jharokha darshan
the projecting tower to the east of the khas mahal is called the octagonal tower (muthamman burj). the emperor would address his subjects every morning in a ceremony called jharokha darshan .
jharokha darshan' of kashi vishwanath temple (kvt) is emerging as the only solution to ensure that all the pilgrims queuing up for hours get an opportunity to pay obeisance to lord vishwanath .
jharokha darshan was a daily practice of addressing the public audience (darshan) at the balcony (jharokha) at the forts and palaces of medieval kings in india. it was an essential and direct way of communicating face - to - face with the public, and was a practice which was adopted by the mughal emperors. { sfn | reddi | 2001 | p = 81 } the balcony appearance w ...
in the mughal era, jharokhas were used to address the public. the practice — popular as jharokha - i - darshan — was introduced by emperor akbar, who used a jharokha to communicate with his subjects on a day - to - day basis. till date, paintings depicting akbar sitting in a jharokha are extremely popular. palaces and havelis apart, jharokhas soon became a part of the architecture of temples and mosques in the 18th century .
38. • • • • muhtasibs appointed in all provinces. in 1669, he forbade singing. he discontinued nauroj. jharokha darshan was also discontinued. • he forbade the ceremony of weighing the emperor against gold and silver .
aurangzeb forbade engraving kalma on coins, celebration of festival of nauroj, practices of jharokha darshan and tula - dan and gave marching order to astrologers, musicians and dancers from the royal court. he banned the cultivation of bhang, drinking alcohol and gambling .
she is the only mughal woman in whose name coins were struck. she would even appear with jahangir for jharokha darshan, a tradition that akbar started in which the emperor would show himself at the window after dawn prayers every day to give the common people an audience .
which of the following statements regarding aurangzeb are correct? 1. during his long reign, the mughal empire reached its territorial climax 2. he issued secular decrees called ‘zawabit’ 3. he discontinued the festival of ‘navroz’ 4. he discontinued the practice of jharokha darshan. select the correct answer using the codes given below
more than 50 per cent of the pilgrims, who succeed in entering the sanctum sanctorum, do not get the opportunity to see the shivling or touch it as the cops stop them to allow entry to others .
the inconvenience caused to the pilgrims, who are thronging the city from across the globe, is also hurting us ,
the ssp said. some regular visitors of temple and scholars have advised to replace this system by' jharokha darshan' (allowing darshan of shivlinga from outside the doors of sanctum sanctorum) .
in fatehpur - sikri, akbar started the practice of ‘ jharokha darshan ‘. everyday morning he presented himself to his subjects from a window on the southern wall of the larger chamber on the ground floor. it is believed that some of his subjects ate only after having his darshan. the fact that some of his subjects used to eat only after seeing him, makes me wonder, were they followers of “ deen - i - elaahi “! as the proposed religion considered the emperor as ‘insaan - i - kaamil’ – the perfect man .
jharokha darshan is already in practice in several other prominent temples like sankat mochan, where no chaos is faced like kvt and the devotees in any number have a glimpse of the deity without inconvenience. mishra said that the authorities of temple trust and administration have been given this proposal and if they would give their consent, the same process can be followed on coming maha shivratri festival .
“ as the morning star appeared in the sky, the royal orchestra began to play music appropriate for the morning hours. from the minarets of mosques muezzins called the faithful to prayer. the citizens assembled on the banks of the river yamuna below the palace walls. as the sun came up, the emperor appeared on the jasmine tower for the jharokha - i - darshan so that his subjects could see for themselves that he was in good health. ”
the hall' s columns and engrailed arches exhibit fine craftsmanship, and the hall was originally decorated with white chunam stucco. in the back in the raised recess the emperor gave his audience in the marble balcony (jharokha) .
the palace consists of a central hall, side room. the space between this palace and the khas mahal consists of a large compound lined by a verandah lined by beautifully decorated arches supported on double pillars. in the riverside portion of this mansion our guide led us to a centrally located arched opening. we were informed that it was through this opening the emperor used to show himself to the common people every morning, a ceremony known as “jharokha darshan. ”
the new power equations were reinforced by imperial durbars held in delhi in 1877, 1903 and 1911. the coronation durbar of december 1911 also marked the visit of the british king george v and queen mary. after the event at the coronation park, the royal couple decided to make an appearance from a jharoka (balcony) of the red fort on december 13. the jharokha darshan (audience from the balcony) was a symbolic appropriation of a practice which only the emperors of hindustan were entitled to .
the huge courtyard of halvad palace houses a seven - storey tower with jharokhas overlooking all directions. on a clear day, one can see the surrounding villages from these jharokhas giving the palace its other popular names, jhalawad darshan and ek - dandia mahal .
in 1910, there was a succession in england where king george v ascended the throne. in 1911 he paid a visit to india. darbar was held to commemorate the coronation of king george v and queen mary as emperor and empress of india. the darbar brought back the pomp and show of the mughals once again in delhi. the king and the queen attired in the coronation robes with thousands of diamonds and precious gems appeared in the jharokha of the red fort to give darshan to 5 lakh indian people who gathered to greet the sovereign couple .
