The Khas Mahal served as the

Mughal emperor The emperors of the Mughal Empire, who were all members of the Timurid dynasty (House of Babur), ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire in ...

's private residence in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

. The structure is located inside the

Red Fort The Red Fort, also known as Lal Qila () is a historic Mughal Empire, Mughal fort in Delhi, India, that served as the primary residence of the Mughal emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned the construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1639, fo ...

, which is a large defensive and governmental complex located inside the city. It consists of three parts: the Chamber of Telling Beads (''Viz-tasbih-khana''), the sleeping chamber, (''khwabgah'') and the wardrobe (''tosha-khana'') or sitting room (''baithak''). The interior is decorated with carved white

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

painted with colourful floral decorations. The ceiling was also partially

gilded Gilding is a decorative technique for applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces such as metal (most common), wood, porcelain, or stone. A gilded object is also described as "gilt". Where metal is gilded, the metal below was tradi ...

. The marble screen was carved with the scale of justice (''Mizan-i-adal''), and above it is a particularly important item of

Mughal Mughal or Moghul may refer to: Related to the Mughal Empire * Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries * Mughal dynasty * Mughal emperors * Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia * Mughal architecture * Mug ...

art. The scale used was a depiction of the emperor's justice. The projecting tower to the east of the Khas Mahal is called the Octagonal Tower ('' Muthamman Burj''). The emperor would address his subjects every morning in a ceremony called ''

Jharokha Darshan ''Jharokha Darshan'' () (Hindi: झरोखा दर्शन) was a daily practice of addressing the public audience ('' darshan'') at the balcony ('' jharokha'') at the forts and palaces of medieval kings in India. It was an essential and ...

''.

History

The Khas Mahal, or "Private Palace," was constructed between 1639 and 1648 during the reign of

Shah Jahan Shah Jahan I, (Shahab-ud-Din Muhammad Khurram; 5 January 1592 – 22 January 1666), also called Shah Jahan the Magnificent, was the Emperor of Hindustan from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the ...

as part of his transformation of

into the Mughal capital

Shahjahanabad Shahjahanabad colloquially known as Old Delhi( Hindustani: ''Purāni Dillī'') is an area in the Central Delhi district of Delhi, India. It was founded as a walled city and officially named Shahjahanabad in 1648, when Shah Jahan decided to shi ...

. Located within the Red Fort, the Khas Mahal formed the heart of the emperor’s private quarters, flanked by the Shah Burj, the Hammam (royal baths), and the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience). Following the 1857 uprising, British forces took control of the Red Fort and altered much of the palace's original fabric.

Architecture

Functionally, the Khas Mahal served as the emperor's personal residence, yet its design embodied imperial ideology. The eastern-facing

Musamman Burj Musamman Burj also known as the Saman Burj or the Shah-burj, is an octagonal tower standing close to the Shah Jahan's private hall Diwan-e-Khas in Agra Fort. History Musamman Burj was built by Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. I ...

, a projecting octagonal balcony, allowed the emperor to perform

. It is a daily ritual of appearing before his subjects affirming his divine connection and just rule. A marble screen within the central chamber, known as the Mizan-i-Adl ("Scale of Justice"), reinforced this symbolism, positioning the emperor as both ruler and moral arbiter. The palace’s integration with flowing water, river-facing views, and connected private spaces reflected the Persian notion of "stream of paradise", while its compact spatial plan adhered to the Mughal ideal of inward, layered royal privacy. The place with Marble screen where the water channel flowed was called "Large sitting place". It was also the architectural precursor to elements later seen in structures like the Khas Mahal of Agra Fort and mirrored the refinement of Shah Jahan's courtly tastes. After the fall of the Mughal Empire, the Khas Mahal underwent a period of neglect.

Gallery

File:Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi Emperor’s private quarters.png, The ''Tusbeeh Khana'' with the imperial seat and the Stream of Paradise (1843) File:Fuerte Rojo-Delhi-India46.JPG, Interior with the Stream of Paradise File:A gate at the red fort complex depicting a balance, the symbol of the famous Mughal justice.jpg, Marble screen with the scale of justice

References

External links

{{commonscat-inline Red Fort