Akbar Coronation Site (Takht-i-Akbari)

Takht-i-Akbari is a raised brick platform in the town of Kalanaur, in Gurdaspur district of Punjab, only about 6 km from the international border. It is the coronation site of Akbar, who was crowned 3rd emperor of the Mughal Empire here on 14 February 1556 at the age of thirteen, and it is one of the most important places in Mughal history. Kalanaur was a significant town, as it lay on the Mughal road from Lahore to Kashmir. Humayun had recovered the throne of Delhi in 1555 after defeating the Suri rulers, but in January 1556 he died in a freak accident, falling from the stairs of his library, the Sher Mandal. Akbar was then at Kalanaur with his guardian and chief general, Bairam Khan, a powerful statesman who was fighting against Sikandar Shah Suri, still in the field. Bairam Khan feared that the army would fall apart without a recognised ruler, so he decided to proclaim Akbar emperor on the spot instead of waiting to reach the capital. There was no time to build a proper throne, so a low brick platform was put up for the ceremony. Akbar sat on it as the new emperor, and Bairam Khan ruled on his behalf as regent. It was a small and simple event, but it gave the Mughals a leader at a very uncertain time. By November that year, they had beaten Hemu at the Second Battle of Panipat and held on to Delhi and Agra. Akbar ruled for almost fifty years after that. His empire spread to Kashmir, Gujarat and Bengal, and he is remembered for his tolerant policies, including ending the jizya tax and the pilgrim taxes on non-Muslims.