Akbar's birth16

The Mogul Emperor Humayun was fighting a terrible battle against his enemy in a neighbouring Kingdom. The battle was raging and Humayun was leading the attack. Suddenly Humayun saw his faithful palace messenger trying to make his way towards him, but the soldiers were not allowing him to come to the front of the army. Humayun ordered that the messenger be allowed through.

Humayun took shelter for a moment in a secluded spot to receive the messenger. The messenger bowed to the Emperor and said: “O Great Emperor Humayun, the Empress Hamida Bhan has delivered a son.”

Humayun was so delighted and excited. Across the battlefield he cried out, “Allah be praised! We shall call him Akbar.”

Then he said to the messenger, “Alas, this is my fate! My son was born, yet I am still fighting my enemies and no victory is in sight. I have nothing with me to give you, O messenger, for bringing me the happiest news. All I have is a small quantity of musk in this tiny box. This is the only thing I can afford to present you with. But I tell you, one day my son’s fame will cover the length and breadth of the world as the fragrance of the musk fills the air here. Like perfume, my son’s fame will one day spread throughout the world.”

When Humayun was finally able to return to his palace to see his son, he was so moved and excited. He said to his son, “My father gave me the name Humayun, which means ‘fortunate.’ He was right. I am truly fortunate, for I see in you, my son, all the world’s fortune. I clearly see that you will be the greatest of all the Mogul Emperors. I see it and I feel it.”

He said to his wife, “I am once more leaving you with our child, for I have to go and fight against the enemy again. I am a warrior. I fight with the outer enemy, while religious mendicants, spiritual people, fight with the inner enemies: anger, pride and so forth. I do not have time to fight against the inner enemies. Outer enemies are more than enough for me to cope with. But our son, Akbar, will also fight against the inner enemies. He will be inwardly and outwardly great and good.”


GIM 36. 13 January 1979