| Bridge Name: | Shahi Bridge |
| Official Name: | Akbari Bridge |
| Crosses: | Gomti River |
| Locale: | Jaunpur |
| Maint: | Directorate of Archaeology, (U.P.) UP-PWD UP Bridge corporation |
| Designer: | Afzal Ali |
| Design: | Arch bridge |
| Begin: | 1564 |
| Complete: | 1567 |
| Open: | 1567 |
| Heritage: | 1978 |
| Collapsed: | 1934 (partial i.e. ⅓) |
| Preceded: | Boat Bridge of Sharki's |
| Followed: | Sadbhavana Bridge |
| Toll: | free |
| Coordinates: | 25.7487°N 82.6847°W |
Shahi Bridge or Munim Khan's Bridge or Akbari Bridge or Mughal Bridge or Jaunpur Bridge is a 16th-century bridge over river Gomti in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. The Shahi Bridge is located north of Jaunpur Railway station, northwest of Zafarābād, north-northeast of Mariāhū and west-northwest of the town of Kirākat.[1]
Mughal Emperor Akbar ordered the construction of the Shahi Bridge, which was completed in the year 1568–69 by Munim Khan.[2] It took four years to complete the bridge.[3] It was designed by Afghan architect Afzal Ali.[4]
The bridge was severely damaged in the 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake. Seven of its arches had to be rebuilt. In addition to its historical significance, the bridge is still in use.[5] The bridge consists of 28 colourful chattris, which presently operates as makeshift shops.[6]
The bridge is on the Protection & Conservation list of Directorate of Archaeology, (U.P.) since 1978.[7] The bridge is generally recognised as Jaunpur's most significant Mughal structure.
A new bridge parallel to Shahi Bridge was opened on 28 November, 2006 by the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav.[8] [9]
William Hodges in his book 'Select Views in India' mentions about bridge:[10]
"The inundations have been frequently known to rise even over the bridge in so much that in the year 1774 a whole brigade of the British forces was passed over it in boats."
Rudyard Kipling's poem Akbar's Bridge mentions this bridge. [11]