alanquins grew out of ‘litter’ and ‘sedan chairs’ as early as inequalities set in among humans. A ‘litter’ is usually carried by people and therefore a type of human-powered transport. Another form, commonly called ‘sedan chair’, consists of a chair or windowed cabin suitable for a single occupant. These porters were known in London as "chairmen." These have been very rare since the 19th century, but such enclosed portable litters have been used as an elite form of transport for centuries, especially in cultures where women are kept secluded. · In pharaonic Egypt  and many oriental realms, the ruler and divinities (in the form of an idol) were often transported thus in public.

A palanquin, also known as palkhi, is a covered sedan chair (or litter) carried on two poles. It derives from the Sanskrit word for a bed or couch, presumably via pallakku, the Tamil word for 'bed, couch'. Palanquins began to fall out of use after rickshaws were introduced in the 1930s.

In Europe, it took four strong chairmen to carry the corpulent Henry VIII of England in his chair, towards the end of his life, but the expression "sedan chair" was not used in print until 1615. It does not seem to take its name from the city of Sedan. The tasteful neoclassical sedan chair made for Queen Charlotte remains at Buckingham Palace. Sedan chairs could pass in streets too narrow for a carriage. By the mid-17th century, sedans for hire were a common mode of transportation. In London, "chairs" were available for hire in 1634, each assigned a number and the chairmen licensed, because the operation was a monopoly of a courtier of Charles I. Sedan chairs were meant to alleviate the crush of coaches in London streets, an early instance of traffic congestion. A trip within a city cost six pence and a day’s rental was four shillings. A sedan was even used as an ambulance in Scotland's Royal Infirmary.  Benjamin Franklin used a sedan chair until late in the 1700s.

During the 17-18th centuries palanquins were very popular among European traders in Bengal, so much so that in 1758 an order was issued prohibiting their purchase by certain lower-ranked employees.

This original Royal Palanquin has reached here from the English soil and still carries the Royal Insignia. During mid 1900s, the Queen was scheduled to visit the “Brahadeeswara Temple’, Tanjore during her visit to the Madras presidency.  It is said to be her child hood dream to see for herself the magic of the steeple shadow not touching the ground. A sudden break out of Plague made the authorities cancel the trip. This Palanquin, a property of the British Empire in India was already transported to carry the queen around the temple.  But the Palanquin was not taken back. It was in the custody of a trustee of the temple for several years until it was sourced, restored and listed in The STEVE BORGIA INDIAN HERITAGE MUSEUM.