in indian collective memory, aurangzeb is one of the cruellest kings ever. he is thought to have either converted or killed millions of hindus while destroying or desecrating thousands of temples. he imposed jizya and tried to curb celebration of holi and diwali. he did away with syncretic royal practices like daily display of the king at balcony (jharokha darshan) and yearly weighing of the king in gold and silver to be distributed among the poor. he executed the ninth sikh guru, tegh bahadur. the list of aurangzeb’s atrocities, real or perceived, is long .
moreover, temples were targeted mainly when they became the hub of anti - state activities. for example, vishwanath temple at kashi and keshavdev temple at mathura were destroyed in 1669 and 1670 respectively, more for political than religious reasons. jizya was reinstated only after two decades of aurangzeb’s rule. grand celebration of holi, diwali, or eid, muharram and nowruz were discouraged for reasons of public safety, order or morality. religion, again, played little role in such considerations. the end of jharokha darshan had more to do with imperial strategy and less with puritanical obsession. and guru tegh bahadur was decapitated because he was causing political unrest in punjab .
these days, jharokhas are used to add a touch of vintage charm to living rooms. in earlier times, however, their main purpose was to let the sunlight stream into the house. another reason for installing a jharokha in palaces and forts was that it acted like a natural purdah. royal women used these to view public events without stepping out .
their majesties arrived at 3. 30pm and moved freely about the garden amongst their guests. they visited the loan exhibition in the museum in the palace building known as the mumtaz mahal. after spending some time there, their imperial majesties retired and donned their imperial crown and robes. then they entered the lovely marble balcony of the musammam burj, and granted the darshan, or appearance, before the people assembled on the zer jharokha below. but the fretted sides of the balcony did not permit of a sufficiently expansive view, and after a few minutes their majesties quitted the burj, and passed to the open platform between the two buildings from which the burj projects, and the rang mahal. from this another balcony projects from the line of the fort walls, over the zer jharokha. on this had been placed the solid silver thrones, covered with gilding, and upholstered in crimson velvet. there their majesties took their seats, the staff retired, and only the princely indian pages remained in attendance. at first the pages stood behind the thrones, but the king emperor feared they would blur the spectacle for those below, and he made the pages stand on either side, afterwards bidding them seat themselves behind him. thus the two crowned and robed figures were left in isolation for the people to feast their eye upon .
the ssp said :
we are trying our best to ensure that each and every pilgrim queuing up for entering kvt gets an opportunity to have darshan of lord vishwanath .
but, the officials know it well that it is not an easy task as the sadhus from all the akhadas will carry out their procession on the same day to enter kvt. four hours had already been reserved for sadhus. the officials are in contact with akhada authorities to complete the rituals early in the interest of other pilgrims .
aryan. hardcover. condition: new. contents: preface. 1. fatehpur sikri and its surroundings from the stone age till now. 2. sources of information on fatehpur sikri. 3. cuttings. 4. akbar' s haram - sara discovered. 5. gate of the haram - sara and yatish khana. 6. excavation around the badshahi gate. 7. princes' nursery. 8. the royal kitchen. 9. identification of the place of jharokha darshan. 10. residential complex of the nobles. 11. abdur rahim khan - i khanan' s palace. 12. miscellaneous excavations. 13. residential area of artisans and palace servants. 14. ibadat khana. 15. khushbu khana and chapel. 16. stables and animal superintendent' s house. 17. roads and shops during akbar' s reign. 18. a few salient features of building construction. 19. antiquity and pottery. 20. conclusion. appendices: 1. scientific report on the old road system at fatehpur sikri. 2. chronology of building construction at fatehpur sikri. 3. excavation schedule. notes. select bibliography. index .
the muthamman burj, also written musamman burj, is a tower of the red fort located in delhi. the structure adjoins the eastern wall of the khwabgah of the khas mahal. it is a semi - octagonal tower where the mughal emperor would appear every morning before his subjects. this ceremony was known as the jharokha darshan. a balcony, the khwabgah jharoka (place of dreams balcony), projecting from the central side of the tower was constructed in 1808 - 09 ce by akbar ii. this is described in an inscription over its arches. the dome above was perhaps originally covered in gilded copper, similar to the one in agra fort. the river yamuna originally laid much closer to the wall and tower but shifted its position since the original construction. at the lower level of the tower is a small gate, which enabled the emperor to move directly between the imperial enclosure of the fort and the banks of the river, where the royal barges would take him to agra. during the british colonial rule, the tower was used again for the great durbar. it was from this balcony that king george v and queen mary appeared before the public in 1911 during the delhi durbar .
the imperial apartments consist of a row of pavilions on a raised platform along the eastern edge of the fort, overlooking the yamuna. the pavilions are connected by a canal, known as the nahr - i - behisht (
stream of paradise
), running through the centre of each pavilion. water is drawn from the yamuna via a tower, the shahi burj, at the northeast corner of the fort. the palace is designed to emulate paradise as described in the quran. in the riverbed below the imperial apartments and connected buildings was a space known as zer - jharokha (
beneath the latticework
) .
