Coordinates: 51°18′58″N 0°33′40″W / 51.3162°N 0.561°W / 51.3162; -0.561

Woking
Woking Town Square before its improvement
Woking  Woking shown within Surrey
Population	62,796
OS grid reference	TQ003584
- London	23 mi (37 km) NE
District	Woking
Shire county	Surrey
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	WOKING
Postcode district	GU21, GU22
Dialling code	01483
Police	Surrey
Fire	Surrey
Ambulance	South East Coast
EU Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Woking
List of places: UK • England • Surrey

Woking ( /ˈwoʊkɪŋ/) is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of approximately 24 minutes to Waterloo station.^[1] Woking is 23 miles (37 km) southwest of Charing Cross in central London. Woking town itself, excluding the surrounding district, has a population of 62,796,^[2] with the whole local government district (the borough of Woking) having a population of 92,400 (mid 2009 estimate).^[3] Currently, Woking is a Conservative constituency, with Jonathan Lord as Woking's Member of Parliament.

In literature, Woking is where the Martians first land in H. G. Wells' science fiction novel The War of the Worlds. In music, "Town Called Malice" was written about Woking by Paul Weller and recorded by his band, The Jam. The song reached No. 1 in the UK Charts.^[4]

History[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Woking Palace

Though Woking's earliest written appearance is in Domesday Book, it is mentioned as the site of a monastery in an 8th century context, as Wochingas. In Domesday Book it appears as Wochinges, being held in 1086 by King William the Conqueror, Walter FitzOther, constable of Windsor Castle, and Ansgot and Godfrey from Osbern FitzOsbern, then bishop of Exeter.

Modern Woking was formed in the area to the south of the Basingstoke Canal (opened in 1794) around the railway station, built in 1838 at the junction between lines to London, the south coast, and the south-west of England, and the private railway to Brookwood Cemetery, which was developed by the London Necropolis Company as an overflow burial ground for London's dead. As a result, the original settlement 1 mile to the south-east, on the River Wey, became known as "Old Woking". Later, Woking Crematorium at St John's became the first crematorium in the United Kingdom.

Shah Jahan Mosque, the oldest in the UK

The first purpose-built mosque in the UK, the Shah Jahan Mosque on Oriental Road, was commissioned by Shahjehan, Begum of Bhopal (1868–1901), one of the four female Muslim rulers of Bhopal who reigned between 1819 and 1926. The mosque has given rise to the town's significant Asian community.

The setting for the novel The War of the Worlds (1898), by H. G. Wells, is Horsell Common north of Woking. This is an early science fiction novel which describes an invasion of Earth by aliens from Mars. It is one of the earliest and best-known depictions of an alien invasion of Earth and has influenced many others, as well as spawning several films and radio dramas and a television series based on the story. The 1938 radio broadcast in the United States caused public outcry against the episode, as many listeners believed that an actual Martian invasion was in progress, a notable example of mass hysteria.

Politics[link]

The constituency of Woking has historically been a Conservative safe seat, with the Liberal Democrats being the principal opposition in the last five general elections. Its current Member of Parliament is Jonathan Lord.

Elections to the borough council take place in three out of every four years, with one-third elected in each election. The latest election in 2011 gave the Conservatives an overall majority of seats for the first time in 20 years.^[5]

Cllr Ken Howard was elected the 38th Mayor of Woking in May 2011. He is the first non-religious mayor of Woking.^{[citation needed]}

Religion[link]

St Mary's Church, Horsell

Woking has a multicultural population. The main religions in the area are Christianity and Islam.

Woking has many old, and new, churches including St Mary's Church in Horsell. St. Peter's, in Old Woking has the oldest door in Surrey. It is likely that it is the third oldest door in the British Isles after being dated by dendrochronology.^{[citation needed]}

Just outside of Woking town centre is the Shah Jahan Mosque, the first purpose-built mosque in the British Isles and Western Europe. The mosque was completed in 1889.

Facilities[link]

Woking has a modern shopping centre called The Peacocks and an older shopping area, Wolsey Place. The Peacocks Centre underwent development work in 2010 to add a new facade in the town square. There was an extension that consisted of adding glass with coloured lights that change in sequence.^[6]

The main area for evening entertainment is around Chertsey Road^[7] which contains restaurants serving a number of cuisines and there are also numerous bars and pubs. The Ambassadors cinemas^[8] and New Victoria Theatre^[8] can be accessed via the top floor of The Peacocks.

Woking has an indoor swimming pool, "Pool in the Park",^[9] and a separate leisure centre which is opposite Pool in the Park. Outdoor facilities include a skatepark, tennis courts, five-a-side football pitches, a cricket pitch (during the summer), bowling greens, a crazy golf course, and a children's adventure playground. These leisure facilities are all located within the attractively landscaped Woking Park^[10] near to the town centre. Woking also has the largest public library in Surrey which is located in the town square.

The scene at St Peter's Church, Old Woking is an inspiration for many local artists, as is another local beauty spot at the lock at St John's Lye.^[11] Woking has many churches.

Woking is home to an arts and heritage centre called 'The Lightbox'.^[12] The modern structure, located next to the Basingstoke Canal, was designed by architects Marks Barfield,^[13] the architects of the London Eye. Woking is also to home to the Surrey History Centre. The Surrey History Centre contains much Historical Information, archives and Records on Surrey.

A Hawker Hunter jet fighter mounted on a pole roughly ten metres tall is situated outside the 'Big Apple' family entertainment complex. This is the last Hunter built and was used to promote the previous 'Planets' family entertainment complex. Originally black, the plane is now finished in all-over silver.

Energy policy[link]

Woking council is one of country's leaders in adopting greener energy technologies.^{[citation needed]} Several combined heat and power stations provide district heating and electricity, and electricity is also provided by a combination of hydrogen fuel cells and solar cells dispersed throughout the borough.^[14] These are linked via an innovative private electricity distribution system operating completely off the public power grid.

In order to do this the local government laid new power lines to all locations on the Woking sustainable community energy system (due to Department of Trade and Industry regulations). Should the public power grid fail, central Woking would continue to have an energy supply.^[15]

The cost for providing this is approximately UK£0.01/kWh less than for public electricity. It has been reported that the borough saves UK£974,000 a year in energy costs if the installation costs are ignored.^[15] By March 2004 the initiatives had also cut the borough's carbon emissions by 17.24%, and those of the council by 77.4%.^[16]

Woking Station Canopy, which was approved by Woking Councillors in March 2004, was built in 2007. It is equipped with photovoltaic cells to collect sunlight and convert it into energy.^[17]

On 23 March 2007, Prince Charles opened a climate change exhibition in Woking. The exhibition, which was a joint venture by Business in the Community and BCSC and endorsed by the Climate Group, featured display stands with information on issues like recycling, energy use, transport, waste reduction and food sources. He also inspected work on the Albion Square canopy. After the launch, the Prince took lunch at Auberge. He then gave a speech to introduce Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth, which was being viewed by local business leaders.

Transport[link]

Rail[link]

Woking railway station, Platform 5 (south) side

Woking railway station is on the Alton Line, Portsmouth Direct Line, South Western Main Line and West of England Main Line. There are frequent trains to and from London Waterloo (via Clapham Junction), a journey taking approximately 25–30 minutes. There is also a twice hourly Waterloo–Woking stopping service that calls at many stations between Waterloo and Woking.

