Durbar (court) - Revision history

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Durbar Hall - Khilawat Mubarak, Hyderabad

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			{{Short description\|Meeting of noblemen and princes in pre-20th-century India}}
	{{more citations needed\|date=April 2014}}		{{more citations needed\|date=April 2014}}
	[[File:Emperor Shah Jahan and Prince Alamgir (Aurangzeb) in Mughal Court, 1650.jpg\|thumb\|Emperor [[Shah Jahan]] and Prince [[Aurangzeb]] in Mughal Court, 1650]]		[[File:Emperor Shah Jahan and Prince Alamgir (Aurangzeb) in Mughal Court, 1650.jpg\|thumb\|Emperor [[Shah Jahan]] and Prince [[Aurangzeb]] in Mughal Court, 1650]]
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	'''Durbar''' is a Persian-derived term (from {{lang-fa\|دربار}} - ''darbār'') meaning the kings’ or rulers’ [[noble court]] or a formal meeting where the king held all discussions regarding the state. It was used in [[India]] for a ruler’s [[court]] or [[shire levy\|feudal levy]] as the latter came to be ruled and later administered by foreigners.{{citation needed\|date=June 2015}} A durbar may be either a feudal state council for administering the affairs of a [[princely state]], or a purely ceremonial gathering, as in the time of the [[British Raj\|British Empire in India]].{{sfn\|Chisholm\|1911}}		'''Durbar''' is a Persian-derived term (from {{lang-fa\|دربار}} - ''darbār'') meaning the kings’ or rulers’ [[noble court]] or a formal meeting where the king held all discussions regarding the state. It was used in [[India]] for a ruler’s [[court]] or [[shire levy\|feudal levy]] as the latter came to be ruled and later administered by foreigners.{{citation needed\|date=June 2015}} A durbar may be either a feudal state council for administering the affairs of a [[princely state]], or a purely ceremonial gathering, as in the time of the [[British Raj\|British Empire in India]].{{sfn\|Chisholm\|1911}}

	The most famous Durbars belonged to great Emperors and Kings. In the ~~North,~~ cities like [[Udaipur]], [[Jaipur]], [[Jodhpur]], [[Jaiselmer]], and [[Agra]] have palaces that adorn such magnificent halls. The [[Mughal Empire\|Mughal]] [[Emperor Akbar]] had two halls; one for his ministers and the other for the general public. Usually Durbar halls are lavishly decorated with the best possible materials available at the time.		The most famous Durbars belonged to great Emperors and Kings. In the north of India cities like [[Udaipur]], [[Jaipur]], [[Jodhpur]], [[Jaiselmer]], and [[Agra]] and the city of [[Lahore]] in Pakistan, have palaces and forts that adorn such magnificent halls. The [[Mughal Empire\|Mughal]] [[Emperor Akbar]] had two halls; one for his ministers and the other for the general public. Usually Durbar halls are lavishly decorated with the best possible materials available at the time.

	In the south of India, the [[Mysore Palace]] had a number of such halls, especially the Peacock Hall, having colour tinted glasses imported from [[Belgium]], which were used for marriage ceremonies. The Durbar Hall in the Khilawat Mubarak, in the city of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, was the durbar hall of the Nizams of Hyderabad.		In the south of India, the [[Mysore Palace]] had a number of such halls, especially the Peacock Hall, having colour tinted glasses imported from [[Belgium]], which were used for marriage ceremonies. The Durbar Hall in the Khilawat Mubarak, in the city of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, was the durbar hall of the Nizams of Hyderabad.
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	[[File:View of the Gagan Mahal or durbar hall, Bijapur.jpg\|thumb\|The Gagan Mahal, [[Bijapur]]]]		[[File:View of the Gagan Mahal or durbar hall, Bijapur.jpg\|thumb\|The Gagan Mahal, [[Bijapur]]]]
	The plan of the Durbar Hall is in traditional Moghul style. Subsequent remodelling, at a time when European architecture was gaining acceptance, resulted in a unique and harmonious mix of diverse architectural styles. European architectural influences, although dominant, blend smoothly with the vernacular, to create one of the best examples of ~~Inde~~ European architectural synthesis. The resulting style was to become a distinctive feature of many later buildings in Hyderabad as it provided for a change without compromising the spatial needs of eastern lifestyle and social requirements.		The plan of the Durbar Hall is in traditional Moghul style. Subsequent remodelling, at a time when European architecture was gaining acceptance, resulted in a unique and harmonious mix of diverse architectural styles. European architectural influences, although dominant, blend smoothly with the vernacular, to create one of the best examples of Indo-European architectural synthesis. The resulting style was to become a distinctive feature of many later buildings in Hyderabad as it provided for a change without compromising the spatial needs of eastern lifestyle and social requirements.
	<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Durbar2.gif\|thumb\|Durbar hall in Hyderabad]] -->		<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Durbar2.gif\|thumb\|Durbar hall in Hyderabad]] -->