the devotees are not barred on the special occasions like mondays of shrawan, mahashivratri and rangbhari ekadashi. but, with the commencement of maha kumbh, problems are being faced as lakhs of devotees are being deprived of darshan due to one reason or the other .
keeping the size and condition of sanctum sanctorum of kvt, the entry is allowed through two doors and two other doors are used for exit. in existing system, a maximum 60 - 70 pilgrims can pass through sanctum sanctorum in a minute. with this rate, around one lakh devotees can enter the sanctum sanctorum in a day while more than four lakh pilgrims queue up for entering the kvt ,
said mishra .
most commonly found in the mughal and rajput style of architecture, a jharokha is an over - hanging enclosed balcony or stone window, mostly canopied, adding an artistic dimension to an abode. examples of ornate jharokhas are still found in towns of rajasthan, gujarat, madhya pradesh and a number of other indian states. jharokhas these days only serve the decoration purpose. these make for great wall hangings inside hotels, resorts and even some temples. made in wood or marble, ornately carved jharokhas can add an ethnic touch to the décor of the house. these also come in an array of sizes. these can be huge, with mirrors installed inside, or smaller in size to frame the paintings .
speaking from the artistic or architectural perspective, diwan - i - am could be considered as the symbol of the mughal grandeur and royal glory. the mansion was built in red sandstone on a large rectangular plinth. the entire hall consists of 48 pillars, out of which the outer pillars are aligned in pairs. these beautiful pillars along with the engrailed arches support a rectangular ceiling covering the top of the hall. unlike other halls, the diwan - i - am is opened on all three sides except that in the eastern side, where at the centre lies an elevated jharokha balcony which used to house the royal throne chamber (known as takht - i - murasa) of emperor shah jahan. our guide indicated that the emperor used to preside over the public office mostly during the morning hours before lunch .
below the fort walls, by the bela, by the jumna’s banks, was assembled a vaste concourse of the humbler millions of india. since the first dawn of the day the different communities had made processions and offered up prayers for the long life and prosperous reign of the emperor and empress and now they were enjoying the gaiety and amusements of the badshahi mela, the wrestling matches, the circus riders of patiala and rampur, the sham attack upon the fort by the gwalior troops, the fire balloons and wondrous kites and the daylight fireworks that burst in puffs of smoke and silver streaks, whistling shrilly as they fell through the air. but above all things the huge crowd hoped to witness the darshan, the gracious appearance of the badshah at the musammam burj, on the octagonal tower with the fretted balcony of marble, at which, in olden times, the badshah used daily to show himself to the people .
• orthodox muslims did not like the views of akbar and jahangir and there was some resentment among them. • in his early years, a policy of religious persecution and religious discrimination in favour of islam is clearly noticeable. • he stopped sijda, forbade the use of the royal portrait as an adornment to the cap or the turban and restored the use of the hijri era in place of the ilahi era. • in 1633 he ordered wholesale demolition of all newly built temples and in benaras alone 72 temples were destroyed. similarly, destruction took place in allahabad, gujarat and kashmir. • he established a separate department for securing conversions to islam. these incidents show that akbar’s policy of religious liberty and equality was gradually being forsaken and religious discrimination, began under jahangir, was gaining in virulence and scope. • but even under shahjahan, there was no permanent adoption of religious persecution as an integral element of state policy. he too did not revive the jizya. • during the later part of his reign there is no reference to temple destruction or any other form of religious persecution. • he continued jharokha darshan, tula dan and tilak. • nor did he deprive the hindus of high office. 20% to 25% of the higher mansabs were still given to the hindus. nor did he deprive the hindu poets, artists and scholars of state patronage. • it thus appears that in his early years he issued certain orders and did certain acts on grounds of political expediency which proved harmful to certain individuals and localities. but he never adopted a general policy of discrimination, persecution and hatred and retained the affections of his hindu subjects till the end of his reign. • but this twin - headed policy of shahjahan led to emergence of two rival groups in the state as the supporters of these two policies, which proved very harmful to the state and facilitated aurangzeb’s accession to the throne. if he had adopted a liberal policy from the very outset, there might have been no dissensions at court .
• aurangazeb was a staunch and orthodox muslim in his personal life. • his ideal was to transform india into an islamic state. • he created a separate department to enforce moral codes under a high - powered officer called muhtasib. • drinking was prohibited. • cultivation and use of bhang and other drugs were banned. • aurangazeb forbade music in the mughal court. • he discontinued the practice of jarokha - darshan. • he also discontinued the celebration of dasarah and royal astronomers and astrologers were also dismissed from service. • initially aurangazeb banned the construction of new hindu temples and repair of old temples. then he began a policy of destroying hindu temples. the celebrated temples at mathura and benares were reduced to ruins. • in 1679, he reimposed jiziya and pilgrim tax. • he was also not tolerant of other muslim sects. the celebration of muharram was stopped. • he was also against the sikhs and he executed the ninth sikh guru tej bahadur. this had resulted in the transformation of sikhs into a warring community. • his religious policy was responsible for turning the rajputs, the marathas and sikhs into the enemies of mughal empire. • it had also resulted in the rebellions of the jats of mathura and the satnamis of mewar. therefore, aurangazeb was held responsible for the decline of the mughal empire .
