Peacock throne of the Great Mughals and Peacock throne of the Persian monarchy. From Mughal and Persian history

\u003e\u003e Peacock Throne - a treasure of the Great Mughals

Peacock Throne - a treasure of the Great Mughals

The peacock throne is a lost treasure, after the loss of which the world has become impoverished, devoid of tremendous brilliance. Many legends and myths are associated with this piece of jewelry, many versions have been put forward for more than one century. The notes of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, who visited a treasury in North India in the 17th century, may shed light on the birth and death of the Peacock Throne ...

Tamerlane was a fierce warrior and a merciless enemy. He gave life to the Mughal dynasty, conquering neighboring states and terrifying them. And at the same time Tamerlane was ... a sophisticated lover of precious stones! He collected them all over the world, and often he had to pay for the treasures with a saber stained with blood; often a great commander took a risk in order to take possession of a single stone. For more than two centuries, the Mughal Dynasty kept and multiplied the wonderful treasures that its founder began to collect ...

Tamerlane's descendant, Shah Jahan, was bored. The reason for the boredom was simple - he didn't know what to wish for. He was fabulously rich, beautiful women surrounded him, he had no shortage of anything, and not only enemies, but also allies trembled before his army. And the shah was bored. He wanted to rise above all mortals, he wanted to have what no other person on earth has.

The Shah called the vizier, looked at him, knitting his eyebrows.

I want to have what no one else has. I want to have something that will remind for centuries of the Greatness of the Mughal Dynasty. Go and think! You have three days to think, and if ...

Shah Jahan did not finish, and the Vizier, backing away, left. Two days and two nights passed. The Grand Vizier was sitting with the sages, he was thinking, he was afraid of the Shah's wrath. And there was an old man Haribi among the sages - old as old age itself, wise as wisdom itself ...

Listen, Vizier ... - said Haribi at dawn of the last day.

And here again the Grand Vizier stands before Shah Jahan, his eyes do not look up from the fluffy carpets, his head bowed.

I know what you need, Great Shah.

The Vizier kept silent that the old man Haribi had invented it, did not want to share the glory with him. The Shah nodded and unloaded his richly embroidered shoe from under his robe. The Vizier pressed his lips to the shoe.

And then the unprecedented began. Gems cutting with a sparkle of eyes were carried out from the treasuries of the Great Mughals, gold and silver were poured in heaps on carpets. From all over India the best jewelers and stone cutters, sculptors and artists hurried to the Shah. Shah ordered not to spare any gold, or silver, or beautiful gems - to use it as much as possible. To create a symbol of the power of the Great Mughals - a magnificent throne, such that it will take your breath away when you look at it, so that it is dazzling. Shah ordered to make the back of the throne in the form of the tail of an amazing Indian peacock - multicolored, graceful, and unique.

They caught a magnificent bird, deprived of the tail feathers, began to carefully store these feathers, in order to avoid spoilage, they were placed for a long time in the icy water of the Paradise stream Nehr-i-Bisht. They laid out the feathers in a wonderful pattern to repeat it exactly.

One by one, the gems formed an amazing pattern. The great jewelers and artists argued and almost fought, took one another by the beards, arguing about stones. And they decided - the cost of the stone is not important for the Throne. It is important that he amazed with the art of jewelry, so that the sun and the moon would fade before its splendor. This is how the Peacock Throne was born - a true treasure of wealth and art, an unsurpassed work of Indian craftsmen, a symbol of Mughal greatness and delight for Shah Jahan.

Master jewelers managed to recreate a real tree from bright gold - carved and openwork. And the back was made in the form of a peacock's tail, and only a very intent eye could distinguish it from the real one. Rubies and sapphires, and many other precious stones went to work.

What is it? .. A hundred-carat ruby \u200b\u200bshines like a bloody drop on the back of the throne. Either a drop of drinking water, or a star, or a tear shines a pearl set in ruby. Yes, many gems from the treasures of the Dynasty adorned the magnificent throne, many of them died with him, disappeared, left from human eyes. Enamel adorned the armrests of the throne - delicate and mother-of-pearl, iridescent and transparent. There was and there is no equal to this work of art, which was created by the best Indian jewelers of the past under pain of death, but forgetting at the same time in work.

And so ... They presented the Peacock Throne to the eyes of the Great Shah Jahan. And the Shah was delighted, ordered to arrange a grand feast in honor of the symbol of his wealth and power. And the Peacock Throne itself was loaded onto the back of a white elephant, Shah Jahan sat in it, and rode through the streets of Delhi, accompanied by nobles and warriors, accompanied by musicians. This procession was a magnificent and amazing sight. Commoners bowed their knees, collected dust from the ground, asked to prolong the years of the Great Shah, called upon him the mercy of the Gods.

This is the legend.

What is the fate of this great treasure? A century passed, and Agra was attacked, burned out and ravaged. And countless riches disappeared, and with them - the Peacock Throne, equal to which in splendor cannot be found in the whole world. Was it Jean-Baptiste's notes that caused this? Didn't they kindle greed in the souls of people? The treasury of the Great Mughals was rich in treasures, but the Peacock Throne was the main value in it. And after all, only the Frenchman mentioned him, only described him in his notes.

There are several versions of the disappearance of the Peacock Throne. One convinces that the invaders, the troops of Nadir Shah, simply dismantled the great treasure. They pulled out semi-precious stones, twisted openwork gold forging, mercilessly tore off the scarlet velvet - and destroyed the treasure. Piece by piece they melted down in forges, took away the remains of beauty.

Another version gives hope that someday the Peacock Throne will again appear in the eyes of art lovers. According to this theory, the masterpiece was able to avoid death, was transferred to one of the trading companies of the East Indies, and then went on a secret journey - to the island of Ceylon. Already from there, according to the version presented, they wanted to ship the Peacock Throne to Great Britain - most likely, to the customer. For this, the Treasure of the Great Mughals was placed in the hold of the ship "Grosvenor". Who knew that the elements themselves would not allow thieves to take possession of a work of art?

At the Cape of Good Hope, the ship was wrecked and went to the bottom. The sailors escaped, but few made it to human habitation - someone died from the teeth of animals, someone died of hunger. And the Peacock Throne disappeared without a trace, as if it had never existed.

But this version still gives hope that the treasure will return. The records of the ship's captain were found and studied, who, unfortunately, was one of the first to die. In these notes, he mentioned that he was carrying some kind of huge jewel, something unheard of, a phenomenon of art and luxury.

Of course, based on these records and other historical facts, time after time divers plunged into dark waters to find signs of a shipwreck. And they found - fragments of the steering wheel, pieces of the bottom, overgrown with slimy algae of the mast. Only the jewelry was not among these evidence, only the Peacock Throne was not shown to the eyes of the brave researchers. But this simply cannot be? About nineteen treasure boxes were loaded aboard the ship. How could it be that not a single gem remained at the bottom? Or were they all blown away many nautical miles around by an undercurrent? Have the more fortunate treasure hunters fished out for a while now?

