There is a popular story about Birbal’s daughter in the royal court of Emperor Akbar. Here’s how it goes.
Once, Emperor Akbar announced a grand feast in his palace and invited all the nobles and courtiers to attend. Among the guests was Birbal, his trusted advisor, who arrived with his daughter.
During the feast, Akbar noticed Birbal’s daughter sitting quietly at the table, observing the proceedings with great interest. Impressed by her demeanor, Akbar decided to test her intelligence.
He called Birbal’s daughter to his side and presented her with a bowl filled with grapes. Akbar said, “My dear, I want you to count the exact number of grapes in this bowl. If you can do so correctly, I will reward you with a bag of gold coins.”
Birbal’s daughter looked at the bowl of grapes and then at Akbar with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. She replied, “Your Majesty, I can tell you the exact number of grapes in this bowl, but only if you promise not to get angry with me.”
Akbar, intrigued by her condition, agreed and assured her that he wouldn’t get angry.
Birbal’s daughter then said, “Your Majesty, there are exactly three grapes in this bowl: one grape that I can see, one grape that you can see, and one grape that we both can see. Therefore, the total number of grapes in the bowl is three.”
The entire court burst into laughter at her clever response, including Emperor Akbar himself. He was thoroughly impressed by Birbal’s daughter’s wit and intelligence.
Akbar kept his promise and rewarded Birbal’s daughter with a bag of gold coins, praising her quick thinking and sharp mind. From that day on, she was known as one of the cleverest individuals in the royal court, following in her father’s footsteps as a master of wit and wisdom.
This story highlights the brilliance of Birbal’s daughter and her ability to outsmart even the great Emperor Akbar with her clever response.
