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{/googleAds} This question is being hotly debated in the Taj city after the divisional commissioner Pradip Bhatnagar ordered installation of their statues in Fatehpur Sikri.

Historians say there is no evidence available to support the view that Akbar had appointed his nine jewels to counsel him and provide him informed company.

The nine jewels, according to popular belief are: Abul Fazl, Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana, Birbal, Mulla Do-Piyaza, Faizi, Raja Man Singh, Raja Todar Mal, Faqir Azio Din and Tan Sen.

Bhatnagar who is also the chairman of the Agra Development Authority initiated a project to get statues made of all nine jewels and put them on show at the Fatehpur Sikri complex. But the Archaeological Survey of India has refused permission. The statues will now be installed in the UP Tourism's facilitation centre outside the complex.

Historian Raj Kishore Raje said "commissioner Bhatnagar is distorting history. I have written to the UP chief minister advising him to restrain the commissioner from proceeding in this matter."

Raje said there is no mention in any of the books of the period. Abul Fazal's Ainae-Akbari, Farishta's Tareekh-e-Farishta, Innyatullah's Taqmeel-e-Akbarnama, say nothing about the nine jewels of Akbar. Even the books of Sir Jadu Nath Sarker or Ashirwadi Lal Srivastav make no mention of them. Akbar never said he had capable hands to help him in administration, rather he was handicapped on this score. Therefore if the commissioner goes ahead with his statue project, it will be a travesty of truth and misrepresentation of history."

Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society said " the statues that the commissioner has ordered can be installed in the Taj Municipal Museum in the Paliwal Park" to avoid controversy.

History scholar PN Agarwal said "no single list of nine jewels is available, but now the nine jewels of Akbar are part of the folk-lore and what we call popular history. Written or not written in history books, nine jewels are now accepted as part of history, so if the commissioner wants to commemorate their contribution, let him have his way."