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chandigarh: goswami ganesh dutta sd college, sector 32, continues to be the favourite of most toppers seeking admission to bcom, bba and bca .
mumbai: actor kavi kumar azaad, known for playing the character of dr hansraaj hathi on popular sitcom ‘taarak mehta ka ooltah chashma’, passed away on monday after suffering a cardiac arrest .
the modern - day decorative jharokhas are inspired by ancient architectural art form of rajasthan and gujarat. even in the present settings, these look as graceful
it is one of the most popular architectural elements of all time. even with a history of centuries to it, jharokhas continue to lure interior designers with their timeless appeal. it is a kind of bay window that besides having a visual appeal also lets the natural light and air usher in your house. interior designers prefer to pick modern and ethnic elements of décor to create perfect settings and jharokhas fit the bill really well. miniature replicas of these are equally popular as wall hangings or photo frames .
the most famous building with jharokhas in india, the hawa mahal, was built in 1799 in jaipur during the reign of maharaja sawai pratap singh. the building has beautifully sculpted windows that look out into the city. built for the royal ladies of rajasthan, who wanted to view city life from behind the purdah, the hawa mahal has 953 beautiful windows or jharokhas made out of pink sandstone. the windows are built in such a way that these resemble a honeycomb. behind every window is a small chamber meant for the royal ladies .
another famous building that is the inspiration behind many decorative jharokhas is the halvad palace in gujarat. the palace is exclusively adorned with carved wooden columns, brackets, friezes and jalis with geometrical patterns, all defining a courtyard. it is the historically famous jharokhas like these that have been replicated to adorn the walls of modern villas and homes. today one can find all kinds of wall - art jharokhas in the market. though mostly made of wood and decorated with clay, these come in a variety of materials ranging from metal to the more expensive silver and gold foil decorations .
most of the decorative jharokhas available in the market these days derive their inspiration from the famous forts, palaces and havelis of rajasthan and gujarat, which had intricately carved bay windows, built of sandstone and marble. some of most famous inspirations are
hawa mahal in jaipur has 953 jharokhas carved out of pink sandstone. it was built to help the royal women in purdah view city life. this famous building was made by maharaja sawai pratap singh in 1799 .
this fort is a historical monument located in the small town of phalodi near jodhpur. the fort was built in 1488 by rao hammir narawat, the grandson of the maharaja of jodhpur. it is a reflection of the fine work of ancient artists of marwar and houses many beautifully sculpted jharokhas .
zenana mahal is a part of the famous mehrangarh fort and was the royal abode of jodhpur queens. the prominent queens’ court is situated inside the zenana mahal and is called the moti mahal chowk. a number of jharokhas with intricately carved jaali can be seen in the three wings of this court .
this five - storey edifice, which was constructed in 1800 ad and is the largest of its kind, is one of the grandest mansions of jaisalmer. the haveli is known for its stunningly carved jharokhas. each of these has two pillars and a cupola .
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' of kashi vishwanath temple (kvt) is emerging as the only solution to ensure that all the pilgrims queuing up for hours get an opportunity to pay obeisance to lord vishwanath .
if the kvt trust and administration would give consent to this proposal, it can be introduced on the occasion of mahashivratri falling on march 10 .
we have not finalised this decision as the issue is sensitive and concerns to faith, hence consent of authorities concerned is a must ,
said ssp ak mishra. presently, except the aarti hours, when the doors of sanctum sanctorum of kvt remain closed, the devotees are allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum for offering prayer and even touch the shivlinga .
admin to finalise mahashivratri action plan soon: the experiences of past one - and - half - month had compelled the district administration and police to finalise the action plan in advance to control and regulate crowd on mahashivratri on march 10 .
with the commencement of maha kumbh at allahabad, the arrival of pilgrims had increased here. after every important' snans' like makarsankranti, mauni amawasya, basant panchami and maghi purnima, the queues of devotees seeking entry in kashi vishwanath temple were seven to eight kilometers long .
the crowd of devotees always remains high on mahashivratri. keeping it in view, district magistrate pranjal yadav and the ssp visited the temple on saturday and stayed till late in the evening to discuss plans of security and crowd regulation with subordinates and temple authorities .
the pilgrims often become impatient. to ensure that they do not indulge in making hue and cry, lcd screens would be placed at many points along the queues for viewing live telecast of the activities taking place at sanctum sanctorum. he said that to avoid inconvenience to the pilgrims, who reach the temple with their bags and other banned articles like mobile phones and electronic gadgets, measures for making them aware to leave the belongings at the places of their stay would be initiated. the close circuit television cameras and public address system, which are lying non - functional in and around kvt, would also be repaired by march 6 .
putting a complete check on the entry of vehicles on maidagin - godowlia road during special occasion had remained impossible so far, admitted the ssp .
keeping this in view, the officials have decided to install fixed barriers at all the entry points instead of installing flexible barriers. he said that neither the vehicles of officials nor any vip would be allowed to enter this road on mahashivratri. the barriers installed inside the kvt premises would be replaces by steel barricades .
