Part 2 (1/2)
The dimensions of the courtyard, given by Fergusson, are 154 feet by 158 feet; and of the Mosque: length, 159 feet; depth, 56 feet, internally.
The Dersane Darwaza.
Nearly opposite to the Muti Masjid, you pa.s.s on the left an inclined pa.s.sage which leads to an old gateway, a part of Akbar's buildings. Very little remains of the original buildings which connected it with the palace in the time of Jahangir, but there cannot be much doubt that this was the locality described by William Finch as the ”Dersane Darwaza, leading into a fair court, extending along the river, in which the King looks forth every morning at sun-rising, which he salutes, and then his n.o.bles resort to their _Tesillam_ (obeisance). Right under the place where he looks out, is a kind of scaffold, whereon his n.o.bles stand, but the _Addis_ with others await below in the court. Here also every noone he looketh forth to behold _Tamashah_, or fighting of Elephants, Lyons, Buffles, killing of Deare with Leopards, which is a custom on every day of the weeke, Sunday excepted, on which is no fighting; but Tuesday, on the contrary, is a day of blood, both of fighting beasts, and justiced men, the King judging and seeing executions.”
The Diwan-i-am.
The road now turns towards the right, through the Mina Bazar, the old market-place, where merchants displayed jewellery, brocades, and similar stuffs for the n.o.bles and others attending the court. A gateway leads into the great courtyard of the Diwan-i-am, or Hall of Public Audience, which, with its surrounding arcades, was for a long time used as an armoury for the British garrison. The hall itself was restored in 1876 by Sir John Strachey, then Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Provinces. The courtyard has recently been put back, as far as possible, into its original condition by Lord Curzon's orders. A further great improvement has been made by the removal of the hideous modern additions which entirely concealed all the arcades.
The present hall, which is an open pavilion formed by a triple row of colonnades, was commenced by Shah Jahan, but, if we may believe tradition, was not completed until the 27th year of the reign of Aurangzib. The arcades surrounding the quadrangle are probably of Akbar's time. The interior dimensions of the hall are 192 feet by 64 feet. It is constructed of red sandstone, plastered over with a fine white polished stucco, which served both as a protection to the stone and as a ground for coloured decoration and gilding. This plaster-work was carried to the perfection of a fine art by the old Mogul builders, but the restoration of it in 1876 was very indifferently carried out.
The throne of the Emperor was in an alcove of inlaid marble at the back of the hall, and connected with the royal apartments behind. Here he sat daily to give audience to his court, to receive amba.s.sadors, and to administer justice. At the foot of the alcove is a square slab of marble, about 3 feet in height, on which, it is said, his ministers stood to receive pet.i.tions to the Emperor, and to convey his commands thereon. On the right and left of the throne are chambers with perforated marble windows, through which the ladies of the zanana could view the proceedings. Bernier's lively description, though it properly belongs to the Diwan-i-am at Delhi, will enable us to picture the scene in the days of the Great Mogul:--
”The monarch every day, about noon, sits upon his throne, with some of his sons at his right and left, while eunuchs standing about the royal person flap away the flies with peac.o.c.ks' tails, agitate the air with large fans, or wait with undivided attention and profound humility to perform the different services allotted to each. Immediately under the throne is an enclosure, surrounded by silver rails, in which are a.s.sembled the whole body of _omrahs_ (n.o.bles), the Rajas, and the amba.s.sadors, all standing, their eyes bent downwards and their hands crossed. At a greater distance from the throne are the _mansebdhars_, or inferior _omrahs_, also standing in the same posture of profound reverence. The remainder of the s.p.a.cious room, and, indeed, the whole courtyard, is filled with persons of all ranks, high and low, rich and poor; because it is in this extensive hall that the King gives audience indiscriminately to all his subjects; hence it is called _Am Khas_, or audience chamber of high and low.
”During the hour and a half, or two hours, that this ceremony continues, a certain number of the royal horses pa.s.s before the throne, that the King may see whether they are well used and Usbec, of every kind, and each dog with a small red covering; lastly, every species of the birds of prey used in field sports for catching partridges, cranes, hares, and even, it is said, for hunting antelopes, on which they pounce with violence, beating their heads and blinding them with their wings and claws.”
After this parade, the more serious business of the day was attended to. The Emperor reviewed his cavalry with peculiar attention, for he was personally acquainted with every trooper. Then all the pet.i.tions held up in the a.s.sembled crowd were read and disposed of before the audience closed.
On festivals or other special occasions the pillars of the hall were hung with gold brocades, and flowered satin canopies fastened with red silken cords were raised over the whole apartment. The floor was covered entirely with the most magnificent silk carpets. A gorgeous tent, larger than the hall, to which it was fastened, and supported by poles overlaid with silver, was pitched outside. Every compartment of the arcades round the courtyard was decorated by one of the great n.o.bles, at his own expense, with gold brocades and costly carpets, each one vying with the other to attract the attention of the Emperor, to whom, on such occasions, an offering of gold or jewels, more or less valuable according to the pay and rank of the giver, must be presented.
