Later storytellers said that Akbar kept nine extraordinary people at his court, the Navaratnas or Nine Jewels.
Among them were Abul Fazl, who wrote the history of the reign; the singer Tansen, whose music was said to light lamps; Raja Todar Mal, who reorganised the land revenue; and Birbal, whose quick answers became the stuff of folk tales.
Historians debate whether the nine ever formed one group. But the legend captures something real: Akbar's court drew talent from every faith and region of his empire.
All episodes of Babur to Akbar
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1
The Prince of Fergana
1 min read
In 1494 a twelve-year-old boy inherits a small kingdom and a world of enemies.
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2
The Road to Panipat
1 min read
With guns, carts and a gamble, Babur meets the Sultan of Delhi on an April morning in 1526.
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3
The Boy Emperor
1 min read
Crowned in a garden at thirteen, Akbar must win back an empire his father barely held.
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4
A City of Red Sandstone
1 min read
Akbar builds a new capital on a ridge near Agra, and names it for victory.
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5
The Nine Jewels
1 min read
A poet, a musician, a finance minister and a wit: the famous circle around Akbar.
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6
Akbar’s Ibadat Khana: A Remarkable Mughal History
2 min read
