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  • Diwan-I 'Amm and Chihil Sutun - The Audience Halls of Shah Jahan

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    Alia Khalid
    661 vizualizări23 pagini
    Halls for his public audiences were constructed in all the great fortified palaces of the Mughal Empire. The halls were first built in wood to replace a smaller tent hall that had been used up to then. Between 1639and 1648 a corresponding stone hall was built in the emperor's new palace at Shahjahanabad (Delhi)

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    Diwan-i 'Amm and Chihil Sutun- The Audience Halls of Shah Jahan

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    Halls for his public audiences were constructed in all the great fortified palaces of the Mughal Empire. The halls were first built in wood to replace a smaller tent hall that had been used up to then. Between 1639and 1648 a corresponding stone hall was built in the emperor's new palace at Shahjahanabad (Delhi)

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    Descărcați ca PDF, TXT sau citiți online pe Scribd
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    661 vizualizări23 pagini

    Diwan-I 'Amm and Chihil Sutun - The Audience Halls of Shah Jahan

    Încărcat de

    Alia Khalid
    Halls for his public audiences were constructed in all the great fortified palaces of the Mughal Empire. The halls were first built in wood to replace a smaller tent hall that had been used up to then. Between 1639and 1648 a corresponding stone hall was built in the emperor's new palace at Shahjahanabad (Delhi)

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    EBBA KOCH DIWAN-I SAMM AND CHIHIL SUTUN: THE AUDIENCE HALLS OF SHAH JAHAN After Shah Jahan, the fifth ruler of the Mughal dynasty was enthroned on 8 Jumada alThani 1037 (14 February 1628), he issued an order that halls for his public audi ences should be constructed in all the great fortified pal- aces of the capitals of the Mughal Empire, in particular at Agra, Lahore, and, according to some sources, at Bur- hanpur!' These halls were first built in wood (fig. 1)* to replace a smaller tent hall that had been used for the purpose up to then.’ Before January 1637, the wooden halls (Faan-i chubin) were in turn replaced by larger per- manent versions, constructed “of red sandstone made white with marble plaster” (figs. 2, 3)." Between 1639 and 1648 a corresponding stone hall was built in the empe- ror’s new palace at Shahjahanabad (Delhi)® (fig. 4) All of these halls — and this applies also to their woorlen precursors —are described by Shah Jahan’s his- « Khasso- £Amm, or Hall of Public Audiences,° and Iwan-i Chihil Sutun, or Forty-Pillared Hall. The Chihil Sutun or Iwan Dawlat Khanai Khasso-Amm, today called Diwan-i ©Amm, represents a new type in the palatial building pro- gram of the Mughals’ because, as the sources tellus, un- der the predecessors of Shah Jahan most of those who took part in the audience had to stand unprotected from sun and rain in front of the emperor's viewing window or “jharoka (figs. 1, 5) in the open courtyard (sahni Rhagy-o- mm) (a on fig. 6) where the audience was held. The emperor, we are told, ordered the construction of the halls out of concern for his nobles. In addition, the halls, intain the proper hierarchy and eti- quette of an audience, aspects of special interest to Shah Jahan, Under his rule, Mughal court life had become subject to a strict ceremonial centering on the emperor: The emperor's daily routine was established down to the ‘most minute detail, an equally regulated architectural setting determined by uniformity and symmetry corre- sponcied to these rigid ceremonial functions. During this daily routine the emperor moved within the palace from one place of audience to the other in what Oleg Grabar ina comparable context has termed a “ceremonial order of progressive remoteness.” ns and poets as Iwani Dawlat Kh made it easier tom The ceremonial movement of Shah Jahan had its morning and afternoon cycles.” Since the emperor's autocratic rule required confirmation through regular public appearances, special emphasis was placed on hi public audiences, which came in two forms. The public form was that of the jharikad darshan, the viewing window on the outer wall ofthe palace. Here, the empe- Fig. 1. Shah Jahan receiving the Persian noble ‘Ali Mardan Khan in the Hall of Public Audience in the Lahore fort in November 1638. Oxford, Bodleian Library, albums, Ousely, Add. 173. (Photo: Cour tes Bodleian Library, Oxford) 144 EBRA KOCH Fig. 2. Agra fort. Divand €Amm, con ror would appear every day at sunrise to comply with the held in the jharoka-i khas¢-oSamm in the courtyard (saln) ancient requirement of Persian and Indian kingship to of the khisio-‘amm (a on fig. 6). The appearance in the be accessible — at least visually — to all of his subjects.” _jhardkai darshan took place only once, in the morning: From the jhardkai darshan he proceeded to the most the appearance in the jharoka-i khdss-o-“émm was repeated public form of audience within the palace, which was in the afternoon." The public audience or bari Samm was Fig. . Lahore fort. Diwand SAmm, after 1628, with ater alterations. THE AUDIENCE HALLS OF SHAH JAHAN 145 Fig. 4. Delhi for, Divan “Amm, completed 1648. also a state council, and its attendance was obligatory for every Mughal officeholder at the residence, whether amir or mansabdar. The nobles and their retinues had to stand positioned according to their rank in front of the jhardkvi khass-oSamm (figs. 1, 5)" from where the empe ror dealt with the administration of the imperial house- hold and the empire (which was treated like its exten: sion) and otheraffairs of state. The new audience halls were put up in front of the wall with the jhardka and were only accessible to holders of a certain rank, namely those “khassan" who had a ‘mansab above wo hundred. The halls were open on three sides and to ensure rest ted access, they were enclosed by a silver railing," the three doors of which were closely guarded. An additional space, fenced off by 4 red railing which surrounded the halls at some dis was reserved for those with a mansab below two hhundred (fig. 9). The remaining area of the salni hasan was used by retainers and others without rank (a-b on fig. 6) In addition 0 being the administrative cente Mughal Empire the Diwan ©Amm provided a stage for the great court festivals,” in particular Nawruz (the Per sian New Year) and julus (the accession anniversary).! I was also the setting for such state ceremonies as weigh- ing the emperor om his solar and lunar birthdays (jashn- 4 shamsi, jashn-i wazn-i qamar).!” When a royal prince's wedding was held, the Diwan “Amm was some- times called Rhaluat (*seclusion” or “retirement’) because on those occasions men had to evacuate the courtyard to allow the imperial women to use the Diw anged the dowry and the wedding presents for display during a of the

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