XXI Century. More than one century has passed since the Peacock Throne was lost. For many years he has not pleased the views of sophisticated art connoisseurs. For many years people have been deprived of its amazing brilliance. And we have to admit the likelihood that the Peacock Throne will never return to us. But after all, even fragments of a work of art were not found anywhere. Rubies and sapphires that once adorned the Throne did not appear in the markets. One state did not sell to another part of the magnificent armrests covered with remnants of wonderful enamel. Could it really be that these treasures lay somewhere in the vault, shrouded in mystery?

Time and again, brave explorers plunge into the dangerous waters off the Cape of Good Hope. Again and again they stare intently - will not a golden leg flicker, will not a blood-red amazing stone flash? Maybe someday the divers will be lucky? ..

Peacock throne of Babur The peacock throne is the golden throne of the Great Mughals, taken out of India by the Persian Nadir Shah in 1739, and since then has become a symbol of the Persian monarchy (just like Monomakh's hat is a symbol of the Russian monarchy). The peacock throne was made for the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century.3 The most skilled goldsmiths and jewelers worked on the creation of this fabulous throne for seven years, at a cost of twice the cost of building the famous Taj Mahal (which became a mausoleum Shah Jahan and his wife). The throne got its name in honor of the descendant of Tamerlane, a native of Central Asia, the founder of the Mughal dynasty Zahireddin Muhammad Babur, who became famous not only as a statesman and commander, but also as a subtle lyricist, the creator of the world famous memoirs "Baburname" .5 Many lines of his Babur dedicated the composition to the image of a peacock - a bird especially revered in Iidia. According to Indian beliefs, the peacock carried a person to paradise after. This luxurious bird was a favorite theme in ancient Indian art.

The rulers minted coins with the image of a peacock, peacock feathers adorned the headdresses of the most brave warriors. The Peacock Throne had a shape and size similar to a camp bed. He stood on four large legs about 60 centimeters high, and the lower part of the throne rested on four elongated beams. On these bpycax there were twelve supports supporting the canopy on three sides. The legs and beams (over 40 centimeters wide) were covered with gold and enamel and studded with numerous diamonds, emeralds and rubies. In the center of each bar was a dull ruby \u200b\u200bsurrounded by four emeralds, forming a four-pointed cross. The emeralds are in the form of quadrangles, and the space between them and the rubies is studded with diamonds, the largest of them weighing more than 10-12 carats. In some places, there are pearls set in gold.

The entire inner part of the canopy is covered with diamonds and pearls, while the bottom of the canopy is decorated with a pearl fringe. Under the vault is a peacock with a loose tail, consisting of blue sapphires and precious stones of other colors. The bird's body is made of gold and adorned with enamel and pearls.1 The famous Kohinor diamond was inserted into the peacock's eye ... An unnamed agent who saw the throne in Persia informed the Russian consul in Isfahan Kadushkin that “at the sight of such fabulous wealth it was a reason to go mad : the Peacock throne itself weighed a little less than two tons of pure gold.Only rubies, emeralds and diamonds set in gold (and among them the famous Koh-i-Nur) were taken out on 21 camels more than five tons, small diamonds up to half a ton, and pearls altogether did not count. "4 (The report was about all the treasures taken out by Nadir Shah from the Mughal storerooms.) At first, the Peacock throne was in Agra - an ancient city, the residence of the Great Mughals. Later, in the middle of the 17th century, it was moved to the capital of the empire, Delhi.

90 years later, in 1739, the ruler of Iran, Afshar Nadir Shah, invaded India. His soldiers sacked Delhi and captured the royal treasury. Babur's peacock throne ended up in Tehran. It was kept there for several decades, and then disappeared under mysterious circumstances ... There is a version according to which the throne of Babur, which disappeared from Tehran, ended up in the Kokand Khanate shortly before its annexation to the Russian Empire. This version has its own logic. After all, Babur was a native of the Fergana Valley and even occupied the Fergana throne at the time of his youth, after the death of his father Omar Sheikh in 1495. Over time, Babur's Peacock Throne has become not only a historical and cultural landmark, but also a sacred Muslim relic. It is not surprising that there could be forces interested in the relic associated with the name of a deeply revered historical figure in the East, to take its rightful place in his homeland.

Meanwhile, the days of the Kokand Khanate itself, one of the most significant in Central Asia, were already numbered. Russian troops under the command of the general occupied one by one the fortresses of the Khanate, and in 1876 entered Kokand. However, on the eve of this event, according to legend, several sages, having conspired, hid the throne of Babur in a mountain cave. Note that almost the entire Fergana Valley is located in a ring of high mountains.

From the north, it is bordered by the spurs of the Western Tien Shan, and from the south by the Gissar-Alai ranges, in particular the Alai ridge with peaks exceeding five thousand meters. In this vast mountainous country, there are many untouched gorges with countless caves. So it would not be at all difficult for knowledgeable people to find a reliable hiding place for the throne. Then the sages allegedly chose a guardian from their midst, making him responsible for the hidden treasure. In the event of his death, the keeper had to prepare a successor, initiating him into this secret. The throne should be kept in the cave until the country regains its independence and until a worthy ruler appears in it, enjoying the support and love of the people. There were vague rumors that the last guardian of the throne of Babur was killed in the Fergana Valley in the 1920s during the Basmach movement. He died before he could prepare a successor ... The only thread leading to the secret of Babur's throne was again cut off.

But already at the end of perestroika, one strange story happened. A little later, the former investigator for especially important cases T. Gdlyan told about her in the book "The Kremlin Case". The essence of what happened is as follows. On May 4, 1988, a certain Mukhamadzhan Saliev from the Uzbek city of Andijan, located in the Fergana Valley, turned to the USSR Prosecutor General's Office. He said that, according to family tradition, the guardians of Babur's Peacock Throne came from their family. One of his ancestors was an adviser to the Kokand Khan and was one of those initiates who hid the throne. Saliev admitted that he himself learned about the family secret only recently, when his father became terminally ill and called on his son for a confidential conversation. The father, they say, made it clear that the throne is hidden not far from the Kyrgyz city of Osh, if you move from that into the depths of the mountains, towards the Chinese border.

There is a deep steep gorge, from which there is not a single lateral exit. There is a narrow dry cave at the end of this peculiar stone bag. The precious throne is kept in its depths. Father also managed to add that a map was buried in the garden, on which the location of the cave was precisely indicated, after which he let out his last breath. Mukhamajan admitted that the role of the keeper is beyond him. In his native land, there are powerful forces that dream of taking over the coveted throne. These people will stop at nothing. Saliev feared that he might become their victim. Therefore, I decided to get ahead of the events.

