Akbar the Moghul Emperor was actually poor

Emperor Akbar (1542 to 1605) is acclaimed to be one of India's wealthiest Mogul emperors.  Was he really that rich? An interesting incident and the emperor's own comments will let you decide.

During the reign of Akbar there also lived a Baba ji, a 'Pir'. In the Sufi path, Pir literally meaning 'old man' is a saint, whose role is to guide and provide spiritual guidance to his disciples.

Many Babas  in India are revered by Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims. Notable Babaji's like Farid ji's teachings are enshrined as one of the fifteen 'Bhagats' (Devotees) within Sikhism and his selected works form part of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh sacred scripture

Wise emperors often seek spiritual guidance, and so did Akbar. He sometimes visited a certain Baba at his village to seek spiritual guidance.

One day the villagers where Baba ji stayed , asked a favour of him.
They said " Baba ji, the emperor visits you so often can you do us poor villagers a great favour?". "The village has no school nor any in the near vicinity, can you ask the Shehan Shah to build us a school?"

Baba ji agreed that he would ask the favour of the emperor on Akbar's next visit to him.
Then he thought for a while and said "This is a noble work, let me not delay it. I myself will travel to Akbar's palace and meet him."

When Baba ji, arrived at Akbar's palace the guards recognised him as he walked up to the palace gates.
They informed him that the emperor had gone to offer his prayers at his private mosque.

Baba ji, walked up the mosque and stood behind the emperor. The prayers were almost complete and Akbar made his ‘fariyad’ (cry for help) God, "Allah!, great, and merciful, give me more power, expand my kingdom's borders and give me more wealth"

On hearing his prayer Baba ji, turned around and immediately left the mosque.

Since it was at the end of his prayer Akbar had sensed that someone had been present behind him. He turned around when he had finished his prayers and saw Baba ji heading towards the palace gate. 

Akbar hurried to Baba ji, bowed to him and asked " Welcome Baba. why have you come and why are you leaving?"

Baba looked at Akbar and said " I came here because I thought you to be rich. I came here to ask you for money to build a school in the village."

He continued " I heard your prayers and realised that you are poor for you are still hungry. It is against my beliefs to ask anything from a poor man."

" Do not worry, I will go to the village and collect some money for you", concluded Baba ji and he strode away.

This incident was not known to anyone except Akbar and Baba ji. It came to light when it was narrated by the emperor himself in '_Akbarnama_' the biography of Akbar He wrote, "On that day I realised how empty and useless I was. I had wasted my whole life in pursuing and acquiring useless things."

Akbar was a benevolent ruler who cared for all his subjects. Yet this incident was a further pivotal point in Akbar's life, for he realised for the first time in his life, that though he had great wealth, he was in fact a poor man.

He is rich who is. He who remains unfulfilled, hungry and thirsty, desiring more and more things, wealth and power is poor.