Toshakhana

Toshakhana is a word of Persian origin that literally translates into "treasure-house".[1] In Mughal ruled India, a toshakhana was a place where princes store "gifts and emblems of honor that they received for their posterity ... an archive of objects whose origin and receipt embodied his status and honor"[2]

Under British colonial rule, the officials of East India Company were not allowed to accept diplomatic gifts, often weapons or jewels[3] known as khilat, from Indian or Middle Eastern rulers and their subjects. When procedure required that the officials received such a khilat, the official would deposit it in the company's treasury (toshakhana). The objects were later used for exchange gifts with other rulers, when it was deemed appropriate to enter an exchange of khilat.[4]

Two particularly rare items kept in the toshakhana are a richly bejeweled canopy, a present from the Nizam of Kingdom of Hyderabad[5] to Maharaja Ranjit Singh who reportedly considering it too lavish a gift, sent it to the Harimandar Sahib and a chandan da chaur (flywhisk) made of sandalwood fibres which took years for Haji Muhammad Maskin, a Muslim craftsman to prepare.[6]

Several countries have Toshakhanas. Government of Pakistan has Toshakhana for gifts to state of Pakistan from other states or head of states. A Sikh Toshakhana is located on the first floor of the Darshani Deorhi, the gateway to the Harimandar.[7] Bangladesh has a Toshakhana.[8]

The records of a 1930s British East India Company Toshakhana at Bushire shows that weapons and ammunition were kept in bulk for giving to the Trucial Coast sheikhs.[9]

References

McKay, Alex (1997). Tibet and the British Raj: the frontier cadre, 1904-1947. Routledge. ISBN 0-7007-0627-5.
Cohn, Bernard S. (1996). Colonialism and its forms of knowledge: the British in India. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-00043-5. page 199
Daniel, Miller (2001). Consumption: critical concepts in the social sciences. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-415-24268-4. p 410
Cohn:118
"Major controversy ensues on ownership of Kashmir treasure".
Haidar, Navina Najat; Sardar, Marika (2011). Sultans of the South: Arts of India's Deccan Courts, 1323-1687. Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 9781588394385.
http://www.punjabheritage.org/content/view/1218/31/%5B%5D
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
"'File 17/14 I Toshakhana Articles for Bushire Correspondence regarding.'". Qatar Digital Library. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2018.

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[1] McKay, Alex (1997). Tibet and the British Raj: the frontier cadre, 1904-1947. Routledge. ISBN 0-7007-0627-5.

[2] Cohn, Bernard S. (1996). Colonialism and its forms of knowledge: the British in India. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-00043-5. page 199

[3] Daniel, Miller (2001). Consumption: critical concepts in the social sciences. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-415-24268-4. p 410

[4] Cohn:118

[nizam-ranjitsingh-5] "Major controversy ensues on ownership of Kashmir treasure".

[6] Haidar, Navina Najat; Sardar, Marika (2011). Sultans of the South: Arts of India's Deccan Courts, 1323-1687. Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 9781588394385.

[7] ttp://www.punjabheritage.org/content/view/1218/31/%5B%5D

[8] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 14 May 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[Toshakhana_Articles_for_Bushire-9] "'File 17/14 I Toshakhana Articles for Bushire Correspondence regarding.'". Qatar Digital Library. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2018.