Peacock Throne

The Peacock Throne, called Taxt-e Tâvus (Persian: تخت طاووس) in Persian, is the name originally given to a Mughal throne of India, which was later adopted and used to describe the thrones of the Persian emperors from Nader Shah Afshari to Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi^{[citation needed]}.

Place inside the Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience) of Agra Fort, India where the original Peacock Throne was once housed. Now the Agra Fort is one the World Heritage Sites in India

History

The name comes from the shape of a throne, having the figures of two peacocks standing behind it, their tails being expanded and the whole so inlaid with sapphires, rubies, emeralds, pearls and other precious stones of appropriate colors as to represent life, created for the Mughal Badshah Shah Jahan of India in the 17th century, which was in his imperial capital Delhi's Public audience hall, the Diwan-i-Am. Shah Jahan had the famous Koh-i-noor diamond placed in this throne.

The French jeweller Tavernier, who saw Delhi in 1665, described the throne as of the shape of a bed (a "takhteh" or platform), 6 ft. by 4 ft., supported by four golden feet, 20 to 25 in. high, from the bars above which rose twelve columns to support the canopy; the bars were decorated with crosses of rubies and emeralds, and also with diamonds and pearls. In all there were 108 large rubies on the throne, and 116 emeralds, but many of the latter had flaws. The twelve columns supporting the canopy were decorated with rows of splendid pearls, and Tavernier considered these to be the most valuable part of the throne. Estimates of its value varied between Rs. 40 million (Bernier) and Rs. 100 million (Tavernier).

Nader Shah invaded the Mughal Empire in 1738, and returned to Persia in 1739 with the original Peacock Throne as well as many other treasures taken from the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah.

According to an article by the Sunday Tribune,

It was, accordingly, ordered that, in addition to the jewels in the imperial jewel house, rubies, garnets, diamonds, rich pearls and emeralds in all weighing 230 kg should be brought for the inspection of the Emperor and they should be handed over to Bebadal Khan, the superintendent of the goldsmith’s department. There was also to be given to him 1150 kg of pure gold... The throne was to be three yards in length, two-and-a-half in breadth and five in height and was to be set with the above mentioned jewels. The outside of the canopy was to be of enamel work with occasional gems, the inside was to be thickly set with rubies, garnets and other jewels, and it was to be supported by 12 emerald columns. On the top of each pillar there were to be two peacocks, thick-set with gems and between each two peacocks a tree set with rubies and diamonds, emeralds and pearls. The ascent was to consist of three steps set with jewels of fine water". Of the 11 jewelled recesses formed around it for cushions, the middle one was intended for the seat it for Emperor. Among the historical diamonds decorating it were the famous Kohinoor (186 carats), the Akbar Shah (95 carats), the Shah (88.77 carats), the Jehangir (83 carats) and the second largest spinel ruby in the world — the Timur ruby (283 carats). A-20 couplet poem by the Mughal poet-laureate Qudsi, praising the Emperor in emerald letters was embedded in the throne. On March 12, 1635, Emperor Shah Jahan ascended for the first time the newly completed Peacock Throne. The French jeweller and traveller, Jean Baptiste Tavennier, who had the opportunity to examine the throne at close quarters, confirms the court chronicler’s description... Its place in the two fortress-palaces of Delhi and Agra was usually at the Hall of Private Audience known as Diwan-I-Khas, although it was kept at the Hall of Public Audience known as the Diwan-I-Am when larger audience were expected.^[1]

After Nader Shah was assassinated in 1747, the original Peacock Throne was lost in the chaos that ensued. It is claimed that the throne was given to the sultan of turkey.^[2] However, later Iranian thrones were referred to as Peacock Thrones, although they resemble a chair rather than a platform. An example of such a throne is the Naderi throne, built in 1812 for Fath Ali Shah Qajar. Another Iranian throne, built in 1836 for Mohammad Shah Qajar, is also called the Peacock Throne. Since then, the term Peacock Throne has come to refer not only to the actual throne, but to the Iranian monarchy itself.

Rhetorical usage

The Peacock Throne is a flexible English term. It is also a rhetorical trope. Depending on context, the Peacock Throne can be construed as a metonymy, which is a rhetorical device for an allusion relying on proximity or correspondence, as for example referring to actions of the Mughal ruler or the shah or as "actions of the throne." The throne is also understood as a synecdoche, which is related to metonymy and metaphor in suggesting a play on words by identifying a closely related conceptualization, e.g.,

• referring to a part with the name of the whole, such as "the throne" for the mystic process of transferring monarchic authority, e.g.,

"The bitter example of their own family history would sooner or later have driven Dara and Shuja and Aurangzeb and Murad to contend for the Peacock Throne with desperate fury."^[3]

• referring to the whole with the name of a part, such as "the throne" for the serial symbols and ceremonies of enthronement.

• referring to the general with the specific, such as "the throne" for kingship.^[4]

• referring to the specific with the general, such as "the throne" for the truncated reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi or equally as well for the ambit of the Mughal or Persian monarchy.

See also

• Imperial Crown Jewels of Persia
• Koh-i-noor diamond
• Darya-ye Noor Diamond
• Naderi throne

• National emblem
  • Throne of England
  • Dragon Throne of the Emperors of China
  • Chrysanthemum Throne of the Emperors of Japan
  • Phoenix Throne of the Kings of Korea
  • Lion Throne of the Dalai Lama of Tibet
  • Golden Throne of the Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan

Notes

References

External links

• The Imperial Jewels of Iran
• Nadir Shah throne, history
• Nadir Shah throne
• The Peacock Throne
• The Naderi Throne, later throne modeled after the Peacock Throne
• The Naderi Throne
• KN Diamond With the UK