Akbar’s Navratna –

Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar –

Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar was the greatest Mughal emperor of India. Which expanded Mughal power to most parts of the Indian subcontinent. Akbar is also known as Akbar-e-Azam, Shahenshah Akbar and Mahabali Shahenshah.

There were 9 special courtiers in Akbar’s court who are also known as ‘Navratna’ of Akbar. Abul Fazl (1551-1602) penned the period of Akbar. He also composed Akbarnama and Aina-i-Akbari. Faizi (1547–1595) was the brother of Abul Fazl. He used to write poetry in Farsi. King Akbar appointed him to the post of mathematics teacher of his son. Miya Tansen was a singer in Akbar’s court.

He also used to write poetry. Raja Birbal (1528-1583) was a court clown and an advisor to Akbar. Raja Todar Mal was the finance minister of Akbar. Raja Man Singh was the Kachhwaha Rajput king of Amber (Amer, Jaipur). He was the chief commander in Akbar’s army. Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana was a poet and son of Akbar’s patron Bairam Khan. Hakim Humam was an advisor to Akbar. Mulla Do Piazza was Akbar’s advisor.

The 9 gems that adorned the court of Akbar were as follows-

1. Abul Fazl

2. Faizzi

3. Tansen

4. Birbal

5. Raja Todarmal

6. Raja Mansingh

7. Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana

8. Hakimhukkam

9. Mullah Do Piazza

1. Abul Fazal –

His full name was Abul Fazl ibn Mubarak. Abul Fazl (1551 – 1602) penned the major events of Akbar’s reign. He composed Akbarnama and Ain-i-Akbari. He was born in Agra. He was murdered by Salim through Veer Singh Bundela. Abul Fazl did the Persian translation of Panchatantra under the name Anwar-e-Sadat.

• His father’s name was Sheikh Mubarak.

It was Sheikh Mubarak who prepared the draft of a document named Mahjarnama in 1579 AD, then it was issued by Akbar.

2. Faizi –

Faizi (1547 – 1595) was the brother of Abul Fazl who wrote poetry in Persian and was appointed by Akbar as his son’s mathematics teacher. Shaykh Abu al-Faiz, pen name: Faizi (24 September 1547, Agra – 5 October 1595, Lahore) was a Persian poet of medieval India. He had translated Lilavati Granth into Farsi.

3. Tansen –

Poet Tansen was a prodigious musician in Akbar’s court. There is a famous proverb for Gwalior, the city of music emperor Tansen, that here children cry, then in tune and stones roll in rhythm. He composed the Malhar raga of Mian. His childhood name was Tanna Mishra or Ram Tanu Pandey. Tansen was considered to be a great knower of Deepak Raga.

4. Birbal –

Birbal’s real name was Maheshdas. The supreme wise [King Birbal] (1528-1583) was a special adviser to Akbar. Even today fictional tales with Akbar are told with humour and gaiety. Birbal was also a poet. He has written poems in the name of Brahma as a poet, which are preserved in the Bharatpur Museum, Rajasthan. Birbal was one of the Nauratno of the emperor.

5. Raja Todarmal –

Raja Todar Mal was the revenue and finance minister of Akbar. He designed the world’s first measurement system for land measurement. These belonged to Haryana village near Bharatpur Alwar, they belonged to Akbar’s kingdom. The only revenue training institute in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Hardoi has been named after him as Raja Todarmal Bhulekh Training Institute, where IAS, IPS, PCS, and PPS besides revenue personnel are given training on land records. He started the Dahsala method of land revenue.

6. Raja Mansingh –

The chief commander of Akbar’s army was the son (grandson) of Amer (Amber) Raja Bharmal of Maharaja Mansingh (Jaipur). There were 7000 mansabdars. Used to protect the state.

7. Abdul Rahim Khan-e-Khana –

Rahim was a distinguished poet and the son of Akbar’s patron Bairam Khan. He composed the name Nagar Shobha. He had translated Baburnama into Farsi.

8. Hakimhukkam –

Rahim was a distinguished poet and the son of Akbar’s patron Bairam Khan. He composed the name Nagar Shobha. He had translated Baburnama into Farsi.

9. Mullah Do Pizza –

Mullah Do Piaza was Akbar's amatya.[citation needed] He was famous for cutting things and was also fond of eating onions. These cooks were the tomb of Mullah Do Pyaza, Harda is built in Handiya Tehsil of Harda district of Madhya Pradesh, where there was a place for travelers to stay at the time of Mughal emperor, it is now known as Teli ki Sarai.

By Chanchal Sailani | December 20, 2022, | Editor at Gurugrah.