Class 33 Number: 33008 passes through Woking

Gatwick Airport can be accessed via Guildford railway station or Clapham Junction. London Heathrow Airport has no direct train services from the south west of England, so a Railair service operates between Woking and Heathrow.

A canopy costing £2.8 million has been built between the station and the main shopping area of the town. It stretches from the railway station entrance (town, platform 1, side) to Albion House. The project included landscaping and the provision of a new way to the town from the railway station.^[18]

Rail Accident Investigation Branch has one of its two operational centres in Woking.^[19][20]

Roads[link]

Woking is accessible from the M25 motorway (junction 11), the M3 motorway (junction 3) and the A3.

The main access road is the A320 between Guildford and Staines, which passes through the town centre and connects to the M25 to the north, and to the A3 to the south at Guildford.

Bus and coach[link]

A Railair coach service is run by National Express, connecting Woking railway station and London Heathrow Airport, in the absence of a direct train link to Heathrow. The bus services in Woking are mainly operated by Abellio Surrey, Arriva and Countryliner. The Bustler community transport service, which operates from bases Westfield and St John's, uses a fleet of minibuses to serve people with a transportation disadvantage.^[21]

Arriva Guildford & West Surrey passing through Woking

Canal[link]

The Basingstoke Canal, completed in 1794, passes through the north of the town and is crossed by several footbridges and road bridges. The Lightbox, an Art Gallery, is sandwiched between the canal and Victoria Way, a dual carriageway. The canal underwent restoration in the 1960s and 1970s and 1980s with the restoration completed on 10th May 1991.

River and navigation[link]

The River Wey and Wey Navigation also runs through the Borough of Woking

Law[link]

Woking has a Magistrates Court and a Police Station, which is housed in a former school. In the area there are smaller police stations. Nearby, in Guildford and Surrey Heath there are two prisons: a Category C and a women's prison.

Demographics[link]

Woking is a multicultural town. There has long been a large tightly-knit Italian community in Woking, most of whom originated from the Sicilian town of Mussomeli.^[22] The majority of the original arrivals worked in the Britax factory in Byfleet. Others worked on the mushroom farms in Chobham or for the James Walker company. Many started their own landscaping or ice cream businesses. St Dunstan's Catholic Church in Woking holds masses in Italian.

There is a large Pakistani population in Woking, centred around the suburbs of Maybury and Sheerwater,^[23] near the Shah Jahan Mosque. This partly originates from workers at the then nearby Sorbo Rubber factory.^{[citation needed]}

Woking has recently seen an influx of eastern European immigrants, mostly from Poland.^[24] Many Nepalis are also now settling in the suburbs of Woking as part of the Aldershot overspill.

Projects[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2010)

Woking 2027[link]

This is a Council sponsored project to improve Woking by 2027. There are 6 main objectives.

1. A strong community spirit with a clear sense of belonging and responsibility.
2. A clean, healthy and safe environment.
3. A transport system that is linked and accessible, recognising Woking's potential as a transport hub.
4. Access to decent affordable housing for local people and key workers.
5. A community which values personal health and well-being.
6. Provide opportunities and encourage people to participate in learning throughout their lives so they progress and reach their full potential.

Hoe Valley Scheme[link]

This is a £40 million to take hundreds of Woking homes away from the flood plain of the Hoe Stream. It will also provide new community facilities and roads. Woking Borough Council have been planning this scheme, which was approved in September 2010, for over 20 years. It is being run in conjunction with the Environment Agency.

The main objectives are to:

• Remove nearly 200 residential properties from the flood plain and protect the gardens of over a further 60 properties.
• Provide new facilities outside the flood plain for nine community groups.
• Protect Westfield School from flooding.
• Clear up approximately 5 hectares (12 acres ) of contaminated land.
• Extend and enhance Woking Park with footways and cycle paths joining Barnsbury and Westfield with the town centre.
• Improve the highway infrastructure at Westfield Avenue/Kingfield Road.
• Rebuild Elm Bridge and three other bridges across the Hoe Stream.
• Provide two new training pitches in Woking Park.
• Provide around 150 new homes for sale, all free from flooding.

The Council will receive finance from: the Public Works Loan Board; a number of grants, including £3.7 million from the Environment Agency; proceeds from the sale of new homes and of other assets. The Council expects the scheme to be fully funded by 2014 with no ongoing costs incurred by the Council. The Council hopes the scheme will be completed by 2012.^[25]

The Moor Lane Development[link]

The Moor Lane Development is a development Woking Borough Council are trying to do. The Development will provide affordable housing inside the Borough. This has led to local protests and organisations set up that want the development to be scrapped.

The land where the development, if allowed to go ahead, will take place is owned by Surrey County Council. The Development will affect it will affect the residents of Westfield Common, Moor Lane, Balfour Avenue and Quartermaine Avenue.

Woking Town Centre development[link]

Woking Town Centre development is a development where the The Peacocks shopping centre, Wolsey Walk shopping centre and the library are all being expanded.

The Peacocks Centre expansion has finished. The front of the shopping centre was expanded with a glass frontage with LED lights that change colour.

Wolsey Walk is also being expanded with a similar glass frontage, which will add two shop units.

The library front will be expanded and adding a new cafe. The library will also expanded from the side to make up space lost by adding the cafe.

Suburbs[link]

Woking has several suburban districts, including: Bisley, Horsell, Hook Heath, Mount Hermon, Barnsbury, Maybury, Sheerwater, Goldsworth Park, St John's, Pyrford, Kingfield, Westfield, Ridgway, West Byfleet and Old Woking. The adjacent village of Knaphill is often considered an outer suburb of Woking. Old Woking is cited as a separate village. Mayford and Sutton Green are to the south on the border between Woking and Guildford.

Barnsbury[link]

The Barnsbury Estate is a housing estate of approximately 400 households.^[26] Begun in 1936, it is a self-contained estate of bungalows, housing and flats mostly built in the 1950s along with several small shops. Barnsbury is bordered by the Hoe Valley and is located to the south of Woking on the A320.

As part of Woking's proposed Priority Homes PFI submission, back gardens of a significant number of houses were at risk of development.^[27] From January to September 2007 this resulted in an extensive community engagement to see if and how these back gardens could be used for development.^[26][28] The scheme was eventually cancelled.^[29]

Starting in August 2009, Ypod Extra (formerly The Barnsbury Project) on Ash Road is open to all young people on Barnsbury estate every Monday between 6.30 and 9pm. It is run in conjunction with Woking Borough Council and is partly funded and supported by the local police.^[30]

Barnsbury also has a Primary School. Many of Barnsbury's Students attend Woking High for their secondary education.

Notable buildings and structures[link]

Export House, Woking's tallest building

The tallest building in Woking is Export House, known locally as 'The BAT Building', from the initials of its first tenant, British American Tobacco.^[31] It is 73 metres tall (240 feet),^[32] and has Peregrin Falcons nesting on top.^[31]

New Central and Centrium in January 2011.