He himself, of his own free will, came to the USSR Prosecutor's Office to transfer the unique relic to the state. However, the investigators did not go to the mountains in search of the treasure. On this score, they had serious doubts. Saliev became more and more confused in the testimony, there was no map on the plot of the garden indicated by him ... Gradually, the investigators came to a different conclusion. It was at that time that the "Uzbek business" was being unleashed. Arrests of prominent persons were being prepared, including dignitaries who entered the Kremlin.

The suspicion arose that they simply wanted to lure the investigation team into an ambush in an uninhabited mountainous area and destroy there. And the stories about the throne of Babur, the brain headquarters of the mafia decided to use as bait. As soon as it appeared, the trail was cut off again ... In his memoirs "Baburname" Babur described in detail the nature of the Fergana Valley, where he spent many years of his life. There is also a description of the adjacent mountains. And what if the first guardians of the throne, choosing a place for the cache, used some hint from the text of Babur himself?

Such an approach would be consistent with the traditions of the East. Perhaps, reading the lines of "Baburname", an attentive researcher will find this clue and be able to decipher a long-standing secret? 5 But this is only a beautiful version. According to the main version, the Persian ruler lost his peacock throne and sofa during the battles with the Kurds, who, throughout Apparently, they took the throne apart and sold out fragments of its decoration ... Subsequent Persian shahs more than once tried to recreate the Peacock throne in the Golestan Palace. Of the currently existing "peacock thrones", the most luxurious was made in 1812 by order of Feth Ali Shah.2

Sources of information:

1. Ionina N.

A. "One hundred great treasures" 2. Wikipedia site 3. Encyclopedia Britannica site 4. "Living history of the East" - M .: Knowledge. 1998.5.

Neonov V. "Babur's Peacock Throne" alt \u003d ""

Peacock throne

The peacock throne is the golden throne of the Great Mughals, exported from India by the Persian Nadir Shah in 1739 and since then has become a symbol of the Iranian monarchy.

The peacock throne was made for the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1629. He personified the greatness, power and wealth of the Mughals. The shah sent heralds on camels and horses to all parts of India. They called on the best, renowned artists to come to the Shah's palace to perform mosaic work, which required the greatest skill and knowledge of "colors of sunset and new moon, overflow of sea water and twilight of the sky."

Before the artists of Calcutta, Punjab and Delhi itself, Shah-Jehan poured out heaps of precious stones and proposed to build a throne with a top indistinguishable from a real peacock's tail.

The craftsmen set about intricate, delicate jewelry work. They selected Ceylon and Kashmir sapphires, Bengal and Egyptian emeralds by tones, half-tones and shades, shading them with selected pearls and diamonds. Sometimes the artists had disputes over what kind of gems to decorate the armrests, back and legs of the throne. After heated debate, the craftsmen came to the conclusion that the value of the Peacock Throne should not lie in the value of the stones, but in their artistic selection. After deep thought, the Shah also agreed with this opinion.

At the end of work in the palace of the Great Mogul, a feast and a festive procession through the capital were arranged. A sparkling Peacock throne was erected on the white elephant to show the people, on which Shah-Jehan himself sat. Trumpeters, drummers and flutes walked in front, on the sides and behind the elephant, and behind them, on assorted horses, in high saddles rode festively discharged vassal princes, rajahs and sultans. At the sight of such a procession, the people fell prostrate and raised their hands to the sky, as if asking the gods of Trimurti for the welfare of the emperor and his army.

Undoubtedly, the Peacock Throne was a masterpiece of jewelry art.

According to the descriptions of Europeans (for example, J.-B. Tavernier), it was the most luxurious throne in the world. They approached him along the silver steps. The legs of the throne were gold and decorated with gems. Behind the back rose two peacock tails of gold, interspersed with diamonds and ruby, adorned with enamel.

In his book Six Wanderings to India (1676), he describes the wonderful Peacock throne in the palace in Delhi: “The lower part of the canopy is all embroidered with pearls and diamonds. A peacock with an unfolded tail of sapphires and other stones stands at the top.

According to the Mughal painting, the Mughal throne, contrary to Tavernier's description, had no back. He had a pillow (mutak) as a back. Peacocks made of precious stones, judging by the miniatures left by the artists of Shah Jahan, adorned only the canopy.

During the sack of Delhi, Nadir Shah brought to Iran not only the Peacock Throne, but also a precious sofa with peacock attributes. An unnamed agent who had seen the throne in Persia informed the Russian consul in Isfahan Kadushkin that at the sight of such fabulous wealth, there was a reason to go mad: the Peacock throne itself weighed a little less than two tons of pure gold. Rubies, emeralds and diamonds set in gold alone (and among them the famous "Koh-i-Nur") were taken out on 21 camels more than five tons, small diamonds up to half a ton, and pearls were not counted at all.

The report was about all the treasures taken by Nadir Shah from the storerooms of the Moguls. The Persian ruler lost the Peacock throne and the sofa during the battles with the Kurds, who, apparently, took the throne apart and sold fragments of its decoration.

According to another version, agents of the British East India Company took him to Ceylon, and from there they were going to transport him to Great Britain on the Grovenor.

Subsequent Persian shahs more than once tried to recreate the Peacock throne in the future residence of the Shah Pahlavi - the Gulistan Palace in Tehran. Of the currently existing "peacock thrones", the most luxurious was made in 1812 by order of Fatah Ali Shah and was called the "Throne of the Sun".

... Leaning over the desk in his office, Monsieur de Bacquet, a Brussels banker and merchant, examined an old print. It depicts a sinking ship. At the bottom there is an inscription: "" Grovenor 1782 ".

Nearby on the table lay documents that de Bacquet's agents had acquired for a pittance along with an engraving from the relatives of the recently deceased sea captain: a pencil sketch of the bay with the exact location of the lost ship, and a letter detailing its cargo.

Monsieur de Bacquet reread the letter. Ten boxes with diamonds and other precious stones, 1450 silver bars, 720 gold bars, a huge amount of gold coins and ivory. But that is not all. There was something about the Grovenor's hold "that should overwhelm the whole of England." This is what Captain Coxon, commander of the frigate Grovenor, the fastest cargo sailing ship owned by the East India Company, wrote to London shortly before his last voyage.

The Grovenor left the harbor of Colombo, the largest port in Ceylon, in mid-June 1782 and headed for the Cape of Good Hope, located in the very south of Africa. Besides the crew, there were about 150 passengers on board. These were high-ranking officials and high-ranking officers from the colonial forces, returning with their families to their homeland after serving in India.

