Birbal

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Raja Birbal (1528-1586) was a courtier in the administration of the Mughal emperor Akbar and one of the members of Akbar's inner council of nine advisors, known as the 'navaratana', a Sanskrit word meaning 'nine jewels.' Birbal was referred to as a court wit as a result of the fact that he frequently had witty and humorous exchanges with Akbar.

Born Mahesh Das, in village Ghoghara of Sihawal tehsil in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh. Birbal grew up in an impoverished Brahmin household. 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 and to bestow upon him a new name - Birbal. Akbar also conferred on him the title of "Raja", meaning "king"

The exchanges between Akbar and Birbal have been recorded in many volumes. Many of these have become folk stories in the Indian tradition. Some such stories may be found in the popular Amar Chitra Katha series, which devotes many books to stories about Birbal. In many of these accounts, Akbar would ask Birbal a question on any matter - something philosophical, witty, bizarre, or even unusual - and Birbal would provide a funny, clever, or brilliant answer. Birbal's collections of poetry, published under the pen name Brahma, are preserved in the Bharatpur Museum, Rajasthan, India.

Raja Birbal died in the battle of Malandari Pass, attempting to quell unrest amongst Afghan or Pashtun tribes in Northwest India. Akbar was said to have mourned for a long time on hearing the news.