Navratan of Akbar

Mughul Emperor Akbar was one of the most renowned kings in Indian history. From 1556 until 1605, he ruled over the majority of the Indian subcontinent, extending Mughal authority. Akbar undertook initiatives to win the loyalty of the non-Muslim inhabitants of his realm in order to maintain the unity of his kingdom. He restructured and reinforced his central administration, as well as centralizing and reorganizing his financial system and tax collecting operations. He never rejected Islam, but he was interested in other religions and persuaded Hindus, Parsis, Christians, and Muslims to engage in theological debates in front of him. 

Among all the histories of the Mughal Emperor, nine gems of Akbar or the Navratnas are the most talked about. They were also called the Navratnas of Akbar or the nine gems of Akbar. Although Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great was not the first to honor scholarly individuals as the nine gems or jewels of his empire, his navratnas are perhaps the most famous.

As a monarch, he effectively expanded the Mughal Empire over virtually the whole Indian Subcontinent to the north of the Godavari River. Despite his illiteracy, Akbar was a patron of artists and intellectuals and had a strong desire to learn. He amassed a vast library of approximately 24,000 books written in Sanskrit, Urdu, Persian, Greek, Latin, Arabic, and Kashmiri, containing the works of a wide range of academics, translators, painters, calligraphers, scribes, bookbinders, and readers. For study and conversation, his court welcomed holy men of all faiths, poets, architects, and artists from all over the world. These were also called the Navratan of Akbar.

In 1582 AD, he proposed Din-i-Ilahi, a syncretism religion, to reconcile divisions in his kingdom based on faith, in an attempt to collect the teachings and finest components of the many faiths in the Indian subcontinent. In addition to Christianity, Jainism, Sikhism, and Zoroastrianism, most aspects of the faith were derived from Islam and Hinduism.

9 Ratna of Akbar

The "Nine Gems of Akbar," or Navratnas Nauratan, are nine members of the Mughal Emperor Akbar's court. These navratnas of Akbar court are the most prominent ones. Emperor Akbar had a passion for the arts and education, which impacted his royal court appointments. Artists, singers, authors, finance ministers, soldiers, and poets composed the Nine Gems or the 9 ratna of Akbar.

1) Abu’l-Fazl ibn Mubarak

Abu'l was the second son of an Indian scholar and teacher Sheikh Mubarak and was born in Agra. This little genius could read and write at the age of five thanks to an Arabic education. He is one of the nine jewels of Akbar. 

An early occurrence in his life exemplifies his brilliance. When he came upon an Ishafani dictionary that had been devoured by white ants, he took out the eaten portions and taped the blank paper to it. He produced a full draught of the dictionary after discovering the beginning and finish of each piece. Only three differences separated the original work from Fazl's draught.

At the age of 23, he was welcomed into Emperor Akbar's court. He extended the attitude of religious tolerance to his monarch and the empire as a liberal thinker. His first position was as a military commander in the Deccan. He is well known for writing Akbarnama, a three-volume chronicle of Akbar's life and kingdom.

2) Raja Todar Mal

Todar Mal was born into a Hindu household in Laharpur, Uttar Pradesh, but his father died while he was a child. As a fatherless youngster, he struggled to make ends meet. From his lowly beginnings as a scribe, he rose through the ranks to become in control of Sher Shah Suri's new fort of Rohtas in Punjab.

Todar Mal remained to serve Akbar when the Mughals conquered the Suri monarch. He was then appointed governor of Gujarat and given command of Agra. The revenue system, which he implemented together with a land surveying system, standard weights and measurements, and revenue districts, is his most major gift to India, which is still in use in various places today. He is among the leading Akbar Navratna name.

3) Abdul Rahim Khan-L-Khana

One of the well-known nine jewels of Akbar. If asked who was the court poet of Akbar? Abdil was the leading one. He was a poet as well as one of Akbar's most powerful dewans. Khan Khana, in the Nawanshahr region of Punjab, is named for him. He is known for his Urdu couplets and Sanskrit astrological works such as Khetakautukam and Dwatrimshadyogavali. Bairam Khan, Akbar's beloved protector and mentor was his father.

