Mahesh Das (; 1528 16 February 1586), popularly known by his title Rajah Birbal (), was an Indian minister and commander of the Mughal Empire. He is mostly known in the Indian subcontinent for the folk tales which focus on his wit. He was appointed by Akbar and was one of his most important courtiers, part of a group called the navaratnas (nine jewels). In February 1586, he led an army to crush an unrest in the north-west Indian subcontinent now modern day Swat District Pakistan where he was killed along with many troops in an ambush which turned into a full-scale battle against rebelling Yusufzai and adjoining tribes. He was the only Hindu to adopt Din-i Ilahi, the religion founded by Akbar.
Local folk tales emerged primarily in 19th century involving his interactions with Akbar, thus became even more of a semi-fictional legendary figure across the Indian subcontinent. However, these stories have generally been described as fictional by modern historians.
Early life
Birbal was born as Mahesh Das in 1528. According to historical and literary evidence presented in Raja Birbal: Life and Times, Birbal was born into a Brahmbhatt family of Ganga Das in the village of Tribikrampur (now Tikwapur), in present-day Kanpur District of Uttar Pradesh.
He was educated in Hindi, Sanskrit and Persian, and Bengali. He wrote prose, specialised in music and poetry in the Braj language, thus gaining fame. He served at the Rajput court of Jaipur and Raja Ram Chandra of Rewa, under the name 'Brahma Kavi' before he joined the Mughal court in 1569. Birbal's economic and social status improved after marrying a woman of a wealthy family, contrary to the notion that he was on poor economic terms before his appointment at Mughal Emperor Akbar's imperial court. Akbar bestowed upon him the name 'Birbal' with the title "Raja", by which he was known from then on.
Position and association with Akbar
His growing reputation led him to be part of Akbar's nine advisers, known as the Navaratna - the nine jewels. Birbal also played the role of a religious advisor, military figure and close friend of the Emperor, serving him for 30 years. In 1572, he was among a large army sent to aid Husain Quli Khan against an attack from the Akbar's brother, Hakim Mirza, which was his first military role. He later accompanied the Emperor during his Gujarat campaigns. Despite having no military background, he often participated in Akbar's campaigns and was given leadership positions, like Todar Mal, who was an advisor in economic matters. He had a close association with Akbar, despite being fourteen years elder than him; of the nine ratnas, Birbal was often called the brightest jewel. In the ensuing ambush and heavy defeat, Birbal and over 8000 soldiers were killed near Malandari Pass, Buner. This battle is known as the Battle of Malandari Pass. Akbar was shocked at this defeat news and was said to have expressed his grief over the loss his favourite courtier and not taken food or drink for two days.<blockquote>His majesty cared for the death of no grandee more than for that of Birbal. He said, 'Alas! they could not even get his body out of the pass, that it might have been burned"; but at last, he consoled himself with the thought that Birbal was now free and independent of all earthly fetters, and as the rays of the sun were sufficient for him, there was no necessity that he should be cleansed by fire.</blockquote>
Folklore and legacy
<!--"Akbar and Birbal stories" etc redirects here-->
Origins
Akbar-Birbal folk tales were passed on mainly by oral tradition. They focus on how Birbal manages to outsmart envious courtiers who try to trap and portray him in poor light in front of Akbar, often in a humorous manner with him shown giving sharp and intelligent responses. Others show his interactions with the Emperor which involve him trying to test Birbal's wit and Birbal making him realise his folly, which always ends with Akbar becoming amused and impressed. He occasionally challenges Birbal by giving him a line of poetry which Birbal has to complete. Some of the other stories are simple humorous anecdotes. Getting an advantage in a seemingly impossible situation and making his challengers look silly are usual occurrences in these tales. children's comics and many books are available containing these collections. There are various paperback editions, films, textbooks, booklets and plays with his character as the lead. Zee Tv produced a series called Akbar And Birbal in 1995. The television channel Cartoon Network in India, has two featured animated series based on him, Chota Birbal and Akbar & Birbal. Salman Rushdie's novel The Enchantress of Florence has the character of Birbal. Akbar Birbal is a 2014 historical comedy show originally broadcast by Big Magic, it was followed by Hazir Jawab Birbal in 2015. Akbar Ka Bal Birbal is another historical comedy show about Akbar and Birbal that aired on Star Bharat in 2020.
References
Further reading
- 50 Wittiest Tales of Birbal () by Clifford Sawhney (Publishers: Pustak Mahal, Delhi).