Tallest buildings[link]

1. Export House-240' (73m) Completed: 1974 and Ready for Tenants: 1976

2: New Central-Nearing Completion

3: Centrium-Commonly known as the 'Boat' or the 'Ship' as it looks like a ships bridge

The New Central project has two towers and many other buildings around it. The main tower over-took Centrium making it the second tallest building in Woking.^{[citation needed]}

Public art[link]

Woking has a Wellsian Martian Tripod, created by Michael Condron, which was unveiled in April 1998. The tripod celebrates H.G. Wells' book, The War of the Worlds, which was written in Woking. The Tripod is 7m (23') tall. The legs are 17cm (7") in diameter.

There are three parts of the sculpture: The Tripod, Bacteria (Which led to the downfall of the aliens in the book) and the cylinder the tripods came to Earth in. The Martian is also shown advancing from Horsell Common.

Woking also has an art gallery called the Lightbox. This is between the Basingstoke Canal and Victoria Way. The Lightbox contains many hands hanging from the ceiling, a brief history of Woking and many exhibitions. Notable exhibitions include a Wallace and Gromit exhibition and a Leonardo da Vinci exhibition. The Lightbox also has the Ingram collection on a long-term loan.

The Woking Martian

Sport[link]

Football: Woking has a non-League football club, Woking F.C., that competes in the Conference South (tier 6). The origin of the club's nickname, the "Cardinals", is disputed.^{[citation needed]} One possibility is that the name was acquired because Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, after whom the smaller of the two shopping centres is named, was staying with King Henry VIII at Woking Palace (the remains of which can be seen near the River Wey at Old Woking) when he heard he had been made a cardinal by Pope Leo X in 1515. Alternatively the Cards are so named because of the cardinal red in one half of their home strip. The colour was chosen because of the town's link to Cardinal Wolsey. A third theory is that Woking F.C. used to play next to a pub called The Cardinals when they played in York Road, Woking.^{[citation needed]} The pub has since been renamed. The Borough also supports three clubs playing in The Combined Counties Football League Division 1 (tier 10), these being Knaphill FC, Sheerwater FC & Westfield FC. There are many smaller clubs in the area.

Gymnastics: Woking Gymnastics Club provides professional gymnastics coaching for all ages (babies to adults). The club has a purpose-built facility (refurbished in 2008) next door to the Football Club.

Rugby: Woking has a rugby union club that competes in Surrey League 4 (Level 11). Since the 2006/07 season they have run two teams. They train on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Byfleet Recreation Ground. The club originated from British Aerospace RFC and were originally based at the Astra sports club.

Another club outside the borough of Woking, Chobham Rugby Club has 6 senior teams, the 1st XV, 2nd XV (Cannons), 3rd XV, 4th XV (Devils), 5th XV (Crusaders)& Veterans (Martyrs).

The 1st XV played in London Division 1 South (Level 6), however having not won a game in the league all season have found themselves relegated. The Cannons (2nd XV) play in the Canterbury Shield 4 having won Surrey Premier in 08/09. The 3rds, Devils and 5ths play in the John O'Neil and Partners Surrey Reverse leagues. The Devils won their league cup in the 2006/7 season.

Chobham won London 3SW in 2006/07.

In 2008/09 The Cannons won Surrey Premier League; the 3s won Surrey Combination League 1; the Devils came runners up in Surrey Combination League 2 and the Crusaders won Surrey Combination League 4. The 1st XV played in the National EDF Cup for the first time in their history.

The Senior Club won the Surrey Presidents Award 2008/09 for the most successful club in the county.

There is also a large junior and mini section with many County and Divisional players. One of the products of the youth system, Dan Frazier, has just signed with NEC Harlequins at 18 and is on loan at Esher in National Division 1.^[when?]

Hockey: Woking Hockey Club women's first XI compete in the English Hockey League Women's League 1 (tier 2); the men's first XI compete in a regional league. The club has two AstroTurf pitches next to a clubhouse based in Goldsworth Park.

Kingfield Stadium, the home ground of Woking FC

Cricket: Woking also has a number of cricket clubs including Old Woking CC, Woking & Horsell CC, and Westfield CC.

It is also home to Pyrford Cricket Club. Founded in 1858, Pyrford is one of the oldest cricket clubs in Surrey^{[citation needed]}. Well known former PCC players include former Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu, New Zealand wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins and Sky Sports presenter Charles Colvile.

Motor racing: The McLaren Formula One motor racing team is based near to the town, as is Räikkönen Robertson Racing, begun by former Ferrari driver and former F1, 2007 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen.

Korfball: Woking Korfball Club has been active for 25 years, training and playing in the Woking area. It operates in the London league, challenging for titles every season and with 2 or 3 teams of players appearing regularly for the club. In the Season 2007/2008 Woking was second in the London & District Korball Association's Senior Premier League.

Thai Boxing: Woking has two Muay Thai (or Thai Boxing) clubs one of which uses Woking Leisure Centre while the other (Shinkick) has its own premises in Old Woking.

Cycling: In 2009 Woking played host to a round of The Tour Series on 2 June, a new championship of televised town and city centre criterium-style races, established by the organisers of The Tour of Britain bike race. The race took place on a Tuesday evening on a circuit centred on Victoria Way. There are two charity bike rides each year- Woking Bikeathon and Pedal4Charity.

Basketball The Woking Blackhawks basketball club was founded in 1999. They won their first title in 2004, the U-16 Surrey Central Venue League and Cup 2003/4. In 2008 they were voted Surrey Sports Club of the year. They currently have 10 squads with over 150 players, male and female, aging from under 10s up to adult level.

Scuba diving: Surrey Aquanauts is the local scuba diving club and is a branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club. Surrey Aquanauts has existed since 1967 and offers training for new divers and an active diving programme for already qualified divers.

Education[link]

Primary schools[link]

Infant and junior schools in the area include: Goldsworth Primary School, Hoe Bridge School, Kingfield, Knaphill Junior School, Knaphill Lower School, Horsell C of E Aided Junior School, Horsell Village School,the International School of London in Surrey (Private primary & middle school), St Hugh of Lincoln Catholic Primary School, St. Dunstan's Catholic Primary School, Barnsbury Primary School, Westfield Primary School, The Hermitage Junior School, The Oaktree School, Beaufort Primary School, St John's Primary School, Greenfield School and Bisley C of E Primary School. In 2004 Sythwood Primary School received the Surrey School of the Year Award for all-round achievements.

Secondary schools[link]

Secondary schools in the area include: Bishop David Brown School, St John the Baptist School, St Andrew's School, The Winston Churchill School and Woking High School.

Other schools[link]

Woking College is located in Old Woking and provides post-16 education.

There are also private sector schools. There are several private preparatory schools in Woking: Hoe Bridge, St Andrew's, Greenfield, Oakfield School and Ripley Court are all mixed, while Halstead School is girls only.

The Surrey campus of the International School of London is located in Woking^[33]

Peer Productions, a large theatre company, is based at the Woking Youth Arts Centre in Knaphill. It provides dramatic education for students of all ages.

Woking is also home to the Tante Marie cookery school,^[34] the UK's oldest established professional cookery school.^[35] According to the Woking News and Mail, it has now been bought by famous chef Gordon Ramsay who intends to set up his own catering college.

