Padishah Akbar loved and welcomed smart people very much. For this reason, his court became famous for the “nine treasures.”
One day, all the nobility gathered for a darbar: emirs, rajas, maharajas. Everyone sat in their places and listened as Birbal reported to the padishah about all kinds of claims and litigation, and the padishah, after listening to him carefully, decided and judged each one according to their merits.
Finally, the business was over, and everyone started talking about what. One courtier had been secretly sharpening his grudge against Birbal for a long time, and on that day he decided to shame him. He politely asked the padishah:
- Shahinshah! Let me ask?
The padishah allowed.
- Patron of the poor! - the courtier began. “Today I heard a strange conversation on the street. One rich man said to his servant: “You are obviously good for nothing. You are very stupid." To which the servant humbly replied: “Mr. merchant! Although I am your servant, I still dare to say that you do not know how to appreciate a person. Think a little, and you yourself will understand how useful I am to you.” Hearing this, I was very surprised. In fact, what is the price of a person? Lord of the world! Do me a favor, dispel my doubts.
After listening to the courtier, the padishah thought about it, but was unable to answer the question. And restless thoughts came into my head: “Today the merchant’s servant says this, and tomorrow one of my nobles, what good, will say: “Who is this padishah? Isn’t it because he sits on the throne because we ourselves put him there?” What will I answer? I must demand now that they set my price.”
Akbar repeated the courtier’s question in the council and, in addition, asked what the price was for himself, the padishah?
The advisors and courtiers were taken aback and did not know what to answer. Then one old man, one of Birbal's envious people, said:
- Patron of the poor! Of all of us, only Birbal is smart enough to answer your question.
“Can you tell me, Birbal, how much I cost and how much I weigh?” - asked Akbar.
But Birbal, raising his hands to the sky, exclaimed:
- Lord of the world! How can I evaluate something or someone? This is the job of jewelers, they are good appraisers. Order to call merchants, jewelers, money changers, money lenders from all over the city.
The old man wanted to trap Birbal, but, by the grace of the wise Birbal, he himself fell into the trap: he was a jeweler.
By order of the padishah, the most skilled jewelers, money changers, and money lenders from all over Delhi were summoned to the palace. They were pretty scared when they suddenly received an order to appear at the palace.
Birbal spoke to them:
- Gentlemen, jewelers, money changers, money lenders! Have you been convened so that you can jointly decide how much weight the padishah has and how much he costs?
The jewelers were speechless when they heard this question. Assessing a mere mortal is all right, but how can one determine the price and weight of a padishah? Finally, the elder of the goldsmith community pleaded:
- O patron of the poor! As soon as we received your order, we immediately hurried here, and our hearts are trembling with fear, we will never come to our senses. If we were given a deadline, we would calmly consult and give an answer.
The padishah heeded the elder’s request and even ordered Birbal to help them. Birbal took the jewelers away and exchanged them for himself. There they judged and debated for a long time, but never came up with anything. At the end Birbal said:
“This matter is not easy, and we cannot solve it right away.” It takes time. Let's ask the padishah for fifteen days. We will think alone for thirteen days, and on the fourteenth we will gather with me. Everyone will say their word, we will jointly draw up an answer and on the fifteenth day we will report it to the padishah. During this time, some solution will certainly be found.
Birbal was the only support of the jewelers, because none of them could match his intelligence. They agreed with Birbal and returned to the council. Everyone sat down in their places, and the elder stood up and said:
- Patron of the poor! We have not come to a common decision, give us another fifteen days to think about it.
“So be it,” answered the padishah. - Go, I give you another fifteen days.
The jewelers were completely upset. After all, we were talking about their lives, and it wouldn’t take long for them to lose their heads. Now they knew neither peace during the day nor sleep at night. And Birbal was uneasy in his soul, but after two days he figured out what to do. He went to the mint and ordered one gold mohur to be cast, one ratti heavier than usual. Soon the coin was ready and Birbal put it in his wallet.
On the fourteenth day the goldsmiths assembled at Birbal's house and he said:
- Come to the palace tomorrow at the appointed time and bring scales with you. There you will see a wallet with gold coins. Take out the coins one at a time and weigh them. The one that turns out to be heavier than expected, put it aside. The elder will take her, lay her at the feet of the padishah and say: “Lord of the world! This coin is your price.” When the padishah asks: “Is this coin really worth to me?”, the elder must answer: “Your Majesty! Just as this coin is one ratti heavier than other coins, so you are one ratti heavier than other people.” If after this the padishah asks more questions, you will answer in accordance with their meaning.
Everyone was happy with Birbal's advice and went home. For the first time in all their time, that night the hope of saving their lives came to them, and with it their sleep returned.
The next day everyone went to the palace.
The padishah was burning with impatience - he really wanted to know his worth. He ordered a huge canopy to be erected in the garden outside the city so that there was enough space for all the residents of Delhi - from ordinary people to eminent merchants and moneylenders.
At the appointed hour the darbar began. A lot of people had gathered, everyone sat down in their places - according to rank and title.
In the middle of the tent stood the throne of the padishah, and opposite there were places left for the jewelers.
Birbal entered first, and a little later the jewelers appeared. They were seated in a semicircle, and a wallet with gold coins was placed in front of them.
Then everything went as planned, each jeweler took one coin out of his wallet, tested it for teeth, checked it for ringing, put it on the scales and weighed it. Many coins had already been on the scales, when suddenly one jeweler shouted:
- Here she is, here she is! She's the one!
Then the elder of the community stood up, took the coin, laid it at the feet of the padishah and said:
- The price of His Majesty the Padishah has been determined! The padishah picked up the coin and asked in surprise:
“Is this coin really worth to me?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the old jeweler answered sedately. - And this is your weight, Your Majesty. This coin weighs one ratti more than other coins, and therefore differs from all others. Lord of the world! We, ordinary people, are simple coins, while you, incomparable to anyone, are like this big gold coin.
- So, the difference between me and mere mortals is just ratty?
- Yes, patron of the poor, without a doubt! The difference between you and your subjects is one thing: they were created to live under your rule, and you were created to keep them in obedience. Just as you are the best among people, so this coin is better than other gold coins. So this gold coin is your price.
The padishah liked the old man’s speeches, he ordered to reward him and the other jewelers too.
The elder thanked Birbal in his heart, and all the jewelers and money changers, satisfied, made salam and went home.
Darbar is over.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru