Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s3.t3.46

c7.s3.t3.46

Under the Mughals the city of Delhi was ordered to be decorated under official supervision (vide G., 28), but in other respects the celebrations were not very different. For instance, under Akbar when public entertainments were organized, the bazars of Agra and Sikri were decorated, and thousands of male and female musicians were employed to entertain the people with their performances. The State reception rooms (the Diwan-i-‘Am and the Diwan-i-Khas) were decorated with costly furniture mostly of European make and with excellent paintings. Grand pavillions and canopies were set up for official durbar. (Compare A.A., II, 309, for details.) It may be mentioned in this connection that arched pavilions were sometimes also constructed to proclaim the news of a victory of the royal forces. Thus the announcements—both from the pulpit of the principal mosques and princes sometimes added festal knots and festal urns or strings of mango sprouts to the decoration of these arches and announced the arrival of the guest of honour by a flourish of trumpets.¹ This opportunity of advertisement and display sometimes attracted a crowd of enterprising athletes, jugglers and various other showmen who exhibited their skill and amused the people, earning a modest sum of money into the bargain.² With more or less similar features of entertainment, these celebrations continued to be observed under the Mughal Emperors.