Healthcare[link]

Woking comes under Surrey PCT (Primary Care Trust), administered and run by the NHS. Group of GPs together with Woking Community Hospital^[36] serve a minority^{[citation needed]} of local residents' primary healthcare needs with its walk-in centre but mostly works in the areas of community rehabilitation and neuro-rehab in the Ted Bradley Unit. Specialist hospitals nearby are St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey (for A&E) and Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford.

For private healthcare needs, Nuffield Hospital^[37] mainly serves Woking's local residents.

Woking used to have its own hospital with maternity and A&E amongst other departments. Woking Victoria Hospital^[38] was situated on the corner of Victoria Way and Chobham Road, right by the Basingstoke Canal, from 1950 until the mid-'80s.

Notable people[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2011)

Paul Weller

Robert Green

Harry Hill

• H.G. Wells, author who used the town as a setting for his novel The War of the Worlds and was staying in the town when he wrote it.^[39] A large sculpture of a (Wellsian) Martian Fighting Machine (above) was installed in the town centre to commemorate Woking's links with the story.^[40]
• Dame Ethel Smyth (1858–1944), composer and the first woman suffragette^[41]
• Kazuo Ishiguro, novelist^[41]
• Paul Weller, singer-songwriter and guitarist, The Style Council, The Jam.^[41] "Town Called Malice", which was written by Paul Weller and recorded by his band, The Jam, is about Woking. The song reached No. 1 in the UK Charts.
• Rick Buckler, drummer with The Jam, (1955)^[41]
• Bruce Foxton, bass player with The Jam, (1955)^[41]
• The Spice Girls, pop group, started their careers at a Knaphill studio^[41]
• Peter Cox (musician), solo artist and lead singer of the 1980s pop group Go West (band)^{[citation needed]}
• Nick Waplington, artist and photographer^{[citation needed]}
• Robert Green, West Ham United, and former England Goalkeeper^{[citation needed]}
• Rufus Hound, attended The Hoe Bridge School (Woking).^{[citation needed]}
• Ian Ogilvy, actor, 1943^[42]
• Richard Benson, Italian guitarist, 1945^{[citation needed]}
• Ron Dennis, CEO/Chairman of the McLaren Group, 1947^[41]
• Liz Lynne, Liberal Democrat politician, 1948^[43]
• Rick Parfitt, guitarist for Status Quo went to school in Sheerwater and has family in the area, 1948^[41]
• Brian Hooper, Olympic pole vaulter^[41]
• Douglas Pearce, founding Neofolk musician behind Death In June and Crisis (band), 1956^{[citation needed]}
• Carl R May, sociologist, 1960^{[citation needed]}
• Susie Dent, a lexicographer and the dictionary expert on Countdown, 1964^[44]
• Delia Smith , best selling cook, was born in Woking in 1941^[41]
• Ben Charles Edwards photographer/filmmaker^[45]
• Andy Heath, Times journalist, (1981)^{[citation needed]}
• Sean Henry, sculptor
• Harry Hill, comedian, was born in Woking (1964).^[41]
• Sean Lock was born in the area. (1963)^[41]
• Matt Willis; band member of Busted and winner of I'm A Celebrity… lived in Woking and attended Woking High School.^[41]
• Peter Davison, actor, best known for his role in (Doctor Who) attended The Winston Churchill School (Woking).^[41]
• Albert Jack, bestselling author, attended The Winston Churchill School (Woking).^{[citation needed]}
• Ken Wood, founded the Kenwood company in Woking.^[41]
• Adelina de Lara, concert pianist, lived and worked in Woking.^[41]
• Derek Griffiths, children's entertainer, born in Woking.^[41]
• David Sproxton, co-founder of Aardman Animations, attended Woking Grammar school.^[41]
• Peter Lord, co-founder of Aardman Animations, attended Woking Grammar school.^[41]
• Neil Wayte, professional angler (1961), was born and raised in Woking
• Sir Alan and Erec Bedser, England Cricketing Twins^[41]
• Lady Emma Hamilton, lover of Horatio Nelson. Hamilton lived in Pyrford.^[41]
• John Paul Getty^{[disambiguation needed ]}, Lived in Sutton Green.^[41]
• Lady Margaret Beaufort, Mother of King Henry VII, lived in Woking Palace for 5 years.^[41]

Literature[link]

HG Wells was living in Woking when he wrote War of the Worlds and the town features prominently in the story, not least in its destruction in an early chapter. The Martians first land on Horsell Common and much of the early story is set in the area.^[40]

Douglas Adams describes Woking in The Deeper Meaning of Liff (ptcbl. vb.) as:

Standing in the kitchen wondering what you came in here for.

Emergency services[link]

Woking is served by these emergency services:

• Surrey Police.
• SURSAR.
• South East Coast Ambulance Service as of 1 July 2006, is the local NHS Ambulance Services Trust. The Surrey Ambulance Service, Sussex, and Kent Ambulance services have all merged, and have now ceased to exist.
• Surrey Fire & Rescue Service.
  • 2 x Water Tender Ladder

McLaren and the Technology Centre[link]

Woking is home to the McLaren Group, an umbrella organisation that includes:

• McLaren Racing, which fields the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula One racing cars (driven by world champions Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton); and
• McLaren Automotive, builder of the McLaren F1 and Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren supercars.

During 2010 and 2011 the McLaren technology centre had work on it to add an extension, with the completed pice costing £50million. David Cameron opened this new extension.

Gallery[link]

• 

  Victoria Arch

• 

  St. Peter's Church, Old Woking. The Church has the oldest door in Surrey and the third oldest in the British Isles.

• 

  Woking Station

• 

  A view of the Centrium

• 

  Export House Christmas Tree

• 

  War Memorial and Church

• 

  The Civic Offices (Woking Borough Councils HQ)

• 

  Woking Fire Station

• 

  Horsell High Street

• 

  Shops at Westfield

• 

  Knaphill High Street

• 

  Guildford road, with Export House in the distance

• 

  A model of a Hawker Hunter outside the Big Apple entertainment centre

• 

  Part of the Centruim development

• 

  Inside the Peacocks Shopping Centre

• 

  Woking Park fuel cell with the Pool in the Park's flumes in the background

• 

  Wych Hill, Hook Heath

• 

  Part of Horsell Common

• 

  Buses outside Woking Station, with Centruim in the background

• 

  The French Market in the town square

Twin towns[link]

• Rastatt in Germany
• Amstelveen in the Netherlands
• Le Plessis-Robinson in France^[46]

See also[link]

• Brookwood Cemetery, Woking
• Horsell
• Goldsworth Park
• Knaphill
• Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom
• Westfield, Woking, Surrey
• Woking, Alberta, Canada

Notes[link]

Further reading[link]

• Guardian article: Woking to teach London to be a world leader in tackling climate change
• Crosby, Alan "A History Of Woking" (Phillimore, 2003)

External links[link]

• Woking Borough Council
• Woking - Information Site
• Aerial photographs of Woking
• Photographs of Woking
• Woking 2027 Information
• BBC news McLaren Extension Information
• Guardian McLaren Extension Information
• The Moor Lane Development Information
• Aerial Photos of Woking and the Borough
• The Woking Martian Information
• More Woking Martian Information

Other[link]

Neighbouring areas of Woking

	Bisley	Chobham	Ottershaw
	Brookwood		Pyrford
		Woking    East
	Pirbright	Mayford	Send

v t e Towns, villages and hamlets in the Woking District of Surrey, England Brookwood Byfleet Castle Green Horsell Knaphill Mayford Mimbridge Old Woking Sheerwater Sutton Green Westfield West Byfleet Woking

Martin Tyler
Tyler before a match at Old Trafford in 2008.
Born	(1945-09-14) 14 September 1945 (age 66) Chester, Cheshire, England
Nationality	English
Education	Royal Grammar School, Guildford
Occupation	Football commentator
Employer	BSkyB, ESPN

Martin Tyler (born 14 September 1945 in Chester) is an English football commentator who was voted the FA Premier League Commentator of the Decade.^[1] He is also currently first team coach at Isthmian League Premier Division club Kingstonian.

He has participated in charity games, where he is proud to claim that he once scored a goal from an Andy Gray cross.

Football commentary career[link]

After graduating from the University of East Anglia in the 1960s, Tyler helped in the publishing of Marshall Cavendish's Book of Football. He was also ghostwriter on football pundit Jimmy Hill's column in The Times and reported matches under his own name for that paper.

At the urging of Hill he took a job behind the scenes on LWT's The Big Match – the first ITV football programme to make a real impact on the public.^{[citation needed]} His job was solely a production role, but at one match he did his own commentary on a tape recorder and handed it in to his bosses expecting, and indeed initially gaining, little response.

However, the break did eventually come with another ITV region Southern Television. Their regular football commentator (and ITV's tennis man) Gerry Williams was indisposed and on 28 December 1974 Tyler made his commentary debut at The Dell describing a Second Division clash between Southampton and Sheffield Wednesday. It was a successful bow and six weeks later he was asked back, soon becoming a regular commentator.

In 1976, Tyler moved to Yorkshire Television to replace Keith Macklin and began to make an impression on ITV Sport bosses, who included him in the team for the 1978 World Cup. He also covered his first European Cup Final in 1979. Another change of region came in 1981 and a switch to Granada, replacing Gerald Sinstadt. In 1982 he led ITV's World Cup team, covering every England game and the final alongside Ian St. John. The tournament was also memorable on a personal level because he met his future wife while on duty in Spain.

Throughout the 1980s, Tyler established himself as the ITV network's number two commentator behind Brian Moore. He led the team at the 1984 European Championships and also described all the main matches at the 1986 World Cup – except the final, for which Moore flew out from London (the first time he had ever commentated on a World Cup match for ITV, having previously worked from London as anchorman). From 1983 ITV began to show live Football League matches, with Tyler involved in several such broadcasts over the next seven years.

BSkyB[link]

It was the frustration of playing second fiddle that saw Tyler search for pastures new and, despite his own reluctance, he signed a deal with British Satellite Broadcasting's Sports Channel in 1990 at the urging of his agent John Hockey. There he covered live FA Cup games, England internationals and the Scottish League. Tyler's voice was still heard on ITV for another two years as they carried the commentaries he provided for the Football League's overseas broadcasts. British Satellite Broadcasting's merger with Sky meant the Sports Channel became Sky Sports in 1991. Since then he has led the Sky commentary team, spearheading the network's coverage of the FA Premier League since its inception in 1992.^[2]

In April 2003, in the Premier League 10 Seasons Awards, Tyler was voted as the Premier League Commentator of The Decade by fans and a specially assembled panel of football experts. After learning of the honour Tyler stated, "I'd like to thank everybody who voted for me and express my gratitude to all my colleagues at Sky Sports. This award is as much for them as myself and reflects our approach to football. My job has also been made easier by the thousands of individuals within the game who've answered my daily requests for information with the attention and care that make this job so enjoyable."

In recent years Sky have employed a rotation policy and Tyler no longer gets the number of 'big' games he used to get (2005 Champions League final for example – he only covered this for Australian TV). He regularly covers Saturday Premier League matches for Sky Sports' "Football First" programme, these commentaries are also carried via TWI's international feed. He works directly for TWI on the Premier League as well, mainly covering Monday night matches.

Doubts about the security of his position as Sky's number one commentator alerted rival broadcasting corporations, the BBC and Setanta Sports, which have reportedly tried to sign him up. As recently as January 2007 he was approached by Setanta to be their lead commentator for live Premiership football in 2007/2008 but rejected the move and has signed a new contract with Sky Sports.^[3] In recent years he has been a regular guest on the U.S. soccer radio show and podcast World Football Daily.

Premier League Productions[link]

Tyler also commentates on Premier League matches for Premier League Productions, a venture of IMG Sports Media who produce, package and broadcast the live production of games for the Premier League for its international broadcast partners. The same productions are also shown domestically for highlights packages on Sky Sports and for full match non live coverage.

SBS[link]

Tyler has been the main voice for broadcasts on the Australian television network SBS for World Cup, Euro and European club competition matches as well as a number of Australian international matches. The 2006 World Cup final saw Tyler call his fifth World Cup Final for SBS.

He is a correspondent for the pre-match coverage, where he is crossed to live to talk with the SBS studio team. Through his broadcasts for SBS he can be often heard throughout Oceania and parts of east Asia.

Tyler commentated on the 2009 and 2010 FA Cup Finals, as part of the official commentary along with co-commentator Stewart Robson.

United States[link]

Fox used Tyler from the Sky feed to cover the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final.^[4] This is the first time the Champions League final was broadcasted on a major American television network. In addition, he led ESPN's coverage on the 2010 FIFA World Cup^[5] and will return for the 2014 tournament.^[6]

Other work[link]

Print journalism[link]

Tyler writes an article on the Sky Sports websites where readers can ask questions about Football usually based on statistics and form of teams. At the end of each article is a 'Tyler's Teaser' in which Martin asks the readers a question of his own. More recently, Martin has recorded his asking of these questions live from the Stadium of which he commentated in for Sky the weekend before. 'Tyler's Teaser' originally was for the readers to try and catch Martin out, in asking footballing questions of their own.

Other sports[link]

Although most associated with football, Tyler has commentated on other sports. He contributed to Granada TV's coverage of Roses Cricket throughout his time there and even described live netball for ITV's World Of Sport.^[7] In the mid-1980s, Tyler also anchored Channel 4's coverage of baseball's World Series.^[7][8]

Film and video games[link]

Tyler is the voice-over commentator for the FIFA video game series on PS3 and Xbox 360 alongside Andy Gray from 2006 to 2011 and Alan Smith from 2012.

Football coaching[link]

Tyler is currently first team coach at Isthmian League club Kingstonian, having joined the club in January 2007 from Walton & Hersham as part of the support staff alongside manager Alan Dowson.

