Still glowing like a jewel
Entering the magnificent Lahore Fort through the postern gate and stepping up the oblique ramp, passing through its lush green lawns, I reached the Diwan-e-Aam (the hall of public audience). The charisma of the Fort is so gripping that one can easily forget the purpose of one’s visit, and I really forgot that I was there for photographing the place. The sky was painted bright blue and the shiny green grass sparkled in the sun, making it glow like a jewel.
Shah Jahan, in his fourteenth year of rule, ordered the construction of this hall of forty pillars the Diwan-e-Aam and it was completed in three years under the supervision of Asif Khan (brother of Noor Jahan, the empress of Shah Jahan’s father, Jahangir). The building was constructed in front of the Jharoka of Daulat Khana-e-Khas, built by Akbar, occupying the middle of the northern side. The marble work in the state balcony in this area appears to be the earliest structure existing at the Lahore Fort. The Jharoka or the throne, today, is accessible to all tourists and stepping up there one can imagine the grandeur and aura of the old days, especially the scene of the Mughal Darbar.
The classic building is constructed on a raised platform bounded by a stone railing. During the reigns of Akbar and Jahangir, the Diwan-e-Aam was enclosed with velvet canopies, shawls, ornaments and the floor was covered with rich carpets. However, among the first orders given by Shah Jahan as emperor was the instruction to replace the velvet canopy with a wooden hall. Soon afterwards, however, a lavish 40-column hall was ordered to be constructed both in Agra and Lahore. While Shah Jahan’s Agra Diwan-e-Aam survives, only the columns and footprints of the one at Lahore are original. Various parts and additions in the building, arches and roof are British era construction. Remains of the original Mughal brick floor can be seen in one part of Diwan-e-Aam and are distinguishable from the remaining floor.
Diwan-e-Aam collapsed when Sher Singh, son of Ranjit Singh, bombarded Lahore Fort by light guns fighting against Chand Kaur the widow of Kharak Singh, the elder son of Ranjit Singh. The British rebuilt it after their occupation of the fort in 1849. The spacious lawns in front of Diwan-e-Aam were covered all over by a number of barracks and quarters. Diwan-e-Aam itself was used as a hospital after adding a long verandah to its façade on the south.
It is said that the Diwan-e-Aam was the centre of the Lahore Fort and always held much importance. It was the hall for public hearing. The Emperor would sit in the balcony to hear the problems and grievances of the public. I think this was a fine concept. When I read the history of different empires in the world many ideas strike my mind, which if adopted today by our rulers can change the present conditions of our country. At least small polices can make big differences.
I think there is no direct contact of the masses with our rulers now, and many bureaucratic barriers are built which create a gap between the rulers and ruled, rather than bridging it. The rulers have no idea of the problems and dilemmas of their people, neither are the rulers aware of the needs of the masses. This was something good in the old times, where the public knew that their issues and needs would be met with and they had contact with the emperors.
Nobody is sure about the origins of the Lahore Fort, though it has been mentioned by several historians and travellers in their books. It is said that Akbar demolished the mud fort and rebuilt it with burnt bricks but no date of the construction is recorded. It may however be assumed that all the successive references starting from the time of Mahmud of Ghazni and ending with that of Akbar are about the same fort which is the Lahore Fort. This Fort has no doubt been successively built, demolished, reconstructed and repaired.
Diwan-e-Aam is one of the most visited places in the Lahore Fort. At present an enjoyable change has been noticed with the placement of Mughal era guards (all gaudily dressed up like the ones in old times) inside the Diwan-e-Aam near the throne balcony. But on the other hand not much effort is being made towards the restoration of the building, maybe some plans are in the pipeline. Heritage needs preservation and I am hopeful that the concerned authorities will pay some heed to this. Heritage can bring in a lot of economic benefits and many countries in the world have used heritage and tourism to improve their economies. I wonder when Pakistan’s government will start thinking on these lines!
