. Birbal came forward and gave a solution. He said " Iqbal, You say that you have sold only the well to the farmer. And you claim that the water is yours. Then how come you can keep your water inside another person's well without paying rent?" Iqbal's trickery was countered thus in a tricky way. The farmer got justice and Birbal was fairly rewarded.

9 gems of Akbar

1. Abul Fazl (1551–1602) was the chronicler of Akbar’s rule. He authored the biographical Akbarnama. Abul Fazl documented the history meticulously, over seven years, in three volumes, the third volume is known as the Ain-i-Akbari and a Persian translation of the Bible.[1] He was also the brother of Faizi, the poet laureate of emperor Akbar.

2. Faizi (1547–1595) was Abul Fazl’s brother. He was a poet who composed beautiful poetry. His father was Mubarak Nagori, a scholar in the philosophy and literature of Greece as well as in Islamic theology.

3. Miyan Tansen was a singer for King Akbar, born as Tanna Mishra, a Hindu Brahmin, in 1520, he was a poet himself. He learnt music from Swami Haridasand later from Hazrat Muhammad Ghaus. He was a court musician with the prince of Mewar and later was recruited by Akbar as his court musician. Tansen became a legendary name in India and was the composer of many classical ragas. He was an extraordinarily gifted vocalist, known for a large number of compositions, and also an instrumentalist who popularized and improved the rabab (of Central Asian origin). He was buried in Gwalior, where a tomb has been constructed for him. It is unclear if Tansen converted to Islam.

4. Raja Birbal (1528–1583) was a poor Hindu Brahmin who was appointed to the court of Akbar for his intelligence, and became the court jester. Born by the name Maheshdas, he was conferred the name Raja Birbal by the Emperor. Birbal's duties in Akbar's court were mostly military and administrative but he was also a very close friend of the emperor, who liked Birbal most for his wit and humor. There are many witty stories of exchanges and interactions between the monarch and his minister that are popular today. Birbal was also a poet and his collections under the pen name "Brahma” are preserved inBharatpur Museum. Raja Birbal died in battle, attempting to quell unrest amongst Afghani tribes in Northwest India.

5. Raja Todar Mal was a Hindu Khatri/Kayastha and was Akbar’s finance minister, who from 1560 onwards overhauled the revenue system in the kingdom. He introduced standard weights and measurements, revenue districts and officers. His systematic approach to revenue collection became a model for the future Mughals as well as the British. Raja Todar Mal was also a warrior who assisted Akbar in controlling the Afghan rebels in Bengal. Todar Mal had developed his expertise in Sher Shah's employment. In 1582, Akbar bestowed on the raja the title Diwan-I-Ashraf.

6. Raja Man Singh was the Kacchwaha Rajah of Amber, a state later known as Jaipur. He was a trusted general in Akbar's army and was the grandson of Akbar’s father-in-law. His family had been inducted into Mughal hierarchy as amirs (nobles). Raja Man Singh was the foremost ablest among Akbar's military commanders and assisted Akbar in many fronts including holding off advancing Hakim (Akbar’s half-brother, a governor of Kabul) in Lahore. He was also the Mughal viceroy of Afghanistan, led campaigns in Bihar, Orissa, Deccan and was also the viceroy of Bengal.

7. Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana was a poet was the son of Akbar’s trusted protector and caretaker when he was a teenager, Bairam Khan. After Bairam Khan was murdered treacherously, his wife became the second wife of Akbar. He is most known for his Hindi couplets and his books on Astrology.[2] The village of Khankhana, named after him, is located in the Nawanshahr district of the state of Punjab in northwest India.

8. Fakir Aziao-Din was a mystic and an advisor. Akbar regarded his advice in high esteem.

9. Mullah Do Piaza was a advisor to Akbar.

Akbar Life Summary

Emperor Akbar, also known as Akbar the Great or Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar, was the third emperor of the Mughal Empire, after Babur and Humayun. He was the son of Nasiruddin Humayun and succeeded him as the emperor in the year 1556, when he was only 13 years old. One of the most successful emperors of the Mughal Empire, Akbar also made significant contribution in the field of art. Apart from commencing a large collection of literature, he also commissioned a number of splendid buildings during his reign. This biography of King Akbar will provide you more information on his life history:

Early Life

Akbar was born on 15th October 1542, to Emperor Humayun and his recently wedded wife, Hamida Banu Begum. The Rajput Fortress of Umarkot in Sind, where Humayun and Hamida were taking refuge, became the birthplace of this great emperor. In 1540, Humayun was forced into exile by Afghan leader Sher Shah and Akbar spent his childhood in Afghanistan, at his uncle Askari's place. His youth was spent in running and fighting, rather than learning to read and write. However, this could never impair his interest in art, architecture, music and literature.

