Mughal Navratna: Why did Akbar give up food for Birbal, whom the courtiers used to irritate?

Birbal is a name which remains in discussion on some pretext or the other even after 440 years of his departure from the world. From the pages of history to story books, there are stories related to Birbal’s life. He was not the king of India or any country in the world. He came from a very ordinary family. Despite this, till today he remains special because he was very intelligent. His way of expressing his views was also very interesting. For this reason, he was included in the nine gems of Mughal emperor Akbar.

Birbal i.e. Mahesh Das was one of the most interesting human beings in Mughal history. Birbal had the highest position among Akbar’s Navratnas. There are many historical reasons behind his death, the story of his becoming a Navratna and the jealousy of the courtiers. On this pretext, know how Birbal joined Akbar’s Navratnas, why the courtiers were jealous of him and how he died?

confluence of intelligence and bravery

Birbal was not just a clown or storyteller in the court of Mughal emperor Akbar. He was also a skilled commander, poet and Akbar’s most trusted advisor. He was born in the year 1528. His real name was Mahesh Das. Parents were Anabha-Ganga Das. Mahesh Das was intelligent since childhood. As he grew up, his knowledge and wisdom improved. He was also brave. Skilled commander too. In the pages of history, at some places he has been described as Brahmin and at other places as Kayastha. But, the real issue is not in which clan he was born. The real discussion is his life.

How did Akbar’s Navaratnas become?

There are many stories about Mahesh Das’s first meeting with Akbar. According to historical evidence, Mahesh Das was famous for his wit and poetic talent. Earlier he was in the court of Raja Ramchandra of Rewa. His fame was far and wide. For this reason, Mughal ruler Akbar called him to his court. After the meeting and conversation, Akbar was so impressed that he gave him the title of Birbal (Brave).

Birbal means one with a powerful mind. Akbar also gave him the title of Kavi Rai. Gradually he came so close to Akbar that he was made the only Hindu to join the Deen-e-Ilahi religion. Seeing his administrative ability, Akbar also included him among the Navaratnas.

Why were the courtiers irritated with Birbal?

Birbal became popular day by day in Akbar’s court. Due to this, many ministers in the court were jealous of him. His popularity was an irritant in the eyes of his fellow courtiers. Not just one, but many reasons for this are recorded in the pages of history.

• Proximity to Akbar: He was very close to the Mughal emperor Akbar. The king used to take Birbal’s advice in every small and big decision. He often had meals with Birbal. Birbal used to accompany him on hunting. Due to this, other ministers felt that Birbal had taken the king under his control.
• Religious reasons: Birbal was a Hindu. The fundamentalist Muslim courtiers could not tolerate that a Hindu person should influence the decisions of the Mughal Empire. But, their behavior was not the same. Birbal’s importance increased in the court every day.
• spot-on: Birbal was clever. Naturally, cleverness was in his blood. Other important people in the court often looked down on themselves. However, Birbal did not intend to humiliate anyone. They were just discharging their responsibilities. Whenever any courtier tried to trap Birbal, Birbal would embarrass him with his answer.
• Special Rights: Akbar had given other types of rights to Birbal. The king had given him a place to live near the palace. The intention behind this might have been that they could be available as soon as possible when needed. He enjoyed many such privileges which even the great generals did not have at that time.

Many contemporary historians including Mulla Abdul Qadir Badayuni clearly express their hatred towards Birbal in their works. Badayuni held Birbal responsible for taking Akbar away from Islam.

that dark day of swat valley

Birbal died during a war. In the pages of history, this is considered to be one of the biggest military tragedies of Mughal history. In the year 1580, the Yousafzai tribes rebelled in the North-West Frontier Province, i.e. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of present-day Pakistan. This area was very important from strategic point of view. Akbar first sent Jain Khan to crush this rebellion, but he was not successful. Then came Birbal’s turn. Hakeem Abul Fateh was also sent with him. This commander marched in that direction with a large army. Birbal had experience of military leadership, but he was not familiar with the art of guerrilla warfare.

The Mughal army was passing through Karakar Pass of Swat Valley. Pass means bed narrow area. It was surrounded by hills. Yousafzai fighters had maintained a position on the hilltops. As soon as the Mughal army reached the middle of the pass, the tribesmen started pelting heavy stones and arrows from above. There was a stampede in the Mughal army. The situation became worse due to darkness. Birbal attained martyrdom in this attack. About eight thousand soldiers were killed along with them. This is recorded in history as the biggest defeat of Akbar’s reign.

Akbar’s mourning

Akbar was deeply shocked after hearing the news of Birbal’s death. It is recorded in Akbarnama that after this information the king did not take even a single grain of food for two days. He was very sad because he could not find Birbal’s body. His last rites could not be performed as per Hindu rituals because his body was never found. Emperor Akbar often used to say that no one can fill the void of Birbal. Despite the jealousy of the courtiers, Birbal immortalized himself in history with his intelligence and loyalty.

In this way we find that Birbal was not just the subject of stories or jokes. He was a great diplomat and warrior. His death broke Akbar mentally. Even today Birbal is remembered for his cleverness and justice. This day reminds us of that great personality who won the heart of the emperor of a huge empire on the strength of his wisdom.

Also read: How did Bhamashah become Maharana Pratap’s ‘troubleshooter’ in the war against the Mughals?