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{{more citations needed|date=April 2014}}
[[File:Emperor Shah Jahan and Prince Alamgir (Aurangzeb) in Mughal Court, 1650.jpg|thumb|Emperor [[Shah Jahan]] and Prince [[Aurangzeb]] in Mughal Court, 1650]]
[[File:Queens place Durbar Hall.jpg|thumb|Gallery for the queen and her ladies at [[Thirumalai Nayakkar Mahal]], [[Madurai]]]]

'''Durbar''' is a Persian-derived term (from {{lang-fa|دربار}} - ''darbār'') meaning the kings’ or rulers’ [[noble court]] or a formal meeting where the king held all discussions regarding the state. It was used in [[India]] for a ruler’s [[court]] or [[shire levy|feudal levy]] as the latter came to be ruled and later administered by foreigners.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} A durbar may be either a feudal state council for administering the affairs of a [[princely state]], or a purely ceremonial gathering, as in the time of the [[British Raj|British Empire in India]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

The most famous Durbars belonged to great Emperors and Kings. In the North, cities like [[Udaipur]], [[Jaipur]], [[Jodhpur]], [[Jaiselmer]], and [[Agra]] have palaces that adorn such magnificent halls. The [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] [[Emperor Akbar]] had two halls; one for his ministers and the other for the general public. Usually Durbar halls are lavishly decorated with the best possible materials available at the time.

In the south of India, the [[Mysore Palace]] had a number of such halls, especially the Peacock Hall, having colour tinted glasses imported from [[Belgium]], which were used for marriage ceremonies. The Durbar Hall in the Khilawat Mubarak, in the city of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, was the durbar hall of the Nizams of Hyderabad.

Beneath the main Dome of the [[Rastrapati Bhavan]] (Presidential Palace of India, today) is present the grand Durbar Hall, where many state functions, presided by the [[President of India]], are held.
[[File:DURBAR HALL.jpg|thumb|The Durbar Hall at [[Jaipur]]]]
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==State Council==
In the former sense, the native rulers of [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] and colonial India and some neighbouring Hindu or Muslim monarchies, like the [[amir]] of [[Afghanistan]], received visitors in audience, conferred honours and conducted business in durbar.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=1|wstitle=Durbar|volume=8|page=697}}</ref>

A durbar could also be the executive council of a native state.<ref name="EB1911"/> Its membership was dual: the court's grandees, such as the [[wasir]] and major [[jagirdar]]s, shone at the ceremonies but the real political and administrative affairs of state rather rested with an inner circle around the prince, often known as [[Diwan (title)|diwan]]. There was some overlap between the two groups. This was originally another word for audience room and council, but in India it also applies to a [[privy council]] and [[chancellor|chancery]].

==British Indian Empire==
[[File:Group of Afghan Durbaries in Lahore, December 1880 WDL11461.png|thumb|Group of Afghan Durbaries in Lahore, December 1880]]
{{main|Delhi Durbar}}
The word Durbar has come to be applied to great ceremonial gatherings called the [[Delhi Durbar]] in [[Delhi]] and elsewhere during the period of the [[British Raj]], held as demonstrations of the loyalty to the crown which also proved vital in various wars in which Britain engaged.

The practice was started with [[Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton|Lord Lytton]]'s Proclamation Durbar of 1877 celebrating the proclamation of [[Queen Victoria]] as the first [[Empress of India]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} Durbars continued to be held in later years, with increased ceremony and grandeur than their predecessors. In 1903, for instance, the Coronation Durbar was held in Delhi to celebrate the accession of [[Edward VII]] to the British throne and title of Emperor of India. This ceremony was presided over by the [[Governor-General of India|Viceroy of India]], [[Lord Curzon]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Pramod K.|last=Nayar|title=Colonial Voices: The Discourses of Empire|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1CPu1l2zFY0C|year=2012|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-118-27897-0|page=94}}</ref>

The practice of the durbar culminated in the magnificent spectacle that was the [[Delhi Durbar]], which was held in December 1911 to officially crown the newly enthroned [[George V]] and his wife [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]] as Emperor and Empress of India. The King and Queen attended the Durbar in person and wore their Coronation robes, an unprecedented event in both Indian and Imperial history held with unprecedented pomp and glamour. They were the only British monarchs to visit India during the period of British rule.