Humayun recaptured Delhi in the year 1555, with the help of his Persian ally Shah Tahmasp. However, a few months after his victory, he met with an accident and died. On 14th February 1556, Akbar succeeded the throne, in the midst of a war waged by Sikandar Shah for the Mughal throne.

Early Rule

The first battle fought by Akbar was against Sikandar Shah Suri of Punjab. However, when Akbar was busy leading assault against Sikandar Shah, Hemu, a Hindu warrior, launched an attack on Delhi, which was then under the regency of Tardi Beg Khan. Tardi fled from the city and Hemu claimed the capital. On the advice of his general, Bairam, Akbar launched an attack on Delhi and reclaimed the city. On 5th November 1556, 'Akbar the Great' fought the Second Battle of Panipat against General Hemu.

Following soon after was the battle with Sikandar Shah at Mankot. In 1557, Adil Shah, who was the brother of Sikandar, died in a battle in Bengal. Along with fighting against the other rulers, Akbar also solidified his support by revoking the jizya tax on non-Muslims. At the same time, he started wooing the favor of the powerful Rajput caste, at times by marrying Rajput princesses. He expanded the Mughal Empire by including Malwa, Gujarat, Bengal, Kabul, Kashmir and Kandesh, amongst others. In no time, the rule of Akbar was firmly established over the entire Hindustan (India).

Final Years

Akbar was greatly troubled in the last few years of his life due to the misdemeanors of his sons. Especially his third son, Salim, was frequently in rebellion against his father. The last conquest of Akbar comprised of Asirgarh, a fort in the Deccan. Thereafter, he faced the rebellion of his son and breathed his last on 12th October 1605. His body was entombed in a magnificent mausoleum at Sikandra city, near Agra.

Navratnas

Akbar's court had Navaratnas (Nine Jewels), meaning a group of nine extraordinary people. They included:

Abul Fazel (Akbars's chief advisor and author of Akbarnama)

Faizi (Akbar's poet laureate)

Mian Tansen (a Hindu singer who converted to Islam)

Birbal (a noble known for his wittiness)

Raja Todar Mal (Akbar's finance minister)

Raja Man Singh (trusted general of Akbar)

Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana (a noble and a renowned poet)

Fakir Aziao-Din

Mullah Do Piaza

Mughal Empire

Akbar was one of the greatest emperors of the Mughal dynasty. It was during the reign of Akbar that the rule of the Mughals truly began, for both Babur and Humayun had ruled for extremely short and interrupted periods. Akbar was a minor at the time of his father's death, and was under the guardianship of Bairam Khan. Soon after succeeding to the throne Akbar had to firmly establish Mughal authority and regain the territories it had lost. His enemies challenged his rule and another historic battle was fought at Panipat, one in which Akbar emerged victorious and firmly established the Mughal power as the dominant power in India. Akbar was still under the guardianship of Bairam but now wished to become a full fledged king in his own right. Bairam while providing invaluable service had begun behaving in a high handed manner which had resulted in many enemies. In 1560 Akbar expressed his desire to take over, to Bairam, who reluctantly agreed and prepared to leave the empire. Akbar made the tactical mistake of appointing Pir Muhammad, an enemy of Bairam's to oversee his move out of Mughal territory. Bairam considered this an insult and rose against Akbar. He was however defeated but allowed to continue out of the empire by Akbar, because of the tremendous services he had rendered. Tragically however Bairam was killed by an Afghan who held a personal grudge against him. Luckily his family escaped and his son Abdur Rahim was taken in by Akbar and rose later on to become an important noble of the empire. After assuming control from Bairam Akbar did not immediately get full control of the empire. His foster mother Maham Anaga and her son Adam Khan and some of her family were exercising an undue influence on the state. Adam Khan led some conquests which although successful were brutal. Akbar unable to tolerate their actions put Adam Khan to death in 1562. His foster mother died of grief forty days later. Akbar at the young age of fourteen was now finally in control of his empire.Akbar began a process of consolidation and expansion. He extended the empire's frontiers and they covered almost the entire country, even reaching deep into the south. < He set up the Mughal administration, drawing heavily on the institutions and concepts that Sher Shah had used. Under Akbar the Mughal empire reached its peak, with its influence extending to almost all parts of the country as well as major developments taking place in the arts and the economy. Akbar ruled for a period of 51 years which was the longest reign amongst the Mughal emperors.

