It occupies,
together with its adjoining buildings, an extent of more than two
miles, and is surrounded by a wall forty feet high.
At the principal entrance, a fine perspective view is obtained
through several successive gateways, which is terminated in the
background by a handsome hall. This hall is but small, and is
inlaid with white marble and rare stones; the roof is arched over
with mica, powdered over with small stars. Unfortunately, these
will soon lose all their glittering brilliancy, as the greater
portion of the mica has already fallen, and the remainder is likely
to follow. At the back of the hall is a door of gilt metal,
decorated with beautiful engraved work. In this hall the ex-monarch
is accustomed to show himself to the people, who, from traditionary
respect or curiosity, visit the palace. He also receives European
visitors here.
The handsomest parts of the imperial palace are the universally
admired and magnificent audience saloon and the mosque. The former
stands in the centre of an open court; it is a long, square
building; the roof is supported by thirty columns, and is open on
all sides; several steps lead up to it, and a prettily decorated
marble gallery, two feet high, surrounds it.
The present Great Mogul has so little taste, that he has had this
divan divided into two parts by a very paltry partition wall. A
similar wall adjoins both sides of the saloon, for what purpose I
could not learn. In this divan is a great treasure: the largest
crystal in the world. It is a block of about four feet in length,
two and a half broad, and one foot thick; {185} it is very
transparent. It was used by the emperors as a throne or seat in the
divan. Now it is hidden behind the blank wall; and if I had not
known of its existence from books, and been very curious to see it,
it would not have been shown to me at all.
The mosque is indeed small, but, like the judgment-hall, it is of
white marble, and with fine columns and sculptures.
Immediately adjoining the mosque is the garden "Schalinar," which is
said to have been formerly one of the finest in India, but has now
quite fallen to decay.
Heaps of dust and rubbish were laying in the court-yards; the
buildings were almost like ruins; and miserable barracks stood
against dilapidated walls. On account of the emperor's residence,
it soon became necessary to build a new Delhi.
On my entrance to the palace, I had observed a group of men
collected together in the court-yard. An hour afterwards, when we
were returning from our visit, they were still seated there. We
drew near to discover what it was that so attracted their attention,
and saw a few dozen of tame birds seated upon perches quietly taking
their food from the hands of attendants, or else fighting for it.
The lookers-on were, as I was told, nearly all princes. Some were
seated upon chairs, others stood round, together with their
followers. In their home dresses, the princes are hardly to be
distinguished from their servants, and in education and knowledge
they are certainly not much in advance of them.
The emperor amuses himself with a diversion which is not more
commendable. His troops consist of boys about eight or fourteen.
They wear a miserable uniform, which in make and colour resembles
the English; their exercises are conducted partly by old officers
and partly by boys. I pitied the young soldiers from my heart, and
wondered how it was possible for them to handle their heavy muskets
and banners. The monarch generally sits for some hours every day in
the small reception hall, and amuses himself by watching the
manoeuvres of his young warriors. This is the best time to get
presented to his majesty. He is eighty-five, and at the time of my
visit was so unwell, that I had not the good fortune to see him.
The emperor receives from the English government a yearly pension of
fourteen lacs (1,400,000 rupees = 140,000 pounds). The revenues of
his own possessions amount to half as much more; but with all this,
he is not so well off as the Rajah of Benares. He has too large a
number of people to maintain: of the descendants of the imperial
family alone more than three hundred, as well as a hundred women,
and two thousand attendants. If to these are added the numerous
elephants, camels, horses, etc., it may be easily understood why his
exchequer is always empty.
He receives his pension on the first of every month. It has to be
brought to him under the protection of the English military, or it
would otherwise be seized by his creditors.
The emperor is said to be very discreet in raising his revenues by
various means. For example, he confers honorary posts and appoints
officials, for which he requires considerable sums of money; and -
can it be believed! - he always finds fools enough to pay for such
absurdities. Parents even buy appointments for their children. The
present commander of the imperial troops is scarcely ten years old.
The most remarkable fact, however, is that the vizier, who manages
the emperor's income and expenditure, not only receives no salary,
but pays the emperor annually 10,000 rupees for this office. What
sums must be embezzled to make up for this!
The emperor issues a newspaper in his own palace, which is in the
highest degree absurd and laughable. It does not treat of politics
or the occurrences of the day, but exclusively of domestic
incidents, conversation and relative affairs. It states, for
example, "that the sultan's wife, A., owed the laundress, B., three
rupees, and that the laundress came yesterday to ask for her money;
that the lady had sent to her imperial husband to ask for the sum.
The emperor referred her to the treasurer, who assured her, that as
it was near the end of the month, he could not command a penny.
