Akbar Birbal Story
Akbar Birbal Story
Akbar Birbal Story
Birbal was an advisor in the court of Akbar and is very popular for his sharp intellect and sense of humour. The stories of Birbal are very popular among kids and adults alike and forms an indespensible part in Indian folk lore. Birbal (1528-1583) is surely one of the most popular figures in Indian history equally regarded by adults and children. Birbal's duties in Akbar's court were mostly administrative and military but he was a very close friend of Akbar too, because Akbar loved his wisdom, wit, and subtle humor. He was a minister in the administration of Mogul Emperor Akbar and one of the members of inner council of nine advisors. He was a poet and an author too. It is believed that he was a son of poor Braahman of Trivikrampur (now known as Tikavanpur) on the banks of River Yamuna. According to a popular legend he died on an expedition to Afghanistan at the head of a large military force due to treachery. It is also said that when Birbal died, Akbar mourned him for several months. The exchanges between Akbar and Birbal have been recorded in many volumes. Many of these have become folk stories in Indian tradition. Birbal's collection of poetry published under the pen name "Brahm" are preserved in Bharatpur Museum, Rajsthan, India. Shown below is a list of Birbal's Stories :
get from you. I have taken half of my share, now it is your guard's turn to take his share of half." Everybody bursted into the laughter. The guard was hauled to receive his humiliating bribe. The King said, "You are as brave as you were when you were a child. You have grown into a cleverer young man. I was trying to weed out the corrupted people from my court, but your little trick has done what I wouldn't have done even after passing several laws. From now on, on the basis of of your wisdom, you shall be called "Birbal" and you will stay by my side as my advisor." That is how Birbal was born.
Akbar was very impressed with Birbal's wit and wisdom. So one day Akbar promised him for many gifts. But it so happened that several days passed, but there was no sign of gift. Birbal was very disappointed. He didn't know what to do? One day when Akbar was taking a stroll at the bank of Yamunaa with his dear minister Birbal, he happened to notice a camel. He asked Birbal, "Tell me Birbal, why the camel's neck is crooked." Birbal thought this is good time, so he thought for a moment and spoke, "Your Majesty, it might be possible that the camel has forgotten to honor his promise made to somebody that is why his neck is crooked. Scriptures mention that whoever will forget their promises will have crooked neck. So this might seem the reason of his crooked neck." Akbar soon realized that he promised to give some gifts to Birbal, but has not yet done so. As soon as they arrived at the palace, the King gave him his reward. So Birbal was so wise that he got what he wanted without asking for it.
ready, His Majesty, but there two conditions." Akbar was so happy to hear this that he forgot that Birbal could put some odd conditions to him. He asked, "What are those conditions? Tell me soon. I will try to fulfill them so that you can go to heaven to be with my dear father." Birbal said, "His majesty, I wish to be buried near my house. And I want to be buried alive so that I can reach heaven alive to amuse your dear father." The King found this logical and agreed up on them immediately. So Birbal was buried alive near his house. Of course he made his way to his house where he lived in confinement for six months. After six months, he came out of hiding with grown beard and shabby hair and asked the permission to appear in the Royal Court. Looking at him Akbar cried, "Where have you been Birbal?" Birbal said, "Your Majesty, I was in Heaven with your dear father. I had a very good time there with your father. He was so happy with my services that he gave me special permission to return to Earth." Akbar was very anxious to know about his father, he asked, "Did he send any message for me?" Birbal said, "Yes Your Majesty, he said that very few barber can make it to go to Heaven, you can make out this from my grown beard and shabby hair, so he has asked to send your own barber to him immediately. Akbar understood everything. He gave Birbal a big prize, and his barber the life sentence.
<< Go back to the index of Birbal Stories Once Akbar and Birbal passed through some farms while riding on their horses. They happened to pass through a cabbage patch. Looking at the patch, Akbar said to Birbal, "What a delightful vegetable the cabbage is. I like it very much." Birbal said, "Huzoor, cabbage is the king of the vegetables." Akbar did not reply to this, and they went on. Another day, they were riding past the same cabbage patches again. This time Akbar made a face, and said, "This cabbage is such a tasteless vegetable. How people tolerate it." Birbal replied, " Yes Huzoor, really it is difficult to even look at such a tasteless vegetable." Akbar again listened to this and they went on. After a while the king remembered something. He said to Birbal, "Birbal, I don't understand you. Last time when we passed through this patch, you told that the cabbage was the king of vegetable, and today you said that "It is even difficult to look at such a tasteless vegetable. What do you mean by that?" Birbal said bowing, "Huzoor, I am your servant, not of cabbage."
Akbar's Advisor?
<< Go back to the index of Birbal Stories Several courtiers were vying to be the Royal Advisor of Emperor Akbar. So one day, when they came to the court, they said to the Emperor, "We want to be your Royal Advisor."
Akbar said, "No problem, but you will have to pass the test before you could be my Royal Advisor. And whoever would pass the test will be appointed my Advisor." They agreed. The King unfastened his waist cloth and lay down on the floor, and asked the candidates to cover him with that cloth from head to toe. Now everybody tried to cover him, but in vain. If one wanted to cover the head, then feet remained uncovered, or if the feet were covered, then his head remained open. Just then Birbal entered the court, the king asked Birbal also, if he could cover him with that cloth from head to toe. Birbal paused a moment, then asked the Emperor politely, "Huzoor, Could you pull up your knees a little bit?" The King did so, and Birbal could cover him from head to toe with that cloth. Realizing that they failed the test, the courtiers left the court quietly and then they never thought about being the King's Advisor.