( ssc) on march 10, when lakhs of pilgrims are expected in the city .
keeping it in view, the local authorities have demanded additional police and paramilitary forces to maintain foolproof security .
about a week back, district magistrate pranjal yadav forwarded a letter to ssc, seeking to postpone the examination in varanasi or change some centres. eight of the centres are located near prominent temples of lord shiva. the venue of examination at these centres should be changed to avoid hindrance. the dm has also proposed a new list of eight centres .
he has just 2 weeks left & i need rs. 5. 5 lakh to save him .
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at the red fort, on august 15, 1947, the past and the present had coalesced to mark a newly independent nation’s step towards the future .
known by different names at different points of time, such as qila - i - mubarak (the fortunate citadel), qila - i - shahjahanabad (fort of shahjahanabad) or qila - i - mualla (the exalted fort), the red fort remains one of the most iconic representations of anti - colonial resistance and india’s independence day celebrations. since 1947, on every independence day, successive prime ministers have hoisted the national flag here and addressed the nation from the rampart adjacent to the lahori gate, which now forms the public entrance to the fort .
constructed by the mughal emperor shah jahan between 1638 - 1649, the red fort, which derives its name from its massive red sandstone walls, represented the political and cultural grandeur of the mughal empire. it was designed as the fort - palace of the new mughal capital, shahjahanabad, literally ‘the abode of shah jahan’ .
after the reign of aurangzeb, shah jahan’s son and successor, the fortunes of this bastion started dwindling as the later mughals proved to be very vulnerable. nadir shah, the turk ruler of iran, attacked delhi in 1739. he plundered the fort as well as the city and carried away a massive booty, including shah jahan’s iconic peacock throne and the koh - i - noor (mountain of light) diamond. subsequently, raids by the marathas, sikhs, jats, gurjars, rohillas and afghans from mid to later 18th century further weakened the mughal stronghold. in fact, during the time of shah alam (1759 - 1806), it is said that mughal rule extended from the red fort to palam in delhi .
the early 19th century saw the british influence growing in the region. after the capture of delhi in 1803, the british started taking control of the fort and the city. the early half of the 19th century was relatively quiet for the city, dubbed as years of ‘english peace’ .
these were also years of the ‘delhi renaissance’, marked by the presence of ghalib, momim and zauq, and the delhi college, and soon to be overtaken by the rebellion of 1857. in the circumstances that unfolded, red fort gained a new identity as the most important symbol of resistance to the might of the british. once again the mughal emperor found himself being referred to as the ‘emperor of hindustan’ .
the year 1857 witnessed an armed rebellion in parts of central india and northern india leading to the loss of british control over these regions for a while (new research suggests that the uprising was far more widespread than hitherto believed). red fort and its occupant, bahadur shah zafar, became the most important symbol of the rebellion .
historian eric stokes writes that the rebel soldiers showed a “centripetal impulse to congregate at delhi”. pressured by the rebels, a reluctant 82 - year - old mughal emperor became the leader of the rebellion while real power was exercised by rebel soldiers, princes and nobles .
the fall of delhi sparked off mutinies and uprisings; the rebellion acquired a civil and popular character in parts of north india. with the coming of the rebel troops from bareilly to delhi, led by muhammad bakht khan, a government was formed combining civil and military administration .
muhammad bakht khan was nominated sahib - i - alam bahdur (governor general) and he functioned with the help of an administrative court. historian k. n. panikkar points out that the court conducted the affairs of the state in the name of the emperor. he was recognised as an emperor by all rebel leaders. coins were struck and orders were issued in his name .
a retreating british army took refuge in the delhi ridge area while waiting for the reinforcements from ambala. historian rudrangshu mukhjee writes that their aim was to regain control of delhi which had become the focal point of rebellion. other centres of revolt were soon suppressed .
after gaining control of delhi around september 1857, the british resorted to harsh reprisals marked by summary court martial and hangings, blowing rebels from the cannon and indiscriminate shootings. bahadur shah zafar, who had escaped by the yamuna river route to take refuge in humayun’s tomb, was caught along with three princes. the arrested emperor was brought back to the red fort as a prisoner while the three princes were killed by major william hodson near delhi gate. bahadur shah zafar was tried in the diwan - i - khas (hall of special audience) and exiled to rangoon (now yangon) on october 7, 1858 .
“capture of the king of delhi by captain hodson”, steel engraving. captain william hodson captured bahadur shah ii on 20 september 1857 during the sepoy mutiny. credit: wikimedia
british officials were not just content with deporting the emperor and killing his descendants, they also unleashed their anger on the fort which been the citadel of power during the ‘great indian rebellion’. more than two - thirds of red fort’s inner structures were destroyed. the palace was converted into quarters for the british garrison and the famed diwan - i - aam (hall of public audience) into a hospital. the buildings south of the diwan - i - khas were allotted to the troops .
precious stones, jewels and artworks adorning the palaces were looted. several existing mughal structures, including the harem courts, the gardens to the west of rang mahal, the royal store rooms and kitchen were demolished. british buildings such as army barracks, hospitals, bungalows, administrative buildings, sheds and godowns came up in the former mughal bastion .
