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Imagine how messages would havebeen

sent in days when facilities like e-mail or

SMS or telephone were not available. Men

ran from one place to another carrying themessages. Letter were tied to the pigeons

legs

and were trained to reach the destination

anddeliver the letters. Lets imagine a

situation

like that when Akbar had to announce to

hisempire about his birth of a son. e was

confused as to how to solve the problem.

T

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e approached !irbal and asked for

solution. "hat do you think would have

been the solution given by !irbal to him# $mperor Akbar wanted a son to ascend

the throne after him. e was so worried as

to

"ho would rule the empire after him. emarried many princesses to beget a male

issue%!ut alas% All his hopes ended in vain

At last he married &odha' a (a)put

princess. is dream of begetting a malechild

"as about to be ful*lled% &odha Akbar was

pregnant and the happiness of the

emperor+new no bounds% ,he palace was

decorated and there was celebration

everywhere. e distributed clothes and

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gold coins generously to people to

celebrate the arrival of the heir-apparent.

!ut unfortunately he had to visit a palace'/ miles away from the palace for

administrative reasons% is wife was abou

to deliver a baby that day%

"hat would we do# ow could he getthe long awaited news of the birth of the

child# Akbar approached !irbal who was

the minister of the Mughal court for his

counsel

After some thought' !irbal asked the

Shaenshah to post one hundred and *fty

soldiers from the palace till the palace

where

Akbar had to stay. $ach soldiers where

given a drum and was asked to stand at a

distance of one kilometer. ,he soldier were

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instructed to beat once if it were a male

child

And twice to indicate that it was a femalechild% All were eagerly waiting for a drum

beat% ,he air was thick with an0iety and

e0pectation

,he idea of the drum beat was aS,(1+$ 12 3$4I5S. So on the appointed

day' / soldiers were posted with a drum

at a distance of each mile. ,he emperor

grew more an0ious to hear the drum beat%

At last he heard a single drum beat% ,he

moment the *rst soldier beat the drum the

entire place was resounding with the

noise. ,hese reached the ne0t post' the

ne0t post........and *nally were Akbar waswaiting% ,he emperor was overwhelmed

with )oy% e rushed back to the palace to

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see the new born babe and his favorite

6ueen% ,he wisdom of !irbal worked