Akbar was one of the most able rulers amongst the Mughals and one of the greatest emperors in Indian history. Akbar was a very wise and open minded ruler with a sound character. He was an able administrator as well as a capable soldier. He possesed tremendous courage, often risking his life and was also extremely strong. He was kind and just and despite being a great conqueror he was not cruel to those whom he had defeated. Akbar was not vengeful and usually forgave people who rebelled against him,except in certain cases when it was not possible. Akbar possessed tremendous self control and had excellent manners. He is said to have been very charming and was praised by all those who came into contact with him. Akbar had a wise and able courtier called Birbal, and there are many stories about the interactions between Akbar and Birbal, who would often provide sound insights into the various problems the emperor was facing. Akbar was also very popular amongst his subjects who considered him not only the ruler of Delhi but of the entire universe. Akbar also closely monitored his diet and ate moderately. While Akbar did not know how to read and write, one cannot say that he was not a learned man. He had a keen interest in literature and philosophy and was gifted with a brilliant mind and incredible memory. He maintained a large library of books and engaged people to read books to him. His understanding of what he heard was so great that it was said that he could talk so effortlessly on those subjects that one could never get the impression that he was illiterate. Akbar was also a keen patron of art and architecture and many such works flourished in his time.

Akbar was extremely tolerant to religion evident in the fact that he married a Hindu princess. He realized that it was foolish to ill-treat Hindus who formed a majority in his empire. He made significant efforts to treat them at par and soon they too were being appointed to high posts. Akbar treated religion with an extremely open mind and spent a lot of time studying the various beliefs of the different religions. This eventually resulted in the creation of a new religion of his own called Din-I-illahi . This combined features from various religions and stressed on the idea of that regardless of what religion you follow, God is one. Being a supreme believer in universal tolerance, Akbar made no attempt to force people to convert to his religion but tried to appeal to the inner feelings of each person.

Akbar's last years brought great grief to him. A beloved friend and notable poet Faizi died in 1595. Akbar's son Salim (later to be known as Jehangir) eager to take over the throne set himself up as an independent king and began plotting to overthrow Akbar. Salim caused much pain to his father when he got another close friend and poet, Abul Fazl murdered. Father and son spent the last couple of years see- sawing between peace and war but finally after Akbar died a natural death, Salim succeeded to the throne. Akbar was a great person and a great king. During his time the country reached a level of prosperity it had not seen and would not see for a long time. Being an able statesmen, he set an example for the other leaders that would follow.

There are many stories about the interactions between Akbar and Birbal, who would often provide sound insights into the various problems the emperor was facing. Akbar was also very popular amongst his subjects who considered him not only the ruler of Delhi but of the entire universe. Akbar also closely monitored his diet and ate moderately. While Akbar did not know how to read and write, one cannot say that he was not a learned man. He had a keen interest in literature and philosophy and was gifted with a brilliant mind and incredible memory. He maintained a large library of books and engaged people to read books to him. His understanding of what he heard was so great that it was said that he could talk so effortlessly on those subjects that one could never get the impression that he was illiterate. Akbar was also a keen patron of art and architecture and many such works flourished in his time.

The Foolish Brahmin

Once upon a time a foolish brahmin came to visit Birbal with a strange request. He wanted to be addressed as ‘pandit’. Now, the term ‘pandit’ refers to a man of learning. But unfortunately this poor brahmin was uneducated. Birbal tried to explain the difference to him saying that it was not correct to call an uneducated man a pandit and because of this very reason it would be improper to call him so. But the silly brahmin had his heart set on this title.

So, as usual, Birbal had a brilliant idea. He said that as the brahmin was an uneducated man he should hurl abuses and stones at anyone who dared to address him by the very same title he wanted. Then Birbal called all his servants to himself and ordered them to call this lowly brahmin a pandit. The brahmin was very pleased. But the moment the servants started calling out to him as ‘pandit’ he pretended to be very angry and started to abuse them loudly. Then he picked up a few stones and hurled them in their direction. All as per clever Birbal’s advice.

All this shouting and screaming drew a crowd. When people realised that this brahmin was erupting every time anyone called him ‘pandit’, they all started to tease him. Over the next couple of days, he would constantly hear the refrain ‘pandit’ wherever he went. Very soon the whole town started referring to him as ‘pandit’ much to his delight.

The foolish brahmin never realised why people were calling him in this manner. And was extremely pleased with the result. He thanked Birbal from the very bottom of his foolish heart.

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