The howdah went from an Arabic camel litter to an Indian elephant throne — Mughal emperors rode in howdahs of gold while British hunters used them as armored tiger-hunting platforms.
A seat or covered pavilion mounted on the back of an elephant, used for riding.
From Urdu and Hindi हौदा/ہودہ (haudā), from Arabic هودج (hawdaj), meaning a litter or seat carried on a camel or elephant. Key roots: هودج (hawdaj) (Arabic: "camel litter, covered sedan").
The howdah evolved from the Arabic camel litter into something far grander on Indian elephants. Mughal emperors used elaborately decorated howdahs of gold and silver for ceremonial processions, while hunting howdahs were more practical armored platforms from which tiger hunts were conducted. The British Raj adopted the howdah with enthusiasm, and the howdah pistol — a massive-caliber handgun designed