Deewan e Aam, Lahore Fort

Deewan-e-Aam, Lahore Fort, Lahore

The Diwan-e-Aam, or Hall of Public Audience, is a historically significant structure located within the Lahore Fort. Constructed in 1628 during the first year of Emperor Shah Jahan’s reign, it served as the venue for imperial public gatherings and official ceremonies. The hall is situated in the northern section of the Diwan-e-Aam quadrangle and was erected in front of the Daulat Khana-e-Khas-o-Aam, a structure that dates back to the era of Emperor Akbar.
Shah Jahan initiated the construction of the Diwan-e-Aam simultaneously at both the Lahore and Agra forts. The hall in Lahore Fort was designed as an open pavilion supported by forty pillars, a style referred to as Chihil Sutun (hall of forty columns). This architectural initiative was executed under the supervision of Yamin-ud-Daulah Asif Khan, the emperor’s father-in-law and then Governor of Lahore. At the same time, Asif Khan also oversaw the construction of the Sheesh Mahal, or Shah Burj, located in the north-western section of the fort, considered to be the most exquisite section of the complex.
Contemporary sources provide detailed documentation on the construction and inauguration of the Diwan-e-Aam. Mulla Abdul Hameed Lahori, the court chronicler of Shah Jahan, recorded these details in Badshahnama. Similarly, the account Amal-i-Saleh by Muhammad Saleh Lahori notes that upon the hall's completion, Emperor Shah Jahan, guided by astrologers, entered the newly constructed edifice at an auspicious hour. On that occasion, the poet Talib Kalim recited a Persian ode in the emperor’s presence, praising the structure’s magnificence and comparing its grandeur to the heavens:
"This new edifice in loftiness equals the highest heaven;
Compared with its dignity, eminence itself is but significant.
It is a garden, every pillar of which is like a green cypress tree,
In the shade of which noble and plebian obtain repose."
Functionally, the Diwan-e-Aam served as the primary venue for the emperor’s daily affairs.

Here, Shah Jahan held court, received members of the public and foreign visitors, and conducted matters of state. A distinctive feature of the hall was the jharoka, or royal balcony, from which the emperor made his daily appearance. As the emperor took his seat, musicians stationed in the Naqar Khana played ceremonial music while attendees filed past in formal review. A religious cleric was also present, occasionally reminding the emperor in a solemn voice of the transience of life. The proceedings often lasted over an hour, during which a considerable amount of administrative work was conducted with diligence.
The structure of the Diwan-e-Aam suffered significant damage during the Sikh War of Succession around 1841. Though Maharaja Ranjit Singh used the hall during his reign, it is noted that he refrained from sitting on the imperial throne out of deference to the Mughal rulers. Following his death, Ranjit Singh’s body was placed temporarily in the Diwan-e-Aam before being taken outside the fort for cremation. The cremation site later became the location of his Samadhi, situated adjacent to Hazuri Bagh.
In the British colonial period, the Diwan-e-Aam underwent substantial alterations. The structure was repurposed as a military barrack and field hospital. The original roof was replaced, and the outer archways were bricked up to enclose the space. These modifications were reversed in the early 20th century as part of restoration efforts aimed at returning the hall to its earlier form. During British rule, the open grounds in front of the Diwan-e-Aam were also used by military personnel as a football ground.
The Diwan-e-Aam remains one of the most architecturally and historically significant elements of Lahore Fort, reflecting both the ceremonial grandeur and administrative functions of Mughal governance.