the suppression of the rebellion was accompanied by major administrative changes. the rule of east india company came to an end and queen victoria was made the sovereign head of british india. the office of the secretary of state was created to rule india .
the 1911 durbar also saw a surprise announcement – the transfer of british india’s capital from calcutta to delhi. mukherjee points out that the decision to shift the capital to delhi was also motivated by the symbolic importance of the city and the hold the mughals had over the minds of the people of north india .
while the british appropriated the imperial symbolism related to the red fort, they did everything to prevent any news about bahadur shah zafar coming out in public. historian amar farooqui writes that the exiled emperor and his family lived in complete obscurity till the end of the 19th century, with the colonial state ensuring that no definite account of the mughal family became available to the public .
nevertheless, the rebellion and its heroes continued to remain in public memory and later in the nationalist imagination. as panikkar writes, even in failure, the rebellion of 1857 served as a source of inspiration for the freedom struggle in later decades .
almost a century after 1857, the red fort emerges on the horizon in the years preceding independence, with the circumstances of the freedom movement in the 1940s rekindling interest in the lives of the seemingly - forgotten mughal emperor and his family .
farooqui, however, argues that the choice of the red fort as the site for india’s principal public event “was not directly the outcome of a desire to set right, symbolically, the historical wrongs of 1857” – rather it was “indirectly that latent memory of the suppression of the uprising (that) determined the selection of what was the most prominent non - colonial structure in the capital of the british india empire” .
according to the historian, what triggered this memory in the 1940s was the setting up of the headquarters of the azad hind fauj or the indian national army (ina) provisional government at rangoon in burma. subhas chandra bose, the ‘netaji’ of ina reportedly visited the shrine that had come up around the unmarked grave of bahadur shah zafar and his famous call chalo dilli (march to delhi) invoked both the emperor and the red fort and was also linked to the idea of the recapture of the fort –” (o) ur task will not end until our surviving heroes hold the victory parade on the graveyard of the british empire, at the lal quila, the red fort of ancient delhi” .
netaji’s intervention, writes farooqui, played a decisive role in “overcoming the forced collective amnesia about the history of the brutal reconquest of the city” .
the ina trials (1945 - 1946) put the spotlight on the red fort once again. after the second world war, the captured officers of the ina were put on public trial at the red fort in december 1945. three officers, namely colonel shah nawaz khan, colonel prem kumar sahgal and colonel gurbaksh singh dhillon, were housed there for the duration of the trial. the chambers within the baoli, or step - well, believed to pre - date the red fort, were converted into a prison .
jawaharlal nehru addresses the nation from red fort on independence day, august 15, 1947. credit: wikimedia
there was a “mass upheaval” of campaigns, protest meetings and all - party demonstrations showing signs of remarkable communal harmony. “never before in indian history, ” nehru admitted, “had such unified sentiments been manifested by various sections of the population. ”
according to historian sekhar bandyopadhyay, there were many factors behind the mass upsurge, including the fact that the trial took place at the red fort, which appeared to be the “most authentic symbol of british imperial domination” – it was the place where the last mughal emperor and the acclaimed leader of the 1857 revolt was tried and exiled .
farooqui writes that the nation - wide campaign for the release of the ina officers further reinforced the public perception of the former mughal fort - palace as the symbol of anti - colonial resistance .
finally, in august 1947, the first prime minister of india jawaharlal nehru raised the indian national flag above lahori gate. nehru’s speech made a special mention of netaji, regretting his absence on the occasion. farooqui argues that the act of replacing the british flag with india’s national flag, a day after the swearing in of the first cabinet on august 15, amounted to reclaiming this contested site for the nation .
it is a site where the past and the present coalesced to mark a newly independent nation’s step towards the future. on every independence day, as the prime minister speaks from the rampart of the red fort in what is a formal, choreographed event, the site itself shimmers with the sheen of an inclusive memory, like a talisman .
shashank shekhar sinha has taught history in undergraduate colleges at the university of delhi. he does independent research on tribes, gender, violence, culture and heritage .
here are some important notes and points on mughal empire for your various upcoming competition examinations. mughals were the important kings of delhi sultanate .
. daulat khan lodhi, alam khan and rana sanga invited babur to attack india. he was descended of
in which he give excellent description of india. he died on 1530 and his tomb is at kabul .
he defeated sher shah at the battle of chausa in 1529. but in the battle of kannauj / bilgram in 1540, he escaped to iran where he passed 12 years. after that he invaded india in 1555 and defeated his afghans brothers and became ruler of india again .
humayun succeeded in conquering the provinces of gujarat and malwa and remain successful to eliminate the threat of bahadur shah. however he failed to consolidate his power in western india .
. he was ascended the throne in 1556 at the age of 15. his took the title
. akbar ended the regency and proceeded to conquer various important town like gwalior, ajmer and jaunpur. he defeated
was the first hindu who followed this religion. akbar built fatehpur sikri, agra fort, lahore fort and allahabad fort. he also made humayun’s tomb at delhi. he also abolished
also contemporary to akbar. he was buried at sikandra near agra after his death. he used persian as an official language in india .
