Mahesh Das, a famous courtier of Akbar known for his wit and wisdom, was popularly known as:

Mahesh Das, a famous courtier of the Mughal emperor Akbar, known for his wit, wisdom and poetry, was popularly known as Birbal.

About Birbal:

• He was born in 1528 in a Brahmana family; his birthplace is generally believed to be in the Sidhi region of Madhya Pradesh (some accounts mention Kalpi or Tikawanpur).
• His original name was Mahesh Das.
• He was a poet and singer in Hindi (Braj Bhasha), and served at the court of Raja Ramchandra of Rewa before joining Akbar.
• He joined Akbar's court in the 1550s or 1560s.
• Akbar gave him the title "Kavi Rai" (king of poets) and later "Raja Birbal".
• He held a mansab of 2,000.
• He was one of Akbar's closest companions and advisers, and is counted among the "Navaratnas" (nine jewels) of the court, according to tradition.
• He took part in the religious discussions at the court.

His death:

• In 1586, he was sent with an army to suppress the Yusufzai Afghan tribes in the Swat valley (in present-day Pakistan).
• The Mughal army was ambushed in a mountain pass, and Birbal was killed along with many soldiers.
• Akbar was deeply grieved by his death.

Birbal in popular culture:

• He is famous for the "Akbar-Birbal" stories, which describe his clever answers to Akbar's questions and his wit in solving problems.
• These stories are folk tales and are not historical records, but they show how popular he was.

His house:

"Birbal's House" (Birbal ka Mahal) at Fatehpur Sikri is believed to have been built for him or for some of Akbar's queens.

The "Navaratnas" of Akbar's court (traditional list):

Abul Fazl, Faizi, Tansen, Birbal, Raja Todar Mal, Raja Man Singh, Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, Fakir Aziao-Din and Mulla Do-Piyaza (the list varies, and historians doubt that such a formal group existed).

Why not the other options?

• ✗Todar Mal was the revenue minister.
• ✗Tansen was the court musician.
• ✗Man Singh was a Rajput general.