Birbal
Encyclopedia
Raja Birbal (real name: Mahesh Das or Maheshdas Bhat) was the Grand Vizier
(Wazīr-e Azam) of the Mughal court in the administration of the Mughal
emperor Akbar. He one of his most trusted members along with being a part of Akbar's inner council of nine advisors, known as the navaratna
, a Sanskrit
word meaning nine jewels. Birbal was one of only a few persons other than Akbar that were Din-i-Ilahi
believers.
Birbal's duties in Akbar's court were mostly military
and administrative, but he was also a very close friend of the emperor, who appreciated Birbal for his wit and wisdom, often involving humorous exchanges. These and other stories have become part of a rich tradition of folklore and legend.
, Sidhi district
of Madhya Pradesh
. A Brahmin
by birth, he grew up in a moderate household and was educated in the regional and Persian
languages. Birbal was a poet
and author
, whose intelligence and wisdom led the Emperor Akbar to invite him to be a part of the royal court and to bestow upon him a new name - Birbal (Bir means Brain, Bal means Strong). Akbar also conferred on him the title of Raja
.
, the third guru of Sikhism
. He and his army had their meals in the Langar, when some unscrupulous individual told him that Guru Amar Das had a precious Rasayana
(a rejuvenating ointment that promised eternal youth according to Ayurveda
's Rasayana Vidya). He demanded this Rasayana from Guru Amar Das. But, Guru Amar Das replied God's name is the true rasayana and this Rasayana is only gifted to the previous Gurus. Birbal did not believe him and instead got angry. He said that he would take the Rasayana the next day but at night. However, he had orders to reach Malandri (Muhim) the next day. Abandoning his plans for the Rasayana, he journeyed onward.his father name was gangadas.
and the Malandari pass. Attempting to crush the unrest, Akbar sent troops for the battle. However, the troops faced resilient resistance from the Afghans and suffered many losses. At this time, the Afghan Lashkar's (army) front was concentrated on one end in what is now the Katlang area of Lund Khwar to the other end near the Malandari Pass at the head of the Barkua Stream, about
30 miles N. E. of Hoti Mardan.
After a succession of defeats in the February of 1586 A.D. Akbar sent Birbal his Grand Vizier (Wazīr-e Azam), closest advisory and chief among the navaratnas to help Zain Khan in the battle. Birbal took command of the troops and around mid February marched into a concentrated formation of the Afghans in the Katlang area of Lund Khwar. On the 16th of February, 1586 A.D. during a major skirmish and while in the thick of the battle, Birbal along with his personal troops advanced into a narrow pass in Katlang at night. The Yousafzai and the Khattak Afghans were well prepared and were ready on the hills. Many men on Birbal’s side lost their way or were killed in the holes and the caverns and it was a terrible defeat, in which Birbal fought with bravery but died on 16 Feb 1586 A.D. Birbal’s death was said to be caused by treachery, not military defeat. Akbar was very shocked by the death of Birbal and he didn’t attend court for two full days and didn’t eat or drink anything and mourned for a long time.
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
(Wazīr-e Azam) of the Mughal court in the administration of the Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
emperor Akbar. He one of his most trusted members along with being a part of Akbar's inner council of nine advisors, known as the navaratna
Navaratnas
Navaratnas Nauratan was a term applied to a group of nine extraordinary people in a emperor's court in India...
, a Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word meaning nine jewels. Birbal was one of only a few persons other than Akbar that were Din-i-Ilahi
Din-i-Ilahi
The Dīn-i Ilāhī was a syncretic religious doctrine propounded by the Mughal emperor Jalālu d-Dīn Muḥammad Akbar , who ruled the Indian subcontinent from 1556 to 1605, intending to merge the best elements of the religions of his empire, and thereby reconcile the differences that divided his subjects...
believers.
Birbal's duties in Akbar's court were mostly military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
and administrative, but he was also a very close friend of the emperor, who appreciated Birbal for his wit and wisdom, often involving humorous exchanges. These and other stories have become part of a rich tradition of folklore and legend.