. he came to the throne after akbar’s death in 1605. captain hawkins from east - india company came to his court in 1608. jahangir give him a title ‘
‘. after that sir thomas roe from england came to india and got permission to build port in surat. he wrote his memories in ‘
ascended the throne in 1628 and became popular for his good deccan and foreign policies. he had to face revolts in
imprisoned shahjahan and ascended the throne in 1658. he ruled for almost 50 years. during his reign, the mughal empire reached its territorial climax. his reign can be divided into two 25 years periods. during his first 25 years of rule, he ruled over the north india. at this time maratha power under shivaji emerged and were force of reckon with. aurangzeb executed
, was the 9th guru of sikhs who refused to embrace islam. during his reign, aurangzeb ban on
the last mughal king was bahadur shah - ii who was made premise during 1867 revolts .
humayun: founder of city din panah at delhi, jamali mosque, isa khan mosque at delhi .
shahjahan: taj mahal, moti masjid at agra, jama masjid, red fort at delhi .
aurangzeb: moti masjid at delhi, badshahi mosque at lahore, bibi ka maqbara in aurangabad .
gk > national parks in himachal pradesh (h. p) [ pdf ]
the mughal rulers barring akbar the great were not very much liberal towards other religion. they occasionally discriminated the hindus from the muslims and imposed discriminatory taxes which akbar abolished to the relief of the former .
in the present section, we shall examine the mughal religious policy vis - à - vis the hindus .
babur, the founder of the mughal rule in india was a staunch sunni muslim. ishwari prasad writes, “babur was an orthodox sunni in his religious views, but his culture saved him from being a zealot or a fanatic like mahmud of ghazni or a ruthless conqueror like his great ancestor, timur, the lane. ” infact, babur followed a middle course in respect of religion. he paid visits to hindu temple at gwalior. he introduced the policy of matrimonial alliances with the rajputs by celebrating marriage of his two sons - kamran and humayun with the daughters of medini rai of chanderi. however, due to political compulsion babur had to adopt some measures which offended the hindus. he declared the battle against rana sangram singh of mewar as jihad and assumed the title of ghazi or a ruthless conqueror. he also fought a holy war against medini rai of chanderi. against the hindu traders, babur followed a discriminatory policy by abolishing some duties for all muslim traders. at ayodhya, he is believed to have built a mosque at a spot revered by the hindus .
humayun was a devout muslim and observed his prayers and other religious rites regularly. yet, he was not a fanatic and showed respect to persons of other religions. his chief queen and most trusted servant were shias. to appease the hindus, he even prohibited cow slaughter. still in his relation with the hindus, humayun could not rise above the standards of his time. he never attacked a muslim ruler when the latter was busy in a war with a non - muslim enemy .
akbar’s son jahangir was also a liberal muslim king. he never launched a policy of the destruction of hindu places of worship. he also did not reimpose jiziya, nor did he believe in forcible conversion to islam. it is also alleged that he took harsh steps against the sikhs and the jains. but in support of him, it is generally said that the victims of his wrath were only individual’s viz. guru arjun singh, man singh suri and sheikh ahmed sirhindi and not the religious communities as such r. p. tripathi believes that jahangir was more orthodox than his father and less than his son khurram (shah jahan). jahangir visited three times the ashram of jadrup gosain (a hindu religious leader) and discussed with him about hindu philosophy. he also imprisoned some sunni religious leaders for expressing some opinion disliked by the king .
by the time shah jahan ascended the throne in 1627 a change in the climate of tolerance and liberalism seemed to have taken place. islamic precepts now began to exercise control over the affairs of the state as was evident from a change in the practice of paying salute to the emperor. akbar had introduced in his court the practice of sijda or prostration, but shah jahan abolished it since this form of veneration was deemed fit for the almighty only. shah jahan substituted chahar taslim for sijda. moreover the author of amal salih informs us that seventy six temples in the region of benaras were demolished at the order of the king. the argument was that “new idol houses” (taza sanamkhana) could not be constructed. however, the old ones built before shah jahan’s accession were left untouched .
what is remarkable is the fact that in spite of deviation in some respects from the norms laid down by akbar and followed by jahangir, shah jahan did not impose jiziya on the non - muslims. nor did the number of the hindu mansabdars fell below the number under his predecessors .
let us know akbar, in the interest of political consolidation did not generally resort to religious discrimination.
