Takht-i-Jahangir
Encyclopedia
Takht-i-Jahangir was a throne built by Jahangir
(31 August 1569 – 28 October 1627) in 1602 and is located at the Diwan-i-Khas (hall of private audience) at the Red Fort
in Agra
.
and kept at the Allahabad Fort
. Even after Jahangir became king when his father, emperor Akbar died in 1605, the throne remained there. It was only in 1610, that it was brought from Allahabad to Agra by Jahangir.
When the Army of the British East India Company
first attacked the Agra Fort
in 1803 under General Gerard Lake, a cannon ball
fired by the artillery struck the Takht, but did not manage to destroy it. It caused a superficial crack on one side and bounced on to make a hole through the wall opposite the throne.
, imported by Jahangir
, who was also known as Salim
, from Belgium
. It is 10 feet 7 inches long, 9 feet 10 inches broad and 6 inches thick. Its octagonal pedestals are each 1 foot 4 inches in height. At the top, it gently slopes from the centre to the sides like the shell of a tortoise
. Persian inscriptions, dated 1602 are carved, in ornamental cartouche
s on its sides, in praise of Jahangir, whom they state as Shah
and Sultan
. This amounted to defiance of Akbar, who was at that time alive and on the throne. When the throne was finally brought to Agra
, Jahangir had two inscriptions carved on top of the two western pedestals, stating that he had been only the heir to the throne, and that he had only assumed the title of Nuruddin Muhammad Jahangir Badshah (Badshah Jahangir), only after his righteous accession.
(Chains of Truth), which consisted of 60 bells made of gold. If anybody, regardless of their position, desired justice, they could pull the chains to make the bells ring, and they were sure to be granted justice.
Jahangir
Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death. The name Jahangir is from Persian جهانگیر,meaning "Conqueror of the World"...
(31 August 1569 – 28 October 1627) in 1602 and is located at the Diwan-i-Khas (hall of private audience) at the Red Fort
Agra Fort
Agra Fort, is a monument situated at Agra, is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is about 2.5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal...
in Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
.
History
The throne was built in 1602 in AllahabadAllahabad
Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...
and kept at the Allahabad Fort
Allahabad Fort
right|300px|thumb|Allahabad FortAllahabad Fort at Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India was built by Emperor Akbar in 1583. The fort stands on the banks of the Yamuna near the site of confluence with the river Ganges. It is the largest fort built by Akbar...
. Even after Jahangir became king when his father, emperor Akbar died in 1605, the throne remained there. It was only in 1610, that it was brought from Allahabad to Agra by Jahangir.
When the Army of the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
first attacked the Agra Fort
Agra Fort
Agra Fort, is a monument situated at Agra, is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is about 2.5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal...
in 1803 under General Gerard Lake, a cannon ball
Round shot
Round shot is a solid projectile without explosive charge, fired from a cannon. As the name implies, round shot is spherical; its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the gun it is fired from.Round shot was made in early times from dressed stone, but by the 17th century, from iron...
fired by the artillery struck the Takht, but did not manage to destroy it. It caused a superficial crack on one side and bounced on to make a hole through the wall opposite the throne.
Structure
The throne was made of black onyxOnyx
Onyx is a banded variety of chalcedony. The colors of its bands range from white to almost every color . Commonly, specimens of onyx contain bands of black and/or white.-Etymology:...
, imported by Jahangir
Jahangir
Jahangir was the ruler of the Mughal Empire from 1605 until his death. The name Jahangir is from Persian جهانگیر,meaning "Conqueror of the World"...
, who was also known as Salim
Salim
Salim is an Arabic given name meaning safe, related names are Selima, Salima, Saleemah, and Salma...
, from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. It is 10 feet 7 inches long, 9 feet 10 inches broad and 6 inches thick. Its octagonal pedestals are each 1 foot 4 inches in height. At the top, it gently slopes from the centre to the sides like the shell of a tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
. Persian inscriptions, dated 1602 are carved, in ornamental cartouche
Cartouche
In Egyptian hieroglyphs, a cartouche is an ellipse with a horizontal line at one end, indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name, coming into use during the beginning of the Fourth Dynasty under Pharaoh Sneferu, replacing the earlier serekh...
s on its sides, in praise of Jahangir, whom they state as Shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
and Sultan
Sultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
. This amounted to defiance of Akbar, who was at that time alive and on the throne. When the throne was finally brought to Agra
Agra
Agra a.k.a. Akbarabad is a city on the banks of the river Yamuna in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India, west of state capital, Lucknow and south from national capital New Delhi. With a population of 1,686,976 , it is one of the most populous cities in Uttar Pradesh and the 19th most...
, Jahangir had two inscriptions carved on top of the two western pedestals, stating that he had been only the heir to the throne, and that he had only assumed the title of Nuruddin Muhammad Jahangir Badshah (Badshah Jahangir), only after his righteous accession.
Nyaya ke Zanjeer
Behind the Takht-i-Jahangir were Jahangir's Nyaya ke ZanjeerZanjeer
Zanjeer , is a 1973 Hindi film directed and produced by Prakash Mehra; starring Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Pran, Ajit and Bindu. The movie changed the trend from romantic films to action films and pioneered Amitabh's new image of a brooding but explosive person who fights back when cornered...
(Chains of Truth), which consisted of 60 bells made of gold. If anybody, regardless of their position, desired justice, they could pull the chains to make the bells ring, and they were sure to be granted justice.