"What punishment should be given to a person who pulls my mustache?" One said, "He should be beheaded." Another said, "He should be flogged." Yet another said, "He should be hanged." "What do you think, Birbal?" the Emperor asked Birbal. Birbal kept quiet for a moment, then said, "Jahaanpanaah, he should be given sweets." "What, Birbal? Have you gone crazy? Do you know what are you saying?" Birbal replied politely, "I am not crazy, Jahaanpanaah. And I know what I am saying." "Then how can you talk like this?" the King asked in anger. Birbal again replied politely, "Because, Jahaanpanaah, the only person who can dare to do this is your grandson." So pleased was the King with this answer, that he gave his ring to Birbal as a reward.
<< Go back to the index of Birbal Stories One day Birbal's five-year old daughter accompanied him to the Royal Court. When Akbar saw her, it just came to his mind that he should test her wits whether she had the same type of wits as her father had. He started talking to her. "Do you know Persian, O little girl?" "A little lesser and a little more, Sir" The girl replied. Birbal smiled on her reply, but Akbar could not understand it, so he asked Birbal to explain this. Birbal said, "She knows Persian a little more than those who do not know Persian, and knows a little lesser than those who know Persian well." Akbar understood, that she had the same wits as her father.
court, said, "See Your Majesty, how miser he is? You have bestowed so much money on him, still he is after a copper coin." Mullaa said quickly, "It is not because of the value of the coin, Your Majesty, that I am looking for it. I am looking for it because one side of that coin bears your resemblance, and I don't want people trampling on it." Akbar was so pleased to hear this reply that he pulled off his diamond ring from his finger and gave it to the Mullaa.
"He has been given the honor of having an audience with the Emperor, that makes him the noblest among the beggars, Jahaapanaah."
Fast Horse
<< Go back to the index of Birbal Stories One day, when Akbar saw Hodja coming on foot, he promised him to give a horse. Accordingly, he instructed his stable man to give a horse to Hodja. Now, it so happened that the stable man selected a very weak and sick horse from the stable and sent it to Hodja's house. The horse was so weak and sick that it died on the same night it was delivered. When next day Akbar saw Hodja coming on foot again, he asked in surprise, "What happened to your horse, I arranged yesterday?" Hodja said, "Jahaanpanaah, the horse had a fleet of feet that it crossed the distance from earth to Heaven in one night." Akbar was very sorry to know this, and this time he arranged a very good horse for him.
One day Birbal happened to pass a harmless comment on Akbar's sense of humor. But Akbar was no fool. He got very angry and ordered him to not only leave the court, but also the city of Agra, his capital. Birbal was terribly hurt but could not do anything about it. So Birbal left. But now Akbar was missing him. He wanted him back in the Court. He could not do anything without him. he wanted to call him but he didn't know his whereabouts. Nobody else also knew where he was. One day an intelligent Saadhu (saint) came to his court and told him the way to search for him. Now Akbar did as the Saadhu said to him. He announced that he would give one thousand gold coins whosoever will come to his Court in half sun and in half shade. Next day a villager came carrying a string cot over his head and claimed the money. He said, "I am in half sun and in half shade." Akbar understood that
this man cannot do it himself. On interrogation he confessed that Birbal suggested him this plan. Akbar was very happy to hear this. Immediately he called Birbal and they had a happy reunion.
Now Hasan could not do anything but to hold red hot iron in his hands to prove his innocence, and that he was speaking the truth. He asked judge to give him one day to look for that necklace again. The judge gave him permission. He went home. He took advice from Birbal. He returned next day he came back and said, "I am ready for that, Sir, if you think so. But the same thing should apply to him too. If he is speaking the truth, then the red hot iron should not burn his hands also. So let him bring that red hot iron holding in his both hands, then I will hold that iron in my bare hands." Now the man was speechless. He told the Judge that he would go and search his necklace again in his house, maybe it was misplaced somewhere there, bowed hastily and went away.
Four Fools
<< Go back to the index of Birbal Stories Once Akbar asked Birbal to bring four fools of the first order to him. He said - "It is not difficult because this world is full of fools. Birbal said - "OK" and asked some time to find them, which Akbar readily gave to him. Now Birbal started looking for fools. He was going somewhere that he saw a man carrying a large plate on which were kept some clothes, betel leaves and sweets. He looked like a fool to Birbal, so he asked him - "Where are you going to? And to whom you are carrying this?" The man replied - "My wife has remarried. Now they have a child so I am taking this gift for them." Birbal got convinced that he was a fool, so he considered him a candidate to take to the king. At another time he saw a man riding a buffalo carrying a bundle of grass on his head. Birbal thought he was also a fool, so he asked him - "Why are you carrying this bundle on your head?" The man replied - "In fact my buffalo is pregnant, so I thought that she should not carry too much load, that is why I have put this bundle on my own head instead of putting it on it." Birbal considered him also a candidate to take to the king. So next morning he took those people to Akbar's court and presented them to him as the biggest fools. "But these are only two fools; where are the other two? I asked you to bring four fools." King asked. Birbal folded his hands and bending a little said - "Jehaanpanaah, The third fool are you who asked me to bring the fools; and the fourth fool is me who has brought these fools for you." When the king heard about them, he laughed a lot on their foolishness.