JAHANGIR'S CISTERN.--Just in front of the Diwan-i-am is a great stone cistern, cut out of a single block, with steps inside and out, known as Jahangir's _Hauz_, a bowl or bath-tub. There is a long Persian inscription round the outer rim; the only part now decipherable shows that it was made for Jahangir in 1019 A.H. (A.D. 1611). It is nearly 5 feet in height and 8 feet in diameter at the top. Its original place is said to have been one of the courts of the Jahangiri Mahal.
THE TOMB OF MR. COLVIN.--Close by Jahangiri's _Hauz_ is the grave of Mr. John Russell Colvin, the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Provinces, who died in the Fort during the disturbances of 1857.
The Inner Mina Bazar.
Before entering the private apartments of the palace, which are at the back of the Diwan-i-am, we may pa.s.s through the gateway on the left of the courtyard, and enter a smaller one, which was the private bazar where merchants sold jewellery, silks, and costly brocades to the ladies of the zanana, who were seated in the marble balcony which overlooks it (Plate IV.). A narrow staircase gave access to the balcony from the courtyard.
We may well believe that a considerable part of the ladies' time was spent in this quarter of the palace. Sometimes the Great Mogul and his court would amuse themselves by holding a mock fair, in which the prettiest of the n.o.bles' wives and daughters would act as traders, and the Emperors and the Begums would bargain with them in the most approved bazar fas.h.i.+on. The Emperor would haggle for the value of an anna, and the ladies would feign indignation, scold his Majesty roundly, and tell him to go where he could suit himself better. ”The Begums betray, if possible, a still greater anxiety to be served cheaply; high words are heard on every side, and the loud and scurrilous quarrels of the buyers and sellers create a complete farce. But, when at last the bargains are struck, the Begums, as well as the Emperor, pay liberally for their purchases, and often, as if by accident, let slip out of their hands a few gold instead of silver roupies, as a compliment to the fair merchant and her pretty daughter. Thus the scene ends with merry jests and good humour.” (Bernier.)
THE CHITORE GATES.--The further corner of this courtyard, on the left, leads to the Chitore gates, the trophies which Akbar placed there as a memorial of his capture of that great Rajput stronghold in 1657, after a desperate resistance by its gallant defenders. They form the princ.i.p.al entrance to the _Machhi Bhawan_, the great courtyard behind the Diwan-i-am, but are generally kept closed.
THE HINDU TEMPLE.--Beyond the Chitore gates you enter into another quadrangle surrounded by arcades, which recalls a different chapter in the chequered history of the palace. Here is a Hindu temple, built by one of the Bharatpur Rajahs, who sacked Agra about the middle of the 18th century, and occupied it for ten years.
The Machhi Bhawan.
Returning now to the Diwan-i-am, we can ascend by one of the small staircases to the throne-room, and enter the upper arcades which surround the Machhi Bhawan, or ”Fish Square.” The courtyard has suffered so much from ruthless vandalism that it is difficult to realize its former magnificence. It was formerly laid out in marble with flower-beds, water-channels, fountains, and fish-tanks. These were carried off by the Jats to the palace of Suraj Mai, at Dig. A large quant.i.ty of mosaic and exquisite marble fretwork, from this and other parts of the palace, was put up to auction by Lord William Bentinck, when Governor-General of India. The Taj only escaped the same fate because the proceeds of this sale were unsatisfactory.
On the side opposite to the throne-room is an open terrace, originally roofed over and connected with the Diwan-i-khas. This also was dismantled by the Jats.
THE NAJINA MASJID.--On the left of the throne-room, at the end of the corridor, is a door leading into a small mosque of white marble, built by Aurangzib for the ladies of the zenana. It is something like the Muti Masjid, but far inferior in design.
The further corner of it opens into a small chamber, overlooking the courtyard of the Diwan-i-am, which is pointed out by the guides as the prison where Shah Jahan was confined. This may be accepted or not, according to the choice of the visitor. When distinct historical authority is wanting, it is very difficult to distinguish real tradition and pure fable in the tales of these garrulous folk. The historical evidence seems to show that Shah Jahan was not kept a close prisoner, but simply confined to certain apartments in the palace.
We will now pa.s.s over to the river side of the Machhi Bhawan, and approach that part of the palace which contains the Diwan-i-khas, or Hall of Private Audience, the Zanana and Mahal-i-khas, all built by Shah Jahan and occupied by him in the days of his royal state and sovereignty. They rank with the Diwan-i-khas at Delhi as the most exquisite of Shah Jahan's buildings. From this cla.s.sification I purposely omit the Taj, gleaming on the banks of the river lower down. The Taj stands by itself.