throne of jahangir, agra

TAKHT-I-JAHANGIR (THRONE OF JAHANGIR) (1602 A.D.) PRINCE SALIM HAD THIS THRONE MADE AT ALLAHABAD IN 1602A.D. WHEN HE HAD REBELLED AGAINST HIS FATHER, AKBAR. HE BECAME KING IN 1605, BUT THIS THRONE REMAINED THERE. IT WAS BROUGHT FROM ALLAHABAD TO AGM IN 1510 AND WAS PLACED IN THE WDODEN PALACE BUILT HERE BY JAHANGIR NEAR THE JHAROKHA. WILLIAM HAWKINS SAW THIS THRONE THERE. THE PALACE EXISTS NO LONGER, BUT THE THRONE IS OCCUPYINGTHE SAME PLACE. JAHANGIR HAS MENTIONED IT IN HIS MEMOIRS AND HAS ADMIRED IT. HE NOTED THAT IT WAS MADE OF TOUCHSTON'E (SANG.I.MANAK. OR KASAUTIJ AND IS "VERY BLACK AND SHINING." IT IS 10 FEET 7 INCHES LONG, 9 FEET 10 INCHES BROAD AND 6 INCHES THICK-ITS OCTAGDNAL PEDESTALS ARE 1 FOOT 4 INCHES HIGH. IT IS MONOLITHIC. AT THE TOP,IT GENTLY SLOPES FROM THE CENTRE TO THE SIDES, LIKE TORTOISEBACK. PERSIAN INSCRIPTIONS ARE CARVED, IN ORNAMENTAL CARTQUCHES, ON ITS SIDES. THEY ARE IN PRAISE OF SALIM WHOM THEY MENTION AS "SHAH" AND "SULTAN" (KING) AND ALSO THE DATE 1011 HIJRI (=1602 A.D), THIS AMOUNTED TO DEFIANCE OF AKBAR'S SOVERNEIGNTY. WHEN THE THRONE WAS FINALLY BROUGHT TO AGRA JAHANGIR HAD TWO INSCRIPTIONS CARVED ON THE TOP OF TWO WESTERN PEDESTALS, MENTIONING HIMSELF AS HEIR TO THE THROHE, AND RECORDING THE FACT THAT HE ASSUMED THE TITLE: "NURUDDIN MUHAMMADJAHANGIR BAD SHAH" ONLY AFTER ACCESSION.