The voyage proceeded calmly for more than a month and a half, but on August 4, a severe storm hit the frigate. In the open sea, a strong ship was not very scary, and, according to the captain's calculations, about 100 miles remained to the African coast. But suddenly a furious roar of the surf was heard nearby, underwater reefs appeared for a moment in front of the frigate in the whirlpool. Before the command to turn was sounded, there was a deafening crack of the hull of the ship thrown onto the rocks. Giant shafts tore off masts and sails, carried people along with them, throwing them onto a foreign shore.

After the disaster, 135 people survived. But that didn’t mean they were saved. People on foot tried to get to some settlement of white people - no food, no clothes, no weapons. Those who were unable to move on were thrown. Almost six months later, only four completely exhausted sailors, who had lost their human appearance, made their way to the Dutch fort - the only survivors.

Upon learning of the death of the Grovenor and its precious cargo, the British government immediately dispatched a 400-man rescue expedition to the scene of the tragedy. But there was nothing to save and no one to help. Off the coast were found only a few wrecks of the ship, scraps of clothing, a couple of empty boxes and a dozen scattered coins. And nothing more. People died, and the cargo went to the bottom along with the frigate, thrown by the waves from the treacherous reefs. The hold still contained boxes of gold and precious stones, as well as the legendary throne, the delivery of which was in vain awaiting the British court.

“Two peacocks with loose tails, made of pure gold, adorn the back of the throne on which the rulers of India from the Mughal dynasty once sat. The golden legs of the throne are trimmed with pearls and precious stones of enormous size and dazzling beauty. Twelve columns support a canopy, the golden fabric of which is adorned with magnificent jewels, "- this is how the French jeweler described this throne, who saw it in Divan-i-Am, the most luxurious of the temples of Delhi.

The news of the sunken treasure very soon attracted the attention of treasure hunters and all kinds of adventurers. Five years after the disaster, the first underwater treasure hunters came to a bay located on the East African coast in Natal province, two hundred miles from the port of Durban, and officially named Grovenora Bay. They found nothing and went away empty-handed.

18 years later, in 1805, two Scots appeared at the site of the frigate's death. These two were lucky: they took with them two thousand gold coins.

The success of the Scots stirred up the officials of the British Admiralty, and in 1842 it finally got down to saving the treasure. For ten months, the most experienced Malay divers, under the guidance of diving specialists, tried to get close to the vessel, which by that time had already been covered by a three-meter layer of sand. All attempts failed, and the operation had to be terminated.

In 1905, several entrepreneurs founded the Grovenor Search Syndicate in Johannesburg, a large industrial center in South Africa, whose shares were sold out like hot cakes. The new technical means that had appeared by that time gave the shareholders hope that the syndicate would be more fortunate than its predecessors. With the help of a dredger, a chute was dug in order to pull the crippled hull of the ship onto land. But the organizers of the operation did not take into account the impact of sea waves, which filled the trough with new mountains of sand. Failure again.

Soon after the end of the First World War, another attempt was made in Johannesburg. This time, a tunnel was dug from the shore, which made it possible to get close to the vessel from below. The penetrators were about to use a special drill to open the ship's side made of durable teak, when suddenly all work had to be stopped. The banks refused further credit and did not make any concessions.

In 1935, a consortium created in Holland decided to fence off the Grovenor Bay with a dam from the sea, and then pump the water out of it with powerful pumps. Large fragments of rocks were thrown into the bay, but the dam did not work. No pumps needed.

... Monsieur de Bacquet was well aware of all these attempts. He also knew that the ill-fated frigate still lies in the place where it sank more than two hundred years ago, and to get to it, you need to "dive" to a depth of 13 m, and then overcome the 27-meter layer of sand. And this layer gets thicker every year. But the technology for underwater work is becoming more and more perfect. The project, developed on the instructions of the Belgian magnate, involved laying another tunnel to the hull of the Grovenor and then cleaning the hull of the vessel from the sand covering it using the most powerful pumps.

At this point, information about the fate of Monsieur de Bacquet's plan ends. Perhaps the project was successfully implemented in deep secrecy and the Belgian was lucky, his huge expenses were more than paid off, and the capital multiplied many times over. Or, perhaps, in the next battle with the sea element, the man lost again, and the hull of the Grovenor, full of treasures, still rests at the bottom of the bay named after him, and the sea continues to fill it with more and more piles of sand ...

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30.05.2011 - 12:03

“The museum of jewels (Diamond Fund) will be the most admired by tourists. The exposition presents a huge number of precious stones of extraordinary beauty. Here you can also see the Peacock throne of the Persian shahs ... "

(from a modern travel guide to Tehran).

Master of the Universe Creations

The compilers of the Guide, to put it mildly, are cunning. The Peacock Throne, presented at the exhibition in the Diamond Fund of the Iranian capital, is actually just a miserable copy of that unique work of Indian masters, which the language does not dare to call “just” a piece of furniture.

The peacock throne was born thanks to the whim of one of the rulers of the Mughal empire Jihan Shah (“Jihan Shah” - “Lord of the universe”, as this name is translated), who ruled from 1627 to 1658.

Jihan Shah was not much different from other Asian rulers. He came to power, having previously fought with his father Jihangir Shah, killing his older brother Khosrov and physically destroying all other claimants to the throne. The new ruler doubled taxes on his subjects and built irrigation canals in the Punjab. By his order, such remarkable works of architecture as the Red Fort and the Cathedral Mosque in Delhi were created. After the death of his beloved wife, Jihan Shah gathered the best masters and ordered to erect a mausoleum, which should not be equal in the Universe. This is how the Taj Mahal was built - one of the seven wonders of the world.

The peacock throne was made in 1629 - the Shah himself came up with this idea or one of his viziers in order to entertain his master, advised Jihan Shah to immortalize himself in a hitherto unprecedented work of art - the most beautiful throne in the world - is unknown.

However, being inspired by this idea, Jihan-Shah ordered to gather from all over the empire the most skilled jewelers, stone carvers and artists. When the masters bowed before the "Master of the Universe", he ordered to give them piles of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and pearls, so that they would build a throne, which has no equal, has not been and never will be in the entire universe. The back of the throne should be indistinguishable from the peacock's tail. The shah ordered not to spare gold, silver, precious stones and to use it in such quantities as would be required for work.

Peacocks - victims

The masters, having decided that the value of the throne should be determined primarily not by the number of jewels, but by their artistic selection, were able to convince the ruler of this. After that, from the numerous peacocks that delighted the gaze of Jihan Shah during their stay in the garden, several were selected with the most beautiful tails. The unfortunate were deprived of their feathers, which became the model for creating the back of the throne.

The work was in full swing. Experienced jewelers selected Ceylon and Kashmir sapphires, Bengal and Egyptian emeralds by tones and half-tones and shades, shading them with selected pearls and diamonds. Soon the outlines of a new masterpiece began to emerge.