After his father was assassinated, his mother and a young Rahim were safely sent to Akbar's imperial palace. The emperor bestowed the title of "Mirza Khan" on Rahim and arranged for him to marry the daughter of Mirza Aziz Kokah, son of Ataga Khan, a prominent Mughal noble. Abdul was well-known for his charitable contributions to the needy. He never looked them in the eyes of the people, instead of casting his gaze down and distributing alms in humility. He authored a number of dohas and translated Babar's memoirs from Chagatai to Persian, including the renowned Baburnama.

4) Raja Birbal

He was a Hindu adviser at Akbar's court who became well-known in India because of ancient folk stories praising his humor. He was a personal friend of the Emperor and a poet and vocalist. Birbal commanded an army to suppress the insurrection in the northwest in 1586, but he was slain in an ambush with 8000 men, the Mughal Empire’s largest military defeat at the time.

The Emperor was so upset that he fasted and drank for nearly two days to lament the loss of his favorite courtier. Raja Birbal was the sole Hindu to convert to Akbar's religion, Din-i Ilahi.

5) Mulla Do- Piyaza

He was Akbar's Minister of Home Affairs, in command of the Mughal Empire's version of a police force, and was in charge of the country's internal security. Many historians, however, have declared his existence to be fake. In most 19th-century folktales, he appears as the humorous Muslim counterpart to Birbal.

6) Faizi

Faizi was the pen name of Sheikh Abu al-Faiz ibn Mubarak, an Arab poet, and philosopher. He was named the Malik-ush-Shu'ara, or poet laureate, of Akbar's Court in 1588. He was Abul Fazl's elder brother and the author of Akbarnama.

Sheikh Mubarak, Fazio’s father, was born in Agra. When he arrived at court, he was assigned as a tutor to Akbar's sons, Salim, Murad, and Daniyal, due to his intellect. In Persian, he wrote over 100 notable poetry pieces. Tabashir al-Subh was his Divan (collection of poetry), which included qasidas, ghazals, ruba'is, and elegies.

7) Fakir Aziao-Din

Fakir Aziao-Din was a mystic who served as Emperor Akbar's top counselor. The emperor respected his advice highly, and he was appropriately named one of his court's nine gems, or Navratnas. He counseled the Emperor on religious concerns.

8) Tansen

He was born into a Hindu household and studied music in modern-day Madhya Pradesh. He began his career under the patronage of Rewa State Governor Ram Chand and quickly rose to prominence.

When Tansen attracted Akbar's interest, he dispatched emissaries to Ram Chand, demanding that the musician join his court. While Tansen first declined, Ram Chand, urged him to reach a broader audience and, at the age of 60, sent him to Akbar's court with presents. He was an instrumentalist, composer, musician, and vocalist who were also one of the most important figures in Indian Hindustani classical music. Tansen was the most beloved Navratnas of Akbar court. 

9) Raja Man Singh 1

He was Amber's Rajput Raja (present-day Jaipur). Manorama Bai, one of Akbar's most loyal generals, married Shah Jahan's oldest son, Crown Prince Dara Shikoh.

He was roughly eight years younger than Akbar and 10 years younger than Rana Pratap. He was born to King Bhagwant Das and his wife Bhagawati of Amber. These three contemporaries set the groundwork for India's politics and history in the sixteenth century. Previously known as Kunwar (prince), he was given the title of Mirza (Raja) and the mansab (rank) of 5000 by Akbar following his father's death.

Akbar was a reformer to the core. He provided peace to his subjects and treated them decently. He was an outspoken opponent of prejudice against Hindus and Muslims, and he served in the military while advocating for religious tolerance. His nine jewels (Navratnas), whose recommendations widen his range of thought, also contributed to his tolerance and kindness.