Miscellaneous[link]

Tyler chose Arsenal's unbeaten season in the Premier League in 2003/04 as the greatest moment of the decade, and has expressed the view that sports fans will not see another team unbeaten for a whole season in their lifetimes.^[9]

Tyler's son, Adam, is a film director, currently working for Scratchmark Films. His work includes Kingsmeadow, a half-hour documentary based on Kingstonian FC, which premiered in June 2011.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Martin Tyler

• Sky Sports Columnist – Martin Tyler
• Martin Tyler interview
• Martin Tyler at the Internet Movie Database

Shah Jahan
5th Mughal Emperor
Predecessor	Jahangir
Successor	Aurangzeb
Spouse	Mumtaz Mahal Akbarabadi Mahal Kandahari Mahal
Issue
Jahanara Begum Dara Shikoh Shah Shuja Roshanara Begum Aurangzeb Murad Baksh Gauhara Begum Others
House	Timurid dynasty
Father	Jahangir
Born	(1592-01-05)5 January 1592 Lahore, Mughal Empire(now in Pakistan)
Died	31 January 1666(1666-01-31) Agra, Mughal Empire(now in Uttar Pradesh, India)
Religion	Islam

Shah Jahan(also spelled Shah Jehan, Shahjehan,(Urdu: شاه ‌جہاں, Persian: شاه جهان) (January 5, 1592–January 22, 1666), (full title: Shahanshah Al-Sultan al-'Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram, Malik-ul-Sultanat, Ala Hazrat Abu'l-Muzaffar Shahab ud-din Muhammad Shah Jahan I, Sahib-i-Qiran-i-Sani, Padshah Ghazi Zillu'llah, Firdaus-Ashiyani, Shahanshah—E--Sultanant Ul Hindiya Wal Mughaliya) was the emperor of the Mughal Empire in South Asia from 1628 until 1658. The name Shah Jahan comes from Persian meaning "Ruler of Everywhere". He was the fifth Mughal emperor after Babur, Humayun, Akbar, and Jahangir. While young, he was favourite of his legendary grandfather, Akbar the Great. Shah Jahan was a direct descendant of Genghis Khan through Timur and was the heir of the Mughal Empire of Babur, he is also alleged to have been a descendant of Charlemagne.

At a young age, he was chosen as successor to the Mughal throne after the death of Emperor Jahangir. He succeeded to the throne upon his father's death in 1627. He is considered to be one of the greatest Mughals, and his reign has been called the Golden Age of the Mughals and one of the most prosperous ages of Indian civilization. Like Akbar, he was eager to expand his vast empire. In 1658, he fell ill and was confined by his son Emperor Aurangzeb in the Agra Fort until his death in 1666.

The period of his reign was the golden age of Mughal architecture. Shahanshah Shah Jahan erected many splendid monuments, the most famous of which is the legendary Taj Mahal at Agra built 1632-1648 as a tomb for his beloved wife, Empress Mumtaz Mahal. The Moti Masjid, Agra and many other buildings in Agra, the Red Fort and the Jama Masjid in Delhi, mosques in Lahore, extensions to Lahore Fort and a mosque in Thatta also commemorate him. The famous Takht-e-Taus or the Peacock Throne, said to be worth millions of dollars by modern estimates, also dates from his reign. He was also the founder of the new imperial capital called Shahjahanabad, now known as Old Delhi. Other important buildings of Shah Jahan's rule were the Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas in the Red Fort Complex in Delhi and the Moti Masjid in the Lahore Fort. Shah Jahan is also believed to have the most refined of the tastes in arts and architecture and is credited to have commissioned about 777 gardens in Kashmir, his favourite summer residence. A few of these gardens survive and attract thousands of tourists every year.

Biography[link]

Early years[link]

Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, rescuing his serviceman using a Matchlock during a campaign.

Baadshah Shah Jahan was born as Prince Shihab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram, on January 5, 1592 in Lahore, Pakistan as the third and favourite son of the emperor Jahangir from his Rajput wife Gossaini. The name Khurram-Persian for 'joyful'-was given by his grandfather Akbar. His early years saw him receive a cultured, broad education and he distinguished himself in the martial arts and as a military commander while leading his father's armies in numerous campaigns against Mewar(1615 CE, 1024 AH), the Deccan Sultanates(1617 and 1621 CE, 1026 and 1030 AH), Kangra Fort(1618 CE, 1027AH). He was responsible for most of the territorial gains during his father's reign. Shah Jahan was also very well known and praised for his bravery, as a young man he is known to have rescued an imperial serviceman from an ambushing lions.

He also demonstrated a precocious talent for building, impressing his father Jahangir at the age of 16 when he built his quarters within his great grandfather the Mughal Emperor Babur's Kabul fort and redesigned buildings within Agra fort. He also carries the universally famous titles like "The builder of marvels ". Shah Jahan was also chosen by his father Jahangir to acknowledge the Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri and early manual on statesmanship and administration in the Mughal Empire.

Marriage[link]

Mumtaz Mahal

In 1607 AD (1016 AH), Prince Khurram, also known as Shah Jahan, was betrothed to Arjumand Banu Begum who was just 14 years old at the time. She was also the niece of the famous queen of Jehangir-Nur Mahal. She would become the unquestioned love of his life. They would, however, have to wait five years before they were married in 1612 AD (1021 AH), on a date selected by the court astrologers as most conducive to ensuring a happy marriage. After their wedding celebrations, Khurram "finding her in appearance and character elect among all the women of the time," gave her the title Mumtaz Mahal (Jewel of the Palace).

The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan is accompanied by his three sons: Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja and Aurangzeb, including their maternal grandfather Asaf Khan IV.

Mumtaz Mahal had 14 children. Despite her frequent pregnancies, she travelled with Shah Jahan's entourage throughout his earlier military campaigns and the subsequent rebellion against his father. Mumtaz Mahal was utterly devoted—she was his constant companion and trusted confidante and their relationship was intense. She is portrayed by Shah Jahan's chroniclers as the perfect wife with no aspirations to political power. This is in direct opposition to how her aunt Nur Jahan had been perceived. Mumtaz died in Burhanpur in 1631 AD (1040 AH), while giving birth to their fourteenth child, a healthy baby girl. She had been accompanying her husband while he was fighting a campaign in the Deccan Plateau. Her body was temporarily buried at Burhanpur in a walled pleasure garden known as Zainabad originally constructed by Shah Jahan's uncle Daniyal on the bank of the Tapti River.

The intervening years had seen Khurrum take two other wives known as Akbarabadi Mahal (d.1677 CE, 1088 AH), and Kandahari Mahal (b. c1594 CE, c1002 AH), (m.1609 CE, 1018 AH).

According to the official court chronicler Qazwini, the relationship with his other wives "had nothing more than the status of marriage. The intimacy, deep affection, attention and favor which His Majesty had for the Cradle of Excellence [Mumtaz Mahal] exceeded by a thousand times what he felt for any other."

Accession[link]

Jahangir receives prince Khurram of his returns from deccan

Inheritance of power and wealth in the Mughal empire was not determined through primogeniture, but by princely sons competing to achieve military successes and consolidating their power at court. This often led to rebellions and wars of succession. As a result, a complex political climate surrounded the Mughal court in Shahzada Khurram's formative years. In 1611 his father married Nur Jahan, the widowed daughter of an Afghan Noble. She rapidly became an important member of Emperor Jahangir's court and, together with her brother Asaf Khan, wielded considerable influence. Arjumand was Asaf Khan's daughter and her marriage to Prince Khurram consolidated Nur Jahan and Asaf Khan's positions at court.