The base of the Peacock Throne was a stylized wood made of carved gold, decorated with enamel. Its length was about two meters, and its width was slightly more than a meter. The half-meter legs of the throne were made in the shape of lion's paws, and the back, which was a peacock with an unfolded tail, was striking in its magnificence and amazing resemblance to real peacock feathers.

The bird's eyes were two wonderful diamonds of clear water, one of which is known as the "Great Mogul". (Later, after this stone came to Russia, it began to be called "Orlov").

It was impossible to determine the value of the throne. Among other jewels, it was adorned with sixty emeralds and one hundred and eight rubies. The largest ruby \u200b\u200b- the ruby \u200b\u200bof Timur Tamerlane - reached a weight of 100 carats; a fifty-carat pearl was set into it.

The top of the throne was crowned with a plafond - a huge polished plate made of a very rare fiery Indian carnelian.

It is not known exactly how long it took for the craftsmen to create the masterpiece. But as soon as the work was over, a feast was arranged at the court of the shah, and after that - a festive procession through the capital. The peacock throne was loaded onto a white elephant, and Jihan Shah himself sat on the throne.

Europeans about the throne

Jihan Shah had four sons, and when it seemed to them that their father was ready to let go of the reins of government, everyone wanted to become the new "ruler of the universe." In 1658, civil strife began again, and Alamgir emerged victorious, mercilessly killing all his brothers.

After taking the throne, he duly appreciated the creation of his father, and took the name Aurang-Zeb ("Throne Decoration"). While still alive, Jihan Shah was imprisoned in the Agra fortress, from the windows of which he could admire the grave of his wife - the Taj Mahal mausoleum. Died "Master of the Universe" in 1666.

A year before his death, in 1665, a European saw the Peacock throne for the first time. It was the French merchant Jean Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689). He visited India several times, was in Agra and Golconda. The "enlightened" ruler Aurang-Zeb gave him special favors: he gave him diamonds, gold and gems, allowed him to inspect the palace, including the famous Peacock throne. Tavernier's diaries have survived, in which the peacock throne is described in detail.

It is known that Aurang-Zeb added jewelry to it, in particular the famous Shah diamond (which also ended up later in the Russian diamond fund - it served as a ransom for Griboyedov). The diamond was constantly in front of Aurang-Zeb's eyes when he sat on the Peacock throne. An oblong stone hung from a canopy surrounded by emeralds and rubies. At its thinner end, a furrow was made half a millimeter deep, which was covered by a silk thread.

Mysterious disappearance

Aurang-Zeb turned out to be the last “Great Mogul” to sit on a peacock throne. After his death, neighboring states began to tear apart the once great empire. In 1737, India was invaded by Nadir Shah, the ruler of Iran. In two years, he completely conquered North India and captured Delhi. The treasures he captured were incalculable.

The chronicles show that the seized diamonds, yachts and emeralds alone occupied sixty boxes. And in order to take away the Peacock throne, it took eight camels.

But ... some historical facts indicate that the Persians did not get the peacock throne itself, but only a few of the largest stones that adorned it. The throne was in Bombay in May 1782 and was loaded onto a British clipper.

Soon the ship sailed to England, taking away the colonial families and some of the Indian treasures, among which was the Peacock Throne. However, off the coast of Africa, the clipper was caught in a severe storm. The ship and all its passengers were killed, only one sailor managed to escape.

Since then, for more than two hundred years, all and sundry have hunted the contents of the Grosvenor's holds. Dozens of expeditions from many countries have visited the area of \u200b\u200bthe ship's sinking. In 1919, the English writer Conan Doyle took part in one of these expeditions, investing heavily in the search for the Grosvenor's treasures.

But attempts to find a unique throne and gold did not lead to anything - after all, the exact place of the ship's sinking remained unknown. But hope does not die: members of one of the expeditions claim they were able to find at the bottom a piece of Indian carneline, which once adorned the most expensive and most famous piece of furniture in the world.

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Peacock throne yesterday and today

Currently, they speak of the three thrones as the Peacock. Of these, only two have survived to this day. First, we will give here a few photos, and then we will talk about these thrones and the dynasties that owned them in more detail.

India. First of all, the beginning of all the Peacock Thrones - the Peacock Throne of the Great Mughals. And the one to whom the Peacock throne owes its appearance is the fifth emperor of the Mughal dynasty Shah Jahan. Here is an illustration from an old miniature.

Shah Jahan sits on the Peacock throne.

Then we are transferred from India to Persia. The photograph of the second half of the 19th century shows the reconstructed Peacock throne of the Persian monarchy. Here, the fourth Persian Shah of the Qajar dynasty, Nasser al-Din Shah (reigned 1848-1896), poses for a photograph against the background of the Sun Throne, also called the Peacock Throne, in the Hall of Mirrors of the Shah's palace in Golestan in Tehran. Note that, perhaps, this throne is the only one that has retained the original elements of the Mughal throne. Interestingly, the photo shows that the Shah prefers to sit in front of the throne in a European manner, rather than sit on the platform of the throne, as was the custom of the Mughals.

Nasser ad-Din Shah, the fourth shah of the Qajar dynasty, poses in front of the Sun Throne, also called the Peacock Throne. Photo of the second half of the 19th century.

The last, third, illustration from the preceding review: the throne of Nadir is another symbol of the Persian monarchy, also sometimes referred to as the Peacock throne. In its appearance it has nothing to do with the Peacock Throne of the Great Mughals. made in the form of a chair, not an ottoman. It is believed that it is made on the model of the thrones of the ancient Achaemenid dynasty, which was made famous throughout the world by the kings Cyrus and Darius.

Throne of Nadir as part of the museum collection in Tehran.

And now, in order.

Peacock throne under the Great Mughals

The history of the Peacock Throne began under the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (also known as Shah Jehan), who was also famous for the construction of the Taj Mahal tomb (Read more about this ruler on our website here). It should be noted that although the Peacock Throne was a symbol of the Mughal dynasty, they lost this throne long before the dynasty lost power. And what today exists in Persia (Iran) under the name of the Peacock Throne is different from the original.

Speaking about the shape of the Peacock Throne of the Great Mughals, it should be noted that it was not at all a European-style chair, but a platform in the form of a low ottoman, on which the sovereign sat with his legs bent. By the way, in the Persian language the word "ottoman", which came to Russian, means "throne".

The peacock throne was built in the 17th century, during the reign of Shah Jahan, and was located in the hall of the official government council - Divan in Delhi. The sofa was located in the middle of the so-called. Red Fort, which is still the center of the old part of Delhi.

