The Peacock Throne - Pride of Mughal

Symbol of Mughal Empire - The Peacock Throne

The Peacock Throne (Persian: تخت طاووس, Takht-i Tāvūs) was a famous jeweled throne that was the seat of the emperors of the Mughal Empire in India. It was commissioned in the early 17th century by Emperor Shah Jahan and was located in the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audiences with Emperor) in the Red Fort of Delhi. It was named after a peacock as two peacocks are shown dancing at its rear.

The Mughal dynasty (Persian: دودمان مغل; Dudmân-e Mughal) comprised the members of the imperial House of Babur (Persian: خاندانِ آلِ بابُر; Khāndān-e-Āl-e-Bābur), also known as the Gurkanis (Persian: گورکانیان; Gūrkāniyān),[1] who ruled India as the Mughal Empire from c. 1526 to 1857. The dynasty was the wealthiest empire in the world, with also the largest military on earth. Mughals had approximately 24 percent share of world's economy and a military of one million soldiers and ruled almost the whole of the India with 160 million subjects, 23 percent of world's population.

The emperor's court was to be an image of paradise on earth, the Peacock Throne covered in gold and jewels, with steps leading up to it, with the ruler siting above the ground and closer to heaven. It took seven years to complete. More than 2500 lbs. of gold and 500 lbs. of precious gemstones were embedded in the Throne, creating a masterful piece of Mughal artistry that was unsurpassed before or after its creation. It was an opulent indulgence that could only be seen by a few courtiers, aristocrats, and visiting dignitaries. The throne was, even by Golden Age Mughal standards, supremely extravagant, costing twice as much as the construction of the Taj Mahal.

Diwan-e-Khas at Red Fort Delhi

Today the Diwan-i-Khas at the red fort in New Delhi is missing its central monument - the Peacock Throne. What happened to it? Where did it go?

Nader Shah's invasion of the Mughal Empire culminated in the defeat of Muhammad Shah at the battle of Karnal in 1739. Nadir Shah entered Delhi and sacked the city, massacring thousands of inhabitants. Persian troops left Delhi at the beginning of May 1739, taking with them the peacock throne as a war trophy. Their treasure haul amounted to a considerable reduction in Mughal prestige and wealth.

Invasion of Delhi by Nadir Shah of Iran

When Nadir Shah was assassinated by his generals on 19 June 1747, the throne disappeared, dismantled or destroyed for its valuables. Some historians speculate that the throne was given to the Ottoman Sultan as a gift. Later, the Persian emperor Fath-Ali Shah commissioned a new throne to be constructed in the early 19th century. Some historians claim that parts of the original Peacock Throne were used in its construction. Even the throne was called the Peacock Throne, symbolizing the power of Persian monarchy.

The Peacock Throne - Tehran

NADIR Shah’s brutal plunder and eight invasions by Ahmed Shah Abdali had made the Mughal Empire fragile and weak. Sikhs had emerged as a strong and powerful force in northern India. The Sikhs eventually halted Abdali’s invasions. In 1783 Sikh Misls led by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia and Baghel Singh Dhaliwal camped near Gaziabad. They were supported by the Jats of Haryana and Western UP. Prince Mirza Shikoh, on orders from the emperor, tried to stop the Sikhs but suffered defeat, and fled. On March 9, Sikhs captured Ajmeri Gate. There was a panic in the city; many took shelter in the fort. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia joined the Sikh forces at the last moment with 10,000 soldiers.

Sikh Leaders after Occupation of Red Fort

The Sikhs attacked the Red Fort on March 11,1783. The emperor and all his guards, in fact everyone in the fort, hid themselves. The story goes that an insider informed Sikhs of a weak spot in the wall of the fort, where the soldiers made a hole by ramming it with wooden logs; the place is named as Mori Gate, the location of Inter State Bus terminus (ISBT).

The Sikhs entered the Red Fort, hoisted the Nishan Sahib, and occupied Diwan-e-Aam, a key location in the fort, where the emperor, sitting on the throne, used to have audience with the public. In a symbolic gesture, Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia was asked by Baghel Singh to sit on the throne as the supreme leader of Dal Khalsa. His old rival and his namesake, Jassa Singh Ramgarhia opposed Ahluwalia’s sitting on the throne. Jassa Singh Ahluwalia gracefully vacated the throne and, thus, avoided a controversy amongst the chiefs at a critical moment.

Tees Hazari Court where Sikh Warriors Camped

As many as 30,000 Sikh horsemen of Baghel Singh’s army were camping at a place now known as Tees Hazari, location of the Delhi High Court. After negotiations, the Sikhs forces agreed to leave Delhi and reinstate the Mughal emperor, Shah Alam II. The condition of their retreat included a Nazrana of Rs. 100,000 paid by the emperor to the Sikhs, and construction of seven Sikh Gurdwaras in Delhi, including the Gurudwara Sis Ganj in Chandni Chowk near the red fort. 

Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia

The symbol of Mughal power and splendor, the famous peacock throne was no longer there but Sikh Misl chief Jassa Singh Ramgarhia then ordered the removal of the rectangular stone slab upon which the Mughal emperor used to sit on the peacock throne. The slab measuring 6 feet by 4 feet was uprooted, enchained, and dragged all the way to Amritsar. The imperial seat is placed at the Ramgarhia Bunga (Tower) at a level much below the level of Akal Takht, the seat of Sikh military and political power.

Mughal throne slab at the Ramgarhia Bunga

The Minarets were damaged in 1905 during the earthquake and later during the Operation Blue Star in 1984. Both Minarets, collectively known as the Ramgarhia Bungas were got repaired by S. Jassa Singh Ramgarhia Federation Amritsar in 1995-96 with the active cooperation of S.G.P.C., thus restoring the and honor and prestige of the Sikh Panth.

Ramgarhia Bungas (Minarets) behind the Golden Temple