"The world, where we are living, is a transient one; what is today may not be there tomorrow; the vast riches that make the owners head swollen, may not be there for them tomorrow."
The Mughal Peacock Throne, once an unrivalled symbol of imperial splendor, remains one of the most tragic examples of how wealth and power can dissolve in a moment of history. Built for Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century, it was one of the costliest and most artistically accomplished royal seats ever created. Covered in sheets of gold and studded with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and pearls, it represented the height of Mughal craftsmanship. Two peacocks rose behind the emperor’s seat, their feathers set with gemstones and their eyes formed from bright jewels. The throne was installed in the Diwan-i-Khas of the Red Fort in Delhi and became synonymous with Mughal pride and grandeur.
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| Painting of Nader Sh.en.wikipedia.org/ |
Above image: Nadir Shah who took away Mogul Peacock throne and Kohinoor, etc from India equivalent to nearly Rs 10,50,000 crore today. He looted the Mogul rulers treasury and other treasures like Peacock throne and Kohinoor in Delhi during February and May,1739. They are roughly equal to Rs. 10,50,000 crore today. Since then the Mogul had declined to the advantage of the British East India Company........ |
| Mogul Peacock throne kumarakash786.wordpress.com |
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| Peacock throne of Mogul in the Diwan-i-Khas of the Red Fort, 1850. en.wikipedia.org |
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. Peacocck throne in Topkapi palace.looted from Delhi,
akshay-chavan.blogspot.in
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This glory ended abruptly in 1739 when Nadir Shah, the powerful and ruthless ruler of
Persia, invaded northern India. During the spring of that year, between February and May, he plundered Delhi with unrestrained brutality. The massacre wiped out thousands of citizens, the Mughal treasury was stripped to the last coin, and the Peacock Throne, along with other thrones and priceless treasures, was seized. Among the riches taken were gemstones, large quantities of gold, and the legendary Kohinoor and
Darya-i-Noor diamonds. The looting dealt a devastating blow to an already weakening
Mughal Empire, which never fully recovered from the financial and symbolic loss.
Nadir Shah transported the treasures back to Persia. After his assassination in 1747, the original throne is believed to have been dismantled and its parts scattered. However, scholars and historians point out that a golden throne strongly resembling the original Mughal masterpiece exists today in
Istanbul’s famed Topkapi Palace Museum. It stands as part of the
Ottoman imperial treasury, a spoils-of-war collection that chronicles centuries of conquests. The throne in the Topkapi treasury has the distinctive Indian stylistic features of high edges, elaborate enamel work in red and green, gold plating and precious stones. A small stool at the foot of the throne was meant for the emperor to rest his feet, confirming the Indian artistic tradition in which it was crafted. Many historians believe this throne, or parts of it, came from Nadir Shah’s Delhi plunder and was later gifted by him to the Ottoman sultans.
After the loss of the original throne, later Mughal rulers used a
silver replica until the fall of the dynasty. When the British suppressed the
1857 Revolt and recaptured Delhi, they looted remaining royal treasures, and fragments of the silver throne became trophies for
British officers. Today only scattered parts, museum relics, and historical accounts remain, reminding the world that the splendor of empires is transient—what dazzles in one age may vanish in the next.