The modern Indian researcher Appasami Murugayan in the UNESCO Courier (electronic version in Russian, No. 6, 2007) describes the location of the Red Fort and the Peacock Throne at Shah Jahan.

“Red Fort of Delhi is a pearl of Mughal architecture. By the will of the fifth emperor of the Shah-Jehan dynasty, it was designed in a unique style - Shah-Jehani ...

Having made a decision in 1638 to transfer the capital from Agra to Delhi, the emperor ordered the construction of his "earthly paradise" on the banks of the Jamna River. Today it is called Old Delhi, and at that time it was called Shadzhekhanabad - in honor of its emperor.

The "Red Fort", the construction of which began in 1639, and ended most likely in 1648, had a population of about 3,000 people.

It became the first citadel of the Mughal era, conceived in the form of an irregular octagon, which later became a feature of the architectural style of the times of this dynasty. Here the Mughals awaited a throne inlaid with semi-precious stones, as magnificent and majestic as the throne of King Solomon, if not to say - its exact copy.

Even more majestic, however, was the throne that stood in the center of the Divan-i-Khasa, the private audience hall where he received his ministers and nobles.

More than a hundred rubies and the same number of emeralds, not to mention diamonds, sapphires and pearls, which did not give in to count, gave even more splendor to the two majestic figures of peacocks, as if frozen behind the imperial throne. "

It is believed that precisely because of the figures of two peacocks with loose tails, the throne got its name Peacock. The back of the throne was decorated with the famous Kohinoor diamond.

The Foreign Ministry's magazine India Perspectives (December 2000) noted in his essay "The Curious Adventures of Koh-i-Noor" K. Khullar:

According to the French traveler Tavernier, who was himself a jeweler, this stone weighed 420 carats during the reign of Aurangzeb, when he saw it adorn the Peacock throne.

It is surprising that in the struggle for the throne between the four sons of Shah Jahan, which Tavernier witnessed, the stone did not suffer. The Frenchman also claimed that the diamond was cut in the shape of a rose and weighed 900 carats before being cut. "

And almost a hundred years after the description of Tavernier, Kohinor and the Peacock Throne were in Delhi in the property of the Great Mughals.

K. Khullar writes:

“Koh-i-noor remained in the hands of the Mughals until the invasion of Nadir Shah in Delhi, when the weak and incompetent Mohamed Shah Rangila ruled here (Also known as the Mughal Emperor Mohammad Shah. Approx. Portalostranah.ru).

Nadir Shah had already decided to take possession of this rare diamond, but did not know where it was. He was definitely not in the Peacock throne, because he had already seized the throne. His spies told him that Rangila kept a diamond in his turban. Nadir Shah forced Rangila to marry his daughter to his son. After the wedding, Nadir Shah said: “Now we are brothers. According to Iranian tradition, the brothers should exchange turbans. " And, without waiting for Rangila's answer, he took off the emperor's turban and put his turban on his head. This happened in 1739. "

Further, the fate of the throne was for some time connected with the above-mentioned character named Nadir Shah. However, the Peacock Throne, like the Kohinur stone, did not bring good luck to Nadir, who became the new owner of both.

Nadir Shah is the kidnapper of the Peacock Throne of the Great Mughals.

Nadir Shah Afshar. From an old painting.

Nadir Shah Afshar (we will also call him here simply Nadir) was by origin a Turk from the Afshars Turkoman tribe (note that Afshars belong to the Azerbaijani people). He was originally a Shiite, but later became a Sunni Muslim because he believed that this would help him unite more Muslims under his rule.

Nadir was born in the Iranian region of Khorasan, located on the border of Afghanistan and present-day Turkmenistan. Nadir's biography was stormy. A craftsman by origin, he went to the tribe of the Turks-Kyzylbash, and then became the leader of bandit gangs.

Later, Nadir was able to free Persia from the seven-year rule of Afghan conquerors from the Pashtun tribe of the western Gilzai (Hotaks), whose homeland is Kandahar.

Initially acting as a representative of the local Persian and Turkic militia at the head of the "mobs", Nadir began to fight the Afghans on behalf of Prince Tahmasp, who represented the previous ruling Safavid dynasty of Iran, overthrown by the Afghans. (The Safavids, like Nadir, were Turkic in origin, and like him at that time, they professed Shiite Islam). But after defeating the Afghans, Nadir eventually founded his dynasty (known as the Afsharid) in 1736, killing Tahmasp and some other representatives of the Safavids.

Fighting the Afghans, Nadir demanded from the Great Mughals to close the border for the Afghan tribes of Ghilzai fleeing from him (by that time, Nadir had already taken Afghan Kandahar, the center of their region). When the Mughals did not want to support Nadir, he invaded India in 1739.

After Nadir's invasion of India, the Great Mughals were defeated by him in the same year, 1739, at the Battle of Karnal (in the present Indian state of Haryana). The Great Mughals were defeated, despite the fact that they put up an army of 100 thousand people against 55,000 of Nadir's soldiers.

Seeing that he had lost, the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah personally handed over the keys to Delhi to Nadir and announced his abdication, and the rulers returned to Delhi together. The peaceful relations that had been established between these rulers were marred by clashes in Delhi over rumors that Nadir had been killed. Believing the rumors, the Delhi revolted, which ended with Nadir giving Delhi to his troops to plunder. Nevertheless, later the rulers reconciled again, and Nadir returned power to Muhammad Shah, and also wished to marry his son to the daughter of the Mughal emperor (Nadir Shah considered himself the heir to the great nomadic dynasties of the past - Turkic in the person of Timur (Tamerlane) and Mongol in the person of Genghis Khan, but all his nobility was reinforced only by his marriage in his youth to the daughter of a local Persian bey.At the same time, the flags of Nadir and the Great Mughals were identical (about the flag of the Great Mughals, see here).

In the spring of 1739, having seized the Peacock throne, Nadir Shah returned to Persia. Later, Nadir waged successful wars with the Ottoman Turks, as well as with Russia (in both cases, peace treaties were signed in favor of Nadir. In particular, Russia recognized Nadir's authority over Derbent, in Dagestan). Also, Nadir defeated the Bukhara emir and also gave his daughter to him. In addition, he subdued Khiva, transferring it to the rule of Bukhara.

However, Nadir's empire was short-lived. In 1747, he was killed by his own confidants, acting on the instructions of Nadir's nephew, Ali Quli, who ruled under the name of Adil Shah ("the righteous king").

The fate of the Great Mogul, who lost the Peacock throne

Having lost the Peacock throne, the Great Mogul Muhammad Shah ruled until his death in 1748, despite the emergence of antagonistic states in India: the Sikhs, the Maratha state, and so on. Muhammad Shah was succeeded by his son. The Mughal dynasty continued, albeit weakened.

