Within the Agra Fort complex lies the Diwan-i Am, the Hall of Public Audience, where the emperor would meet his subjects and hear petitions. Built by Shah Jahan around the early 1630s, the hall is a large space with three aisles of columns and a raised platform behind which the ruler sat, observing court-rituals and listening to the populace. The structure was originally made of red sandstone and later covered with a white plaster to create a marble-like effect. It symbolized the emperor’s role as both sovereign and judge of his realm.