#explore #history #dewaneaam
Deewan-e-Aam and its gardens were the stage on which the pomp and stateliness of the Mughal Empire was exhibited
When Shah Jahan took over the throne among his first orders was the instruction to replace the velvet canopy by a wooden hall. Its construction was completed in three years under the supervision of Asif Khan who was the brother of Noor Jahan, the empress and wife of Shah Jahan’s father, Jahangir. Soon a costly ‘Chihil Satun,’ meaning 40 pillar hall was ordered both in Agra and Lahore by Shah Jahan and thus this place became to be known as the hall of forty pillars. The one built in Agra Fort still survives but the Deewan -e- Aam of Lahore Fort went through a lot of modifications during the Sikh and British rules.
However, inside Deewan-e-Aam there is still a small portion of the original Mughal floor which is the brick flooring of old Lakhauri brick. If by chance you have a tourist guide with you while visiting the fort you can ask him to show you this patch. It is distinguishable from the remaining floor. The original red stone poly-faceted column shafts and the multi foil arched bases that had supported the original roof have been re-used in the hypostyle and thus the ceiling rests on many columns, and this is a unique feature of the structure. The structure of this building although simple, reflects the majesty and pomp of the old times.
While standing in this dignified and huge building you will see similarity in the Akbari architecture which is clearly reflected in the Jahangir’s Quadrangle. The relatively simple faceted concave capitals that you see here were transformed into elaborate stalactite capitals beautifully decorated with inlay work when Shah Jahan’s Shah Burj was built.
Now let us come to the changes made in Deewan -e- Aam during the subsequent rulers that took over the fort after the decline of the Mughals. History records that the building of Deewan-e-Aam collapsed when Maharaja Sher Singh, son of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, bombarded Lahore Fort by light guns while fighting against Rani Chand Kaur the widow of Kharak Singh who was the elder son of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh. The entire structure was ruined and knocked down.
Then came the British rule and surely the fort was the hot seat for them too. It is said that the British rebuilt Deewan -e- Aam in 1849 and placed their barracks in the huge gardens in front of the structure and other parts of the fort. British created a lot of soldier barracks inside the fort and that was the time when several structures inside the fort were changed into soldiers and army residents and offices and Royal Kitchen was on top of the list.
Diwan-e-Aam was used as a hospital after adding a long verandah to its façade on the south and the curtain hooks on the walls and pillars which were put there by the British can still be seen.
Deewan-e- Aam over the passage of time became dilapidated and derelict and the ceilings also started cracking and the structure weakened as whole. A few months ago the Walled City of Lahore Authority restored the hall and strengthened the structure by filling up the cracks as well.
Now if you visit this place you will also see the Mughal era costumed guards standing under the state balcony. New signboards and info graphs have also been placed in order for the tourists to know the history of the grand structure
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