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 36 A HISTORY OF HINDI LITERATURE his short verses of a witty and humorous character. No complete work by him has survived, but many verses ascribed to him are still current. When he reached a high position he himself became a patron of other poets. Raja Manohar Das (fl. 1577), another of Akbar's courtiers, was also a poet. Maharaja Md7i Singh (1535-1618) of Jaipur, one of Akbar's generals, was a great patron of literary men, and is reputed to have given as much as a lakh of rupees for a single verse. Abul Faiz_ (or Faizi) was brother of Abul Fazl, who wrote the Ai7i-i-Akbari. Both were friends of Akbar. Abul Faiz was not only a Persian poet but the author of many Hindi couplets. The most skilled Hindi poet amongst Akbar's great ministers of state was Abdul Rahim Khankhana (1553-1627). He was the son of Bairam Khan through whose aid Akbar, in his youth, had been established on the throne. He was acquainted with Arabic, Per- sian, Sanskrit and Hindi, and besides being a poet himself was a great patron of poets, especially of Gang Kavi. His Hindi verses, especially those on morals [niti) are very much admired, and he was a poet of a high order. Amongst the several works he produced is the Rahmi Sat Sal in which some of his best poetry is found. Tan Sen (fl. 1560-1610) of Gwalior, a Hindu con- vert to Islam, was the most celebrated musician at Akbar's court and indeed of his age. After service at other courts he was summoned by Akbar in 1563, and the first time he performed Akbar is said to have given him two lakhs of rupees. Besides being a singer he also wrote poems in Hindi. He lived on into the reign of Jahangir. Amongst his compositions are the Sangit Sdr and the Rag Mala. Ra?n Das of Gopchal, the father of the great poet Sur Das, was another great singer of Akbar's court, regarded as second only to Tan Sen. Among other Hindi poets who attended Akbar's court were the two friends Karnes (or Kara7i) and NarhariSahay. The latter was given by Akbar the title of Mahapatr, the Emperor