The tragic fate of Nadir's descendants

After a year's reign, Adil Shah was overthrown by his own brother Ibrahim. Ibrahim was also soon overthrown, and then, along with Adil Shah, was blinded and executed by Nadir's supporters, led by his widow. The nobles and the military brought to power the only one of Nadir's sons and grandsons who was not executed by Adil - Nadir's fifteen-year-old grandson - Shahrokh. True, by that time Shahrok was blinded in prison. Shahrok began to rule from 1750 on the territory of the Khorasan region - the ancestral home of Nadir Shah.

40 years later, in 1796, Shahrokh was captured in Mashhad by the founder of the new Iranian Qajar dynasty - Muhammad Qajar. Shahrokh died after the torture he was subjected to at the direction of Qajar in order to find out the fate of Nadir's treasures.

By the time of Shahrokh's death, the Nadir dynasty had already lost many of the treasures he had plundered from the Great Mughals. In particular, back in 1747, the treasurer of Nadir Shah, the Afghan Ahmad Shah (also known as Ahmad Shah Abdali, who later founded the Durrani dynasty in Afghanistan), having found the Kohinor gem on the body of the killed Nadir, took this diamond to Afghanistan. which is why the stone began to travel the world (Read more about Kohinor here). The peacock throne of the Great Mughals in Persia, as can be learned from the main outline of this review (in the left column), was in for a worse fate.

But before we move on to the Persian part of the history of the Peacock Throne, a little more about its Mughal period. The modern Russian researcher Vanina, relying on the notes of the Russian consul in Isfahan (Persia) during the time of Nadir Shah, describes Mughal treasures, including the Peacock Throne of the Great Mughals and the ceremony of their receptions:

“The Public Audience Hall (Red Fort in Delhi, Approx. Portalostranah.ru) is an elegant pavilion of red sandstone, with rows of columns and jagged arches.

On three sides, the pavilion was open, doubling the space of the hall, and a huge tent made of the brightest painted fabric was attached to it. The floor was covered with luxurious carpets, the columns were covered with gold brocade.

At noon, the padishah sat down with one of his sons at a large window in the middle of the wall. At this time, according to custom, everyone who sought help or justice from the sovereign was allowed into the fortress. From the crowd that greeted the sovereign with stormy exclamations of greeting, petitions or complaints were submitted, to which he immediately answered.

In the evenings in the Hall of Private Receptions, white marble and inlaid with gems, conferences were held in a narrower circle. At them, as at the morning large audiences, all the courtiers should have been present without fail under the threat of the monarch's anger and deduction from the salary.

The throne on which the Mughal emperor sat was truly magnificent: made of pure gold, showered with countless diamonds, emeralds, rubies ...

On the back - a true masterpiece of jewelry art - two peacocks were laid out of gold, enamel and precious stones, which gave the name to the throne itself.

The world learned about what the Peacock throne was, as well as about the treasures of the Mughals in general, when in 1739 the already decrepit empire was defeated by Nadir Shah. Among his courtiers was a Russian agent, whose name, apparently, was forever lost in the archives of the Secret Chancellery.

This man, it seems, was one of the most trusted servants of the Persian ruler and was one of those whom Nadir Shah instructed to evaluate and describe the treasury and treasury of the Mughals that fell into his hands.

As an unnamed agent in Isfahan told the Russian consul Kalushkin, at the sight of such fabulous wealth, there was something to go crazy with.

The peacock throne weighed just under two tons of pure gold.

And jewelry ... Only rubies, emeralds, diamonds set in gold (and among them the famous Koh-i Hyp, Kohinor (taken to Persia in Nadir Shah's train. Note Portlostranah.ru) on 21 camels more than five tons, small diamonds - up to half a ton, and they did not count pearls at all .. But then the Mughal empire was incomparably poorer than under Akbar and Shah Jahan!

But let's return to the era of the zenith of Mughal greatness.

The surviving works of miniature painting, the memories of foreigners make it possible to quite clearly imagine that the padishah sat on the Peacock throne, dressed in a magnificent outfit embroidered with silver and gold made of the purest silk or satin. The head was crowned with a lush turban made of brocade, the Sultan (an ornament from feathers Approx. Portalostranah.ru) was attached to it with an agraph of diamonds and topaz of incalculable price.

A whole staff of officials was appointed to manage the palace wardrobe - the most important economic unit. Dozens, hundreds of varieties of silk, cotton fabrics, Kashmir shawls, brocade, muslin were produced for the august family at palace manufactories, purchased from merchants.

Fashions changed, although not as often as today, and some of the fabrics and clothing were sold on the market. In addition, they were often given as gifts - distinguished courtiers or officials were handed a robe (not from the "sovereign's shoulder"), and for the greatest merits they were awarded syrupao (literally "from head to toe") - a complete set of luxurious clothes.

Foreigners were often embarrassed that the Mughal ruler did not wear velvet and furs, like European monarchs, and also a stocking; the only footwear was light cloth shoes woven with gold and silver.

During receptions, one of his sons usually sat near the padishah; on the side stood scribes with scrolls, inkpots and kalams (Kalam is a reed stick with a cut at one end, its tip splits. Kalam is also called mizbar, which means "writing instrument". Approx. Portalostranah.ru).

There were also servants with fans, trays for aromatic chewing mixture - betel nut and spittoons. The throne was erected on a small dais, so that the padishah dominated the entire assembly of courtiers, standing in rows strictly according to rank and merit.

Etiquette demanded a respectful posture from those present: the head, the eyes, were lowered (looking directly into the face of the sovereign was considered insolence), and the arms were crossed on his stomach. The guest approached the throne, accompanied by the master of ceremonies or one of the courtiers.

A real performance was played, which included indispensable bows - a Cornish, when a subject, repeatedly bowing his head, put his right hand to his forehead, and taslim, when a person bent to the ground, touched it with his hand, and then, gradually straightening, put his hand to his forehead.

The main thing during the audience was the ritual of exchanging gifts: for the sovereign, nazr is usually a tray with money, luxurious weapons or overseas curiosities, for a guest - a robe or syrup, jewelry, incense in expensive vessels.

Each thing received from the ruler was accepted with a bow, respectfully applying it to the forehead.

The way the padishah treated Nazr - whether he took the gift in his hands, whether he threw some merciful words at the same time, or even did not touch it at all, did not respond to greetings - indicated whether mercy or disgrace awaited the visitor. The royal gift, presented by the padishah himself, was considered a sign of special benevolence.

Court etiquette described the behavior of the courtiers to the smallest detail, especially during receptions. Under no circumstances was it possible to turn your back on the throne and leave the hall before the sovereign; in special cases, permission had to be sought. "

Peacock throne of the Persian monarchy

Once in Persia, the precious Peacock throne of the Great Mughals did not remain intact for long.

