NAVRATNAS

INTRODUCTION

According to Sardesai in his paper titled “Nine gems of Akbar’s Court” published
in 1944 -

‘WHEN A RULER ACHIEVES PHENOMENAL SUCCESS IN HIS CRAFT,

POPULAR IMAGINATION SOON INVESTS HIM WITH A GLOW OF PRAISE
AND GATHERS ROUND HIM A LIST OF CONSPICUOUS PERSONALITIES
THAT HAD SHARED HIS TOILS. IT IS OBVIOUS THEREFORE THAT NEITHER
THE ACTUAL NAMES, NOR THE EXACT NUMBER OF THESE GEMS OR
HELPMATES OF AKBAR CAN BE ACCURATELY SET DOWN.’

The stories of a numbered set of wise and cultured men in the court of great kings
were popular in Indian folklore. For example, Sanskrit
text Jyotirvidabharana, popularly attributed to Kalidasa, but which many scholars
consider to be a forgery, speaks about nine wise men in court of mythical king
Vikramaditya of Ujjain. Similarly, there are popular tale of Ashtadiggajas or the
eight great cultural giants in the court of Emperor Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagar
kingdom (1471 CE -1529 CE).
Deemed the nine most extraordinary and learned people in the court of a ruling
emperor, the term ‘navratnas’ or nine gems came about in Indian history.

Emperor Akbar had an affinity for the arts and academia, which influenced his
choices for the royal court. The Nine Gems of Akbar were made up of artists,
musicians, writers, finance ministers, warriors, and poets. They were:- Abu'l-Fazl
ibn Mubarak, Raja Todar Mal, Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana, Raja Birbal,
Mulla Do-Piyaza, Faizi, Fakir Aziao-Din, Tansen and Raja Man Singh I.
Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak

Abu’l Fazl ibn Mubarak was the Prime Minister, known as Grand Vizier, of
Akbar’s court. He was born in 1551, the brother of Faizi (also on Akbar’s court).
He began learning Arabic and Islamic teachings at an early age. Akbar appointed
him to the court in 1575 and Abu’l Fazl ibn Mubarak had a significant influence on
Akbar’s religious beliefs. Under Mubarak’s guidance, Akbar became more
ideologically liberal.
He is remembered for his book, the Akbarnama, an account of the reign of
Emperor Akbar.
Raja Todar Mal –

Raja Todar Mal was the Finance Minister of Akbar’s court. When he was very
young, he lost his father which left him with little means for survival. He began his
career as a writer while still young. Later in life, Sher Shah Suri gave him the
responsibility of building a fort in Punjab. Emperor Akbar overthrew Suri and
placed Raja Todar Mal in charge of Agra. He went on to become the governor of
Gujarat.
Todar Mal is remembered for improving the financial system of the Mughal
Empire. He did this by implementing a land surveying system, standard weights
and measurements, and revenue districts. His systems are still in use today.
Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana

Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana was the Defense Minister on Emperor Akbar’s court.
He was born in 1556 to Bairam Khan, a guardian and mentor to Akbar.
When Akbar’s son, Jahangir, took the throne, Abdul also served on his court.
Abdul Rahim is remembered for several accomplishments, including: 2 books on
astrology, a translation of Babar’s memoirs(Baburnama from Chagatai to Persian),
and numerous dohas (a genre of poetry). He was also known for his manner of
giving alms to the poor. He never looked at them in the eye, but always cast his
vision down while giving alms in all humility

Raja Birbal
Raja Birbal was the Foreign Minister on Akbar’s court. He was born in 1528 to a
Hindu Brahmin family with experience in poetry and literature. Birbal grew up and
became famous by writing music and poetry. Before serving on Akbar’s court, he
was on the court of King Ram Chand. Akbar appointed him sometime between
1556 and 1562 as the poet laureate. He went on to serve Akbar as a religious and
military advisor for around 30 years. Birbal became the only Hindu to convert to
Din-i Ilahi, the religion created by Akbar.
Folk tales emerged about Birbal toward the end of Akbar’s reign. In these tales,
Birbal was portrayed as clever, outsmarting other court members and the Emperor
himself. He has been immortalized in books, plays, and movies during the 20th
century.
Mulla Do-Piyaza -

Mulla Do-Piyaza is often cited as the Minister of Home Affairs of Akbar’s court.
The person in this position is in charge of the country’s internal security, namely,
the police force. However, many scholars believe that Do-Piyaza is a fictional
character.He plays a part in several folk stories. Mulla Do-Piyaza is always a witty
character against Birbal, the Foreign Minister of Akbar’s court. He was first
mentioned in these folk tales during the late 19th century.
Faizi

Faizi was the Minister of Education and a mentor to the sons of Emperor Akbar.
He was also the brother of another member of Akbar’s court, Abu’l Fazl ibn
Mubarak (mentioned below). Faizi was born in Agra in 1547 and educated by his
father, a scholar of Islamic theology and Greek literature and philosophy. He went
on to become a renowned poet and scholar. Akbar recruited him in 1566 to teach
the royal sons. He later became the sadr (religious official) for the states of Agra,
Kalinjar, and Kalpi and in 1588, he became the court’s poet laureate.
Faizi is remembered for his works of poetry, numbering in the hundreds. One of
his most well known books is Tabashir al-Subh, a collection of poems.

Fakir Aziao-Din -

Fakir Aziao-Din was the Religious Minister for Akbar’s court. He provided
religious advice to the Emperor on a wide range of topics. In fact, “Fakir” means
“sage” in Urdu. Not many records exist about his birth, life, and death.
Tansen

Tansen was the Minister of Culture for the Mughal Empire and a renowned singer.
He was noticed by Emperor Akbar because of his service on the court of Ram
Chand, Hindu King of Gwalior. Emperor Akbar requested his presence in 1562
and King Chand sent Tansen with additional gifts. Tansen was 60 years old. He
was given the title “Mian”, which means “learned man”.
Tansen is remembered for his contributions to Hindustani, North Indian classical
music. His compositions have led to the founding of several regional music schools
in North India, known as gharana. Additionally, he wrote 2 books about classical
music: Sangita Sara and Sri Ganesh Stotra.

Raja Man Singh 1

Raja Man Singh I was the Chief of Staff of the Mughal Army. He was born in
December of 1550, and By 1589, Singh I was in charge of 5,000 soldiers. This
responsibility was increased to 7,000 soldiers in 1605, the highest rank anybody
could achieve except for the son of the Emperor. Interestingly, Emperor Akbar
referred to Raja Man Singh I as “son”. He led the Mughal Army against the Rana
Pratap in the Battle of Haldighati of 1576.
Singh I went on to become the governor of the states of Jharkhand, Bengal,
Odisha, and Bihar in 1594. He served for 3 terms, during which he commissioned
the construction of a palace, a mosque, and a fort. Perhaps his most famous
architectural achievement is the Krishna temple, which stands at 7 floors high in
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. Today, this temple stands at 4 stories.