AKBAR - THE GREAT

King Akbar was chivalrous and just to all men, but he could be violent and overmastering, if needed. His magnetic personality won the love and affection of his people and the respect and admiration of his enemies.

Akbar was superb at riding, polo and swordsmanship, and he was a crack shot with a musket. He was courageous, often fighting personally in the heat of battle. He was a brilliant general, a master of speed, surprise, and logistics.

Akbar worked hard at the trade of king, sleeping only three hours a night. Although he could neither read nor write (he was probably dyslexic), he had legions of scholars who read to him.

His son, Prince Sultan Salim, later the Emperor Jahangir, wrote that no one could have guessed that Akbar was illiterate. He loved religion, philosophy, music, architecture, poetry, history and painting. He forged an Empire that enjoyed long-lasting peace and high cultural refinement.

The Empire of the Mughals was vast and fabulously rich. Akbar's lower taxes and rising conquests created prosperity for the people and floods of treasure for the Crown. European visitors estimated that just one province of Akbar's Empire, Bengal, was wealthier than France and England combined.

Birbal court had "Nava Ratna - The Nine Jewels of the Mughal Crown". Nine of these exceptional men were gifted.
One of them, Tansen, was a singer so skilled that candles burst into flame at the mystical power of his song. Another, Daswant, was a painter who became First Master of the Age. Todar Mal was a financial wizard. Abul Fazl was a great historian, whose brother, Faizi, was a famed poet. Abud us-Samad was a brilliant calligrapher and designer of Imperial coins. Man Singh was a mighty general. Mir Fathullah Shirazi was a financier, philosopher, physician and astronomer. But of all Akbar's Nine Jewels, the people's favorite was his Minister - or Wazir - Birbal: the clever, the generous, and the just.

BIRBAL - THE BRAIN

Birbal is surely one of the best-loved figures in the folklore of India. For generations the Birbal stories have delighted children and grown-ups alike, from one end of India to the other.

Birbal was born to a poor Brahmin family of Tikawanpur on the banks of the River Jamuna. He rose to the exalted level of minister (or "Wazir") at Akbar's court by virtue of his razor like wit. He was a good poet, writing under the pen name of "Brahma," and a collection of his verse is preserved today in the Bharatpur Museum.

Birbal's duties at court were administrative and military, but his close friendship with the Emperor was sealed by Akbar's love of wisdom and subtle humor. In Birbal the young King found a true sympathizer and companion.

Many courtiers were jealous of Birbal's star like rise to fortune and power, and, according to popular accounts, they were endlessly plotting his downfall.

The character of Akbar in these stories is rather fanciful, and, historically. Many of these tales were probably invented by village storytellers over the ages and simply attributed to Birbal and Akbar because their characters seemed to fit.