After the death of Nadir Shah in 1747, the Peacock Throne, as it is believed, in the course of civil strife, was stolen in Khorasan and taken apart into several parts.

These parts are lost, although it is believed that some elements of the original Peacock Throne of the Great Mughals are present in the details of the now existing "Sun Throne", which, among other things, will be discussed below. Be that as it may, the Turkic Qajar dynasty, which came to power in Persia (Iran) after the Nadir Shah-Afsharid dynasty, reinstated the Peacock throne in several different versions.

All versions of the currently existing Peacock Throne are kept in the Tehran Treasure Museum.

In Iran, the current main version of the Peacock Throne is called the throne Tavus, or Takht-e-Tavus (Takht-e Tavus), where the word "takht" means "throne" in Persian, and Tavus is the name of the Shah's wife Fatkhali (Feth Ali-shah ).

In honor of his wife Fathali Shah from the Qajar dynasty. named the new throne made in 1812 by craftsmen from the Iranian city of Isfahan - Takht-e-Tavus. As we have already noted in the sidebar about Nadir Shah, the Qajars are a Turkic dynasty, the leaders of the tribe of the same name. The homeland of the Qajars is on the territory of modern Azerbaijan, which was then part of Persia (Iran). The Qajars ruled Iran from 1781 to 1925.

Fathali (Feth Ali Shah) Qajar had a long beard. During his reign, two Peacock Thrones of the Persian monarchy were built to replace the lost Peacock Throne of the Great Mughals.

Under Mohammed Kajar, Tehran became the capital of Iran for the first time in 1788. Until that time, different dynasties ruled at different times from different cities: the Safavids from Tabriz and Isfahan, Zenda from Shiraz and Isfahan, the dynasty of Nadir Shah from Mashhad in Khorasan. Despite being busy with the war with the Zendas, Muhammad Qajar waged successful wars with Russia, having conquered Dagestan, and also with Georgia (he conducted one successful campaign, captured and plundered Tbilisi, but died during the second campaign (we spoke about the circumstances of the death of this ruler above After the death of Muhammad Qajar, his nephew Fatkhali (Feth Ali Shah) Qajar became the shah of Persia. Fathali ruled from 1797 to 1834. He lost in the rivalry with Russia, losing to Georgia and Azerbaijan. But Fatkhali was able to restore the symbol of power of Nadir - Peacock throne (see the main review.) It was during the reign of Fatkhali in Tehran, in 1829, that the diplomat Griboyedov was killed by a crowd of townspeople, outraged by the arrogant behavior of the Russian embassy (according to Iranian publications).

Takht-e Tavus is also called Takht-e Naderi, Naderi Throne, Throne of Nadir. At the same time, it was built almost sixty years after the death of Nadir Shah and the disappearance of the real Peacock throne.

However, according to Persian history websites, “The name Takht-e Naderi is confusing. This throne belongs (to the era) of Shah Fathali (Feth Ali Shah) Qajar. So why is it called the throne of Naderi, if not associated with Nadir Shah? Answer: The term "Nader" also means "rare" or "unique" in Persian.

“26,733 precious stones are embedded in the throne of Takht-e-Tavus.

The Treasure Museum was established in 1855. It opened in 1960, after it was transferred to the state-established Central Bank of Iran.

This collection of precious stones and jewelry is unparalleled in the world.

Even the most skilled experts and appraisers have still not been able to accurately or even approximately determine the price of the treasure.

During the victory of the Islamic revolution in Iran, as well as the war imposed by Iraq on Iran, this assembly was carefully guarded by the staff and experts of the Central Bank of Iran. "

Another throne of the Persian monarchy is also called the Peacock Throne. “Sun Throne” (Takht-e Khorshid, Sun Throne, or Peacock Throne). He is often confused with Takht-e Naderi.

The "Sun Throne", as already noted, is similar to the Peacock Throne of the Great Mughals, since it is made in the form of an ottoman platform, and not in the form of a chair.

At the same time, the "Sun Throne" was never used during the coronation of the shahs of Iran, because Iranian shahs usually used Takht-e Naderi for these purposes.

The "Sun Throne" was also ordered during the reign of Fathali (Feth Ali Shah) Qajar, but was made around 1836, that is, when the Fathali era had already come to an end.

Fathali Shah ruled from 1797 to 1834. It was during his reign in Tehran in 1829 that diplomat Griboyedov was killed by a crowd of townspeople, indignant at the arrogant behavior of the Russian embassy (this is how Iranian publications interpret the incident).

Fathali was the second shah of the Qajar dynasty, he was the nephew of the castrated founder of the Qajar dynasty.

Shah patronized the arts, he also became famous for having 150 sons and the longest, by some estimates, beard in Persia at that time. The Shah fought a war with Russia, but lost it and was forced to give up Persian influence in Georgia and Dagestan in favor of the Russian government.

Returning to the history of the throne of Naderi (Takht-e Naderi), we note that he was associated with the Persian monarchy during the years of the existence of the last Persian monarchical dynasty of Pahlavi. the dynasty used the throne in official ceremonies.

When the Peacock Throne was still needed ...

(Some recent coronation ceremonies of the Persian monarchy)

The first shah of the Pahlavi dynasty - Reza Shah Pahlavi during his 1926 coronation on the Takht-e Naderi (throne of Naderi)

Coronation ceremony in 1967, when Shah Mohammad Reza Shah crowned his third wife Farah as Shahbanu (Empress). Here on the throne of Naderi sits the shah himself. To his right is the Empress Farah, to his left is their son, who was the heir to the throne.

Iran - Pahlavi Reza Shah used the throne of Naderi during his 1926 coronation.

His son Mohammad Reza Shah also viewed the throne of Naderi as the main throne of the Iranian monarchy.

In particular, during the famous 1967 coronation ceremony, when the shah crowned his third wife Farah as shahbanu (empress).

The two previous wives of the shah were unable to give birth to his sons. The first wife of the Shah, Princess Fawzia of the Egyptian dynasty of Muhammad Ali, gave birth to only a daughter, and the second Soraya (daughter of the Iranian ambassador to Iran and a German citizen) could not have children at all. Therefore, the ruler divorced these wives, marrying Farah, the daughter of the former Iranian ambassador to Russia on December 21, 1959). Farah's coronation as Empress was the last coronation ceremony in Iran.

Now, with the fall of the monarchy in Iran, the Peacock Thrones are just museum pieces. It should be noted that in the first years after the 1979 Islamic revolution, they tried not to remember these symbols in Iran at all. Recently, when Iran wants to attract more tourists from abroad, Iranian media in foreign languages \u200b\u200bsometimes began to mention the Shah's symbols preserved in Iran. Including the collection of the Shah's regalia, which include the two Peacock Thrones.