In the year 1614, Prince Khurram (Shah Jahan) commanded a vast Mughal Army consisting of over 200,000 Sowars and subdued the Rajput Maharana of Mewar, who surrendered and submitted to Prince Khurram.

Khurram's intense military successes of 1617 CE (1026 AH) against the Lodi in the Deccan effectively secured the southern border of the empire and his grateful father rewarded him with the prestigious title 'Shah Jahan Bahadur' (Brave King of the World) which implicitly sealed his inheritance. Court intrigues, however, including Nur Jahan's decision to have her daughter from her first marriage wed Shah Jahan's youngest brother Shahzada Shahryar and her support for his claim to the throne led Khurram, supported by Muhabbat Khan, into open revolt against his father in 1622.

The rebellion was quelled by Jahangir's forces in 1626 and Khurram was forced to submit unconditionally. Upon the death of Jahangir in 1627, Prince Khurram succeeded to the Mughal throne as Shah Jahan, King of the World, the latter title alluding to his pride in his Timurid roots and his ambitious the history. Shahanshah Shah Jahan's first act as ruler was to execute his chief rivals and imprison his step mother Nur Jahan. This allowed Shan Jahan to rule without contention.

Administration of the Mughal Empire[link]

The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan at his Durbar.

Although his father's rule was generally peaceful, the empire was experiencing challenges by the end of his reign. In 1628, immediately after becoming Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan's forces were ambushed by Sikh rebels, the Emperor organized an assault, which caused almost all the Sikhs, including Guru Hargobind and his mercenaries to flee.^[1] Shah Jahan repulsed the Portuguese in Bengal, capturing the Rajput kingdoms of Baglana, Mewar and Bundelkhand to the west and the northwest beyond the Khyber Pass. He then chose his 16 year old son Aurangzeb to serve in his place and subdue the rebellion by the Bundela Rajputs led by the renegade Jhujhar Singh. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan then chose his son Aurangzeb to become the Subedar of Deccan and ordered the annexation of Ahmednagar and the overthrow of the Nizam Shahi dynasty.

Shah Jahan and his sons captured the city of Kandahar in 1638 from the Safavids, prompting the retaliation of the Persians led by their powerful ruler Abbas II of Persia, who recaptured it in 1649, the Mughal armies were unable to recapture it despite repeated sieges during the Mughal–Safavid War.

Evidence from the reign of Shah Jahan in the year 1648 states that the army consisted of 911,400 infantry, musketeers, and artillery men, and 185,000 Sowars commanded by princes and nobles and were maintained out of the revenues of the Mughal Empire which amounted to 120,071,876,840 dams. During his reign the Marwari horse was introduced becoming Shah Jahan's favorite and various Mughal Cannons were mass produced in the Jaigarh Fort. Under his rule, the empire became a huge military machine and the nobles and their contingents multiplied almost fourfold, as did the demands for more revenue from the peasantry. But due to his measures in the financial and commercial fields, it was a period of general stability—the administration was centralised and court affairs systematized.

The Mughal Empire continued to expand moderately during his reign as his sons commanded large armies on different fronts. Above all it is obligatory to mention here that India became the richest centre of the arts, crafts and architecture and some of the best of the architects, artisians, craftsmens, painters and writers of the world resided in his empire, it is believed that the Mughal Empire had the highest gross domestic produce in the world.

The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan also intended to construct his capitol at Agra as an urban center that would rival both Istanbul and Isfahan in all its wealth and cultural lifestyle.

Foreign Relations[link]

The Surrender of Kandahar, a miniature painting from the Padshahnama depicting the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's successful capture of the city in the year 1638.^[2]

The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan gave orders in 1631 to Qasim Khan, the Mughal viceroy of Bengal, to drive out the Portuguese from their trading post at Port Hoogly, the trading post was heavily armed with cannons, battleships, fortified walls, and other instruments of war.^[3] The Portuguese were accused of trafficking by high Mughal officials and due to commercial competition the Mughal-controlled port of Saptagram began to slump. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan was particularly outraged by the activities of Jesuits in that region particularly when they were accused of abducting peasants.^[4] On September 25, 1632 the Mughal Army raised imperial banners and gained control over the Bandel region and the renegade garrison was punished.^[5]

While he was encamped in Baghdad, Sultan Murad IV is known to have met the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's ambassadors: Mir Zarif and Mir Baraka, who presented 1000 pieces of finely embroidered cloth and even armor. Murad IV gifted them with the finest weapons, saddles and Kaftans and ordered his forces to accompany the Mughals to the port of Basra, where they set sail to Thatta and finally Surat.

The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had exchanged ambassadors and documents with the Ottoman Sultan Murad IV, it was through these exchanges led by the Mughal ambassador Sayyid Muhiuddin and his counterpart the Ottoman ambassador Arsalan Agha, that Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan received Mimar Yusuf, Isa Muhammad Effendi and Ismail Effendi, two Turkish architects and students of the famous Koca Mimar Sinan Agha. Both of them later comprised among the Mughal team that would design and build the Taj Mahal.

Mir Jumla II, who in the 1640s had his own ships and organized merchant fleets that sailed throughout: Surat, Thatta, Arakan, Ayuthya, Balasore, Aceh, Melaka, Johore, Bantam, Makassar, Ceylon, Bandar Abbas, Mecca, Jeddah, Basra, Aden, Masqat, Mocha and the Maldives. His merchant fleet could only be rivaled by Abdul Goffur of Surat although other nobles such as Asaf Khan and Safi Khan owned seaborne vessels.

Patronage of the arts[link]

The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, using his Matchlock during a hunting expedition.

Shah Jahan's reign saw some of India's most well-known architectural and artistic accomplishments. The land revenue of the Mughal Empire under Shah Jahan was higher than that of any other Mughal ruler. The magnificence of Shah Jahan’s court was commented upon by several European travelers and by ambassadors from other parts of the world, including Francois Bernier and Thomas Roe. His famous Peacock Throne, with its trail blazing in the shifting natural colors of rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, was valued by the jeweller Tavernier at 6½ million pounds sterling.

Under Shah Jahan's rule, Mughal artistic and architectural achievements reached their zenith. Shah Jahan was a prolific builder with a highly refined aesthetic sense. Among his surviving buildings are the Red Fort and Jama Masjid in Delhi, the Shalimar Gardens of Lahore, sections of the Lahore Fort(such as Sheesh Mahal, and Naulakha pavilion), and his Tomb of Jahangir.

Legend has it that Shah Jahan wanted to build a black Taj Mahal for himself. There is no reputable scholarship to support this hypothesis, however, nor for other horrific legends that Shah Jahan maimed, blinded, or killed those responsible for designing and building the Taj Mahal.

Fate[link]

The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his eldest son Dara Shikoh.

When Shah Jahan became ill in 1658 CE (1067 AH), Dara Shikoh(Mumtaz Mahal's eldest son) assumed the role of regent in his father's stead, which swiftly incurred the animosity of his brothers. Upon learning of his assumption of the regency, his younger brothers, Shuja, Viceroy of Bengal, and Murad Baksh, Viceroy of Gujarat, declared their independence, and marched upon Agra in order to claim their riches. Aurangzeb, the third son, and ablest and most virile of the brothers, gathered a well trained army and became its in chief commander, he faced his elder brother and heir apparent Dara's army close to Agra and completely defeated him during the Battle of Samugarh. Although Shah Jahan fully recovered from his illness, Aurangzeb declared him incompetent to rule and put him under house arrest in Agra Fort.