jharokha darshan was a daily practice of addressing the public audience ( darshan ) at the balcony ( jharokha ) at the forts and palaces of medieval kings in india . it was an essential and direct way of communicating face-to-face with the public , and was a practice which was adopted by the mughal emperors . the balcony appearance in the name of jharokha darshan also spelled jharokha-i darshan was adopted by the 16th-century mughal emperor akbar , even though it was contrary to islamic injunctions . earlier , akbar 's father emperor humayun had also adopted this hindu practice of appearing before his subjects at the jharokha to hear their public grievances . darshan is a sanskrit word which means " sight " and " beholding " ( also means : " the viewing of an idol or a saint " ) which was adopted by mughals for their daily appearance before their subjects . this also showed a hindu influence , it was first practiced by humayun before akbar adopted it as a practice at sunrise . jharokha is an easterly facing " ornate bay-window " , canopied , throne-balcony , the " balcony for viewing " ( an oriel window projecting out of the wall ) provided in every palace or fort where the kings or emperors resided during their reign . its architecture served not only the basic need for lighting and ventilation but also attained a divine concept during the reign of mughals . the jharokha appearances by the mughals have been depicted by many paintings . giving jharokha darshan from this jharokha was a daily feature . this tradition was also continued by rulers who followed akbar ( r. 1556 – 1605 ce ) . jahangir ( r. 1605 – 27 ce ) and shah jahan ( r. 1628 – 58 ce ) also appeared before their subjects punctiliously . however , this ancient practice was discontinued by aurangzeb during his 11th year of reign as he considered it a non-islamic practice , a form of idol worship . in agra fort and red fort , the jharokha faces the yamuna and the emperor would stand alone on the jharokha to greet his subjects . mughal emperors during their visits outside their capital used to give jharokha darshan from their portable wooden house known as do-ashiayana manzil . during the delhi durbar held in delhi on 12 december 1911 , king george v and his consort , queen mary , made a grand appearance at the jharokha of the red fort to give a " darshan " to 500,000 common people . 
jharokha darshan was a daily practice of addressing the public audience (darshan) at the balcony (jharokha) at the forts and palaces of medieval kings in india. it was an essential and direct way of communicating face-to-face with the public, and was a practice which was adopted by the mughal emperors. the balcony appearance in the name of jharokha darshan also spelled jharokha-i darshan was adopted by the 16th-century mughal emperor akbar, even though it was contrary to islamic injunctions. earlier, akbar's father emperor humayun had also adopted this hindu practice of appearing before his subjects at the jharokha to hear their public grievances. darshan is a sanskrit word which means " sight " and " beholding " (also means: " the viewing of an idol or a saint ") which was adopted by mughals for their daily appearance before their subjects. this also showed a hindu influence, it was first practiced by humayun before akbar adopted it as a practice at sunrise. jharokha is an easterly facing " ornate bay-window ", canopied, throne-balcony, the " balcony for viewing " (an oriel window projecting out of the wall) provided in every palace or fort where the kings or emperors resided during their reign. its architecture served not only the basic need for lighting and ventilation but also attained a divine concept during the reign of mughals. the jharokha appearances by the mughals have been depicted by many paintings. giving jharokha darshan from this jharokha was a daily feature. this tradition was also continued by rulers who followed akbar (r. 1556 – 1605 ce). jahangir (r. 1605 – 27 ce) and shah jahan (r. 1628 – 58 ce) also appeared before their subjects punctiliously. however, this ancient practice was discontinued by aurangzeb during his 11th year of reign as he considered it a non-islamic practice, a form of idol worship. in agra fort and red fort, the jharokha faces the yamuna and the emperor would stand alone on the jharokha to greet his subjects. mughal emperors during their visits outside their capital used to give jharokha darshan from their portable wooden house known as do-ashiayana manzil. during the delhi durbar held in delhi on 12 december 1911, king george v and his consort, queen mary, made a grand appearance at the jharokha of the red fort to give a " darshan " to 500,000 common people.
jharokha darshan was a daily practice of addressing the public audience (darshan) at the balcony (jharokha) at the forts and palaces of medieval kings in india. it was an essential and direct way of communicating face-to-face with the public, and was a practice which was adopted by the mughal emperors. the balcony appearance in the name of jharokha darshan also spelled jharokha-i darshan was adopted by the 16th-century mughal emperor akbar, even though it was contrary to islamic injunctions. earlier, akbar's father emperor humayun had also adopted this hindu practice of appearing before his subjects at the jharokha to hear their public grievances. darshan is a sanskrit word which means " sight " and " beholding " (also means: " the viewing of an idol or a saint ") which was adopted by mughals for their daily appearance before their subjects. this also showed a hindu influence, it was first practiced by humayun before akbar adopted it as a practice at sunrise. jharokha is an easterly facing " ornate bay-window ", canopied, throne-balcony, the " balcony for viewing " (an oriel window projecting out of the wall) provided in every palace or fort where the kings or emperors resided during their reign. its architecture served not only the basic need for lighting and ventilation but also attained a divine concept during the reign of mughals. the jharokha appearances by the mughals have been depicted by many paintings. giving jharokha darshan from this jharokha was a daily feature. this tradition was also continued by rulers who followed akbar (r. 1556 – 1605 ce). jahangir (r. 1605 – 27 ce) and shah jahan (r. 1628 – 58 ce) also appeared before their subjects punctiliously. however, this ancient practice was discontinued by aurangzeb during his 11th year of reign as he considered it a non-islamic practice, a form of idol worship. in agra fort and red fort, the jharokha faces the yamuna and the emperor would stand alone on the jharokha to greet his subjects. mughal emperors during their visits outside their capital used to give jharokha darshan from their portable wooden house known as do-ashiayana manzil. during the delhi durbar held in delhi on 12 december 1911, king george v and his consort, queen mary, made a grand appearance at the jharokha of the red fort to give a " darshan " to 500,000 common people.