Famous Stories of Akbar Birbal : Book Review

Famous Stories of Akbar Birbal
By Shanti Publications

Akbar Birbal folk tales are very well known, especially in India, so they don’t need an introduction. They are liked by all. Even today, if we have to teach kids how to deal with difficult situations we land up citing the tale from this collection.

So here I am excited
not mainly to review but to tell you briefly how I landed up buying this classic.
I went to the World book fair’19 held in Delhi. And while exploring, I came across the kids' section and was curious to explore what kind of books are there for children nowadays. And there when I saw this book, I was overwhelmed as this gem is still loved by. And that very moment I put it in my cart. I realized how much I missed reading these books. And not only this, I ended up buying two other classics from this section. Blog posts about them will soon come.

Those who are not aware, who was Akbar and Birbal. Here’s the brief:
Akbar was the Mughal Emperor who ruled over India from 1156 to 1605. He was a successful general who adopted a policy of conciliating conquered rulers through marriage and diplomacy. Although he never renounced Islam, he took an active interest in other religions, persuading Hindus, Parsis, and Christians, as well as Muslims, to engage in religious discussion before him. Illiterate himself, he encouraged scholars, poets, painters, and musicians, making his court a center of culture. And this influenced the choices of his courtiers for the royal court. Thus, Akbar’s nine gems (Navaratnas or Nauratan) were made up of artists, musicians, writers, finance ministers, warriors, and poets.
And, Birbal was one of them. He was a Hindu Brahmin advisor and main commander of the army in the court of the Mughal emperor, Akbar. He was the foreign minister of Akbar’s court. He and Akbar became very close, a fact that made other fellow courtiers jealous of him. Birbal was very witty and intelligent who never gave up in a difficult situation and this brought Birbal very close to Akbar. Birbal’s wisdom was unparalleled in that era. His intelligence was renowned worldwide and emperors across different kingdoms admired him. He was Akbar’s favorites and was his main advisor in any difficult situation.

Needless to say, I finished the book in two nights. It took me to the childhood lanes where these tales used to be the moral lessons for us.
Today, Akbar Birbal tales are available in different languages to be it English, Hindi or other regional languages, and across different medium: books, e-books, youtube, etc.

The one I read is published by Shanti Publications. It has good paper quality, clear printing, good font size and supporting colorful illustrations. It’s a good read for kids. Adults should also give it a try as it will refresh your mind. It will leave you smiling. You will feel rejuvenated after reading this book for sure.

In the end, I would strongly recommend Akbar-Birbal stories to be read by all age groups as it will not only make you laugh but will teach you ways to deal with difficult situations in a humorous and smart way. Kids will have learning with fun, and adults can relive their childhood through it.

Rating: 4/5