Jahanara Begum Sahib, Jahan's first daughter, voluntarily shared his 8-year confinement and nursed him in his dotage. In January 1666 (1076 AH), Shah Jahan fell ill with strangury and dysentery. Confined to bed, he became progressively weaker until, on 22 January, he commanded the ladies of the imperial court, particularly his consort of later years Akbarabadi Mahal, to the care of Jahanara. After reciting the Islamic declaration of faith (Laa ilaaha illa l-laah) and verses from the Quran, he one of the greatest of the Mughal Emperors died.

Princess Jahanara planned a state funeral which was to include a procession with Shah Jahan's body carried by eminent nobles followed by the notable citizens of Agra and officials scattering coins for the poor and needy. Aurangzeb refused to accommodate such ostentation and the body was washed in accordance with Islamic rites, taken by river in a sandalwood coffin to the Taj Mahal and was interred there next to the body of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.

Contributions to architecture[link]

The Shalimar Gardens, comprising over four-hundred fountains, were built by the Mughal emperor.

The Taj Mahal is the most notable example of Islamic architecture in South Asia it was constructed according to the commands of the famous Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.

Shah Jahan left behind a grand legacy of structures constructed during his reign. He was one of the greatest patrons of Islamic architecture. His most famous building was the Taj Mahal, now a wonder of the world, which he built out of love for his wife the empress Mumtaz Mahal.

Its structure was drawn with great care and architects from all over the world were called for this purpose. The building took twenty years to complete and was constructed from white marble underlaid with brick. Upon his death, his son Aurangazeb had him interred in it next to Mumtaz Mahal. Among his other constructions are Delhi Fort also called the Red Fort or Lal Qila(Urdu) in Delhi, large sections of Agra Fort, the Jama Masjid(Grand Mosque), Delhi, the Wazir Khan Mosque, Lahore, Pakistan, the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque), Lahore, the Shalimar Gardens in Lahore, sections of the Lahore Fort, Lahore, the Jahangir mausoleum—his father's tomb, the construction of which was overseen by his stepmother Nur Jahan and the Shahjahan Mosque, Thatta, Pakistan. He also had the Peacock Throne, Takht e Taus, made to celebrate his rule. Shah Jahan also placed profound verses of the Quran on his masterpieces of architecture.

A famous seamless celestial globe was produced in 1659-1660 AD (1070 AH), by the Sindhi astronomer Muhammad Salih Tahtawi of Thatta with Arabic and Persian inscriptions.

Contribution to the arts[link]

The imperial Pearl Mosque of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.

All the inscriptions on the Taj Mahal tombs of Shah Jahan and his wife are in Persian Calligraphy on the tombs and on the Agra Fort quranic Calligraphy and Persian poem in Nastaʿlīqinscription. Shah Jahan's cenotaph is bigger than that of his wife, but reflects the same elements: a larger casket on a slightly taller base, again decorated with astonishing precision with lapidary and calligraphy that identifies him.

The pen box and writing tablet were traditional Persian funerary icons decorating the caskets of men and women respectively. The Ninety Nine Names of God are found as calligraphic inscriptions in Persian nastNastaʿlīqinscription style of calligraphic on the sides of the actual tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, in the crypt including "O Noble, O Magnificent, O Majestic, O Unique, O Eternal, O Glorious... ". The tomb of Shah Jahan bears a calligraphic inscription that reads; "He traveled from this world to the banquet-hall of Eternity on the night of the twenty-sixth of the month of Rajab, in the year 1076 Hijri."

Jama Masjid, Delhi one of the largest mosques in the Mughal Empire was completed during the reign of Shah Jahan.

written in Persian: مرقد منور ارجمندبانو بیگم مخاطب بممتاز محل توفی سنه... the bright tomb of arjmand banou beegom famous as Mumtaz mahal(the best of the rigion) died year. مرقد مطهر اعلیحضرت فردوس آشیانی صاحبقران ثانی شاه جهان طاب ثراه سنه 1076 ق) the purified shrine of his majesty resident of paradise the highness Shahjahan the Magnificent rest his soul in peace. year1076 H.G.

Shah Jahan was very interested in Persian inscription and a Persian poet who requested a famous Persian calligrapher to decorate his palace and castles.

Shah Jahan's coins[link]

• 

  Silver rupee(5)

• 

  Silver Rupee(2)

• 

  Silver rupee(3)

• 

  Silver rupee(4)

• 

  Copper Dam

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shah Jahan

• Agra
• Delhi
• Lahore
• Mughal architecture
• Mumtaz Mahal
• Nur Jahan
• Shah Jahan Mosque
• Taj Mahal

Notes[link]

References[link]

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
• Asher, Catherine Ella Blanshard (2003) (Hardback). The New Cambridge History of India, Vol I:4 - Architecture of Mughal India (First published 1992, reprinted 2001,2003 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 368. ISBN 0-521-26728-5. 
• Padshah Nama, a book written by Abdul Hamid Lahori
• Shah Jahan Nama/Amal-i-salih by Inayat Khan/Muhammad Saleh Kamboh
• Nushka i Dilkhusha by Bhimsen
• Bernier, Francois, Travels in the Mogal Empire (1656–68), revised by V.A. Smith, Archibald Constable, Oxford 1934.
• Tavernier, Jean Baptiste, Travels in India, trs. and ed. by V.Ball, 2 Vols. Macmillan, 1889, 1925.
• De Laet, Joannes, The Empire of the Great Mogol, trs. by Hoyland and Banerjee, Bombay 1928.
• Peter Mundy. Travels of Peter Mundy in Asia, ed. Richard Carnac Temple, Hakluyt Society, London 1914.
• Manucci, Niccolao, Storia do Mogor, Eng. trs. by W. Irvine, 4 vols. Hohn Murray, London 1906.
• Manrique, Travels of Frey Sebastian Manrique, trs. by Eckford Luard, 2 Vols. Hakluyt Society, London 1927.
• Lal, K.S. (1988). The Mughal Harem. New Delhi: Aditya Prakashan. ISBN 81-85179-03-4. 
• Begley, W, The Symbolic Role of Calligraphy on Three Imperial Mosques of Shah Jahan, Kaladarsana, 1978, pp. 7 – 18
• Koch, Ebba (Hardback). The Complete Taj Mahal: And the Riverfront Gardens of Agra (First ed.). Thames & Hudson Ltd. pp. 288 pages. ISBN 0500342091. 
• Hunter, William., The Imperial Gazetteer of India.Turbner & Co.: London 1886
• A Handbook to Arga and the Taj by E.B. Havell

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Shah Jahan

• Shah Jehan in Christian Art
• Shah Jahan's 353rd death anniversary observed at Taj Mahal at TwoCircles.net
• History of Islam in India at IndiaNest.com
• A Handbook to Agra and the Taj - Sikandra, Fatehpur-Sikri and the Neighbourhood by E. B. Havel (Project Gutenberg)
• Indian & Mughal History Discussions at History Forum
• 'The Man Of Marble' - Outlook India
• http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?fk_files=55696