________________
OF THE EMPEROR AKBAR.
387
Amongst the religions characters who appeared at court were certain learned men of the Franks, vamed Padres, the head of whom is styled Pápá, and exercises authority over all their princes and kings. They introduced the Injil, the doctrine of the Trinity, (Sáles as Siláseh,) düt and the religion of Christ. The emperor ordered the Prince Murád' to read the gospel with them, and Abúlfazl was commanded to translate it. In place of the inceptive bismillah, he
و دستو ,opted the follnula)
Ai illui ،، أی نامی دی
we Jezu Kristo”*. And, Oh that, which as thy name,
أي أن یہ نامی تو من بیان ,is beneficent and bolutiful
wel as do Sheikh Feizí added to this, www. so wlowy Praise to thee, who art without thy like, O God.
Again, Birbal”, that profligate, corrupted the em
in the end of the fifth century of the Hijra. Ar Rází was another learned teacher of a similar class, born at Rey. Hijra 513. His appellation at length is Imám Fakhr addin Mohammed Ben 'Omar Ben Khatib Rey attemímí al Bekri.
The second son of Akbar, who died in his father's life time, Hijra 1005.
" [Elliot's Bibliogr. Index, I, 245.] ? Rájá Birbal is the supposed utterer and hero of an endless list of facetiæ, which are familiar to both Hindus and Mohammedans in the western provinces. He was a Brahman of the Bhái tribe, or order of Bards, and was a man of ready wit, and considerable acquirements. He was the constant companion of Akbar, and the whetstone of the monarch's wit, not scrupling, however, to retort freely, if traditions are genuine. His original name was Mahi Dós, or, according to some, Siva Dás. But Akbar gave him the title of Kabirai, or Malk ash Shu'ara, King of the Poets. Afterwards he gave him, in Jaghir, the fort of
25*