Early years
Born Mahesh Das in 1528 in the village GhogharaGhoghara
Ghoghara is a village of Sihawal tehsil in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh. Birbal grew up in an impoverished Brahmin household in this village. He was a poet and author whose wit and wisdom led the Emperor Akbar to invite him to be a part of the royal court....
, Sidhi district
Sidhi District
Sidhi district is one of the districts of Madhya Pradesh state of India. The town of Sidhi is the district headquarters. The district is part of Rewa Division.-History:...
of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
. A Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
by birth, he grew up in a moderate household and was educated in the regional and Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
languages. Birbal was a poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, whose intelligence and wisdom led the Emperor Akbar to invite him to be a part of the royal court and to bestow upon him a new name - Birbal (Bir means Brain, Bal means Strong). Akbar also conferred on him the title of Raja
Raja
Raja is an Indian term for a monarch, or princely ruler of the Kshatriya varna...
.
Meeting with Sikh Guru
According to Giani Gian Singh, the author of the Book Twarikh Guru Khalsa in 1626, Raja Birbal met Guru Amar DasGuru Amar Das
Guru Amar Das was the third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and was given the title of Sikh Guru on 26 March 1552.-His life:...
, the third guru of Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
. He and his army had their meals in the Langar, when some unscrupulous individual told him that Guru Amar Das had a precious Rasayana
Rasayana
Rasayan, a Sanskrit word , is used to describe chemistry and alchemy, and chemistry is generally called Rasayan Shastra in Sanskrit, Nepali, Marathi, Hindi, Kannada and several other languages.Ancient rasayan texts center around the use of prepared forms of mercury or cinnabar , as do...
(a rejuvenating ointment that promised eternal youth according to Ayurveda
Ayurveda
Ayurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
's Rasayana Vidya). He demanded this Rasayana from Guru Amar Das. But, Guru Amar Das replied God's name is the true rasayana and this Rasayana is only gifted to the previous Gurus. Birbal did not believe him and instead got angry. He said that he would take the Rasayana the next day but at night. However, he had orders to reach Malandri (Muhim) the next day. Abandoning his plans for the Rasayana, he journeyed onward.his father name was gangadas.
Death
"The Yousafzai and Khattak tribes of the Afghans in the North West had started low level skirmishes and looting raids against the Mughal Empire's outposts and trading routes along the East Bank of the River Indus, AttockAttock
Attock is a city located in the northern border of the Punjab province of Pakistan and the headquarters of Attock District...
and the Malandari pass. Attempting to crush the unrest, Akbar sent troops for the battle. However, the troops faced resilient resistance from the Afghans and suffered many losses. At this time, the Afghan Lashkar's (army) front was concentrated on one end in what is now the Katlang area of Lund Khwar to the other end near the Malandari Pass at the head of the Barkua Stream, about
30 miles N. E. of Hoti Mardan.
After a succession of defeats in the February of 1586 A.D. Akbar sent Birbal his Grand Vizier (Wazīr-e Azam), closest advisory and chief among the navaratnas to help Zain Khan in the battle. Birbal took command of the troops and around mid February marched into a concentrated formation of the Afghans in the Katlang area of Lund Khwar. On the 16th of February, 1586 A.D. during a major skirmish and while in the thick of the battle, Birbal along with his personal troops advanced into a narrow pass in Katlang at night. The Yousafzai and the Khattak Afghans were well prepared and were ready on the hills. Many men on Birbal’s side lost their way or were killed in the holes and the caverns and it was a terrible defeat, in which Birbal fought with bravery but died on 16 Feb 1586 A.D. Birbal’s death was said to be caused by treachery, not military defeat. Akbar was very shocked by the death of Birbal and he didn’t attend court for two full days and didn’t eat or drink anything and mourned for a long time.
Further reading
- 50 Wittiest Tales of Birbal (ISBN 81-7806-050-7) by Clifford Sawhney (Publishers: Pustak Mahal, DelhiDelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
)
- Solve Your Problems Author: Luis S. R. Vas (ISBN 81-223-0800-7)