No durbar was held for later British monarchs who were Emperors of India. [[Edward VIII]] reigned only a brief time before abdicating. On the accession of his brother [[George VI]], it was decided to hold no durbar in [[Delhi]], due to several reasons: the cost would have been a burden to the [[British Raj|government of India]],<ref>Vickers, p. 175</ref> rising [[Indian independence movement|Indian nationalism]] made the welcome that the royal couple would have received likely to be muted at best,<ref>Bradford, p. 209</ref> and a prolonged absence of the King from the UK would have been undesirable in the tense period before World War II.

==Malaysia==
In [[Malaysia]]n history, the '''Durbar''' was the council comprising the four rulers of the [[Federated Malay States]] under British [[protectorate]]. First held in 1897, it was a platform for the rulers to discuss issues pertaining state policies with British officials.

When the [[Federation of Malaya]] was formed in 1948, the Durbar transformed into the [[Conference of Rulers]] with the inclusion of the other states of Malaya. The membership was further enlarged with the addition of new states in the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

Since the independence of Malaya in 1957, the Malay rulers in the Conference of Rulers function as the [[electoral college]] for the election of the federal king, the [[Yang di-Pertuan Agong]].

==Durbar Hall - Fateh Prakash Palace, Udaipur==

The Durbar Hall at the Fateh Prakash Palace in Udaipur, Rajasthan, is one of the most lavish Durbar Halls in India and one of the grandest chambers in Udaipur. It is decorated with paintings of Maharanas and various weapons adorn the walls. The hall has an exquisite ceiling and is surrounded by viewing galleries from where the ladies of the palace could view the proceedings while remaining veiled. [[Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 4th Earl of Minto|Lord Minto]], the Viceroy of India, laid the foundation stone for the Durbar hall in 1909.

==Durbar Hall - Khilawat Mubarak, Hyderabad==
Located in the old city of [[Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh|Hyderabad]] in close proximity to the [[Charminar]], the khliwat complex, originally spread over {{convert|60|acre|m2}} had numerous [[palaces]] and structures in its vast sprawl. One of the most important buildings to have survived the passage of time is the Durbar Hall. The symbolic seat of power, it housed the "Gaddi-e-Mubarak", the hereditary throne of the [[Asaf Jahi]] dynasty.

First constructed in 1750 by the Nizam, [[Salabat Jung]], the Khilwat complex has been added to by successive [[nizams]]. [[Sikandar Jah]] shifted his residence to the Khilwat complex from the Purani Haveli in 1803 and was responsible for the first major constructions.

[[File:View of the Gagan Mahal or durbar hall, Bijapur.jpg|thumb|The Gagan Mahal, [[Bijapur]]]]
The plan of the Durbar Hall is in traditional Moghul style. Subsequent remodelling, at a time when European architecture was gaining acceptance, resulted in a unique and harmonious mix of diverse architectural styles. European architectural influences, although dominant, blend smoothly with the vernacular, to create one of the best examples of Inde European architectural synthesis. The resulting style was to become a distinctive feature of many later buildings in Hyderabad as it provided for a change without compromising the spatial needs of eastern lifestyle and social requirements.


==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last=Kossak |first= Steven | title=Indian court painting, 16th-19th century | location=New York | publisher=The Metropolitan Museum of Art | year=1997| isbn=0870997831 | url= http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll10/id/12335/rec/74}} (see index: p. 148-152)

==External links==
{{commonscatinline}}
*[http://www.rajasthantourism.gov.in/destinations/udaipur/udaipursiteseeing-durbarhall.htm Rajasthan Tourism]
*[https://www.flickr.com/photos/anuradhasarup/1403644528 flickr.com ]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050321065016/http://www.hindu.com/2005/03/10/stories/2005031005310300.htm ''The Hindu'']
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071014194227/http://hmag.org.uk/durbarHall/ The Hastings Museum and Art Gallery]

[[Category:Mughal Court]]
[[Category:Political history of Malaysia]]
[[Category:Government of British India]]
[[Category:Feudalism in Asia]]
[[Category:Indian culture]]
[[Category:Monarchy]]
[[Category:Royal and noble courts]]
[[Category:Medieval India]]
[[Category:Palaces in India]]
[[Category:Hindi words and phrases]]
[[Category:Urdu-language words and phrases]]