Compiled By Rai Farhatullah Dated: April 16, 2018
Contents
Mughal Architecture ..................................................................................................................................3
Introduction of Greater Mughals.............................................................................................................. 4
Babur, the first Mughal Emperor (1526-1530)..................................................................................... 4
Humayun, the second Mughal Emperor (1530-1540 & 1555-1556) ................................................... 4
Akbar The Great (1556-1605)................................................................................................................ 4
Nur-ud-din Jahangir (The age of Mughal Splendor 1605-1627) ........................................................ 5
Shah Jahan, The Architect King (1628-1658) ...................................................................................... 5
Aurangzeb Alamgir (1658-1707)............................................................................................................ 5
Early Mughal architecture......................................................................................................................... 6
Mughal architecture during Akbar`s reign.............................................................................................. 6
Mughal architecture during Jahangir`s reign...................................................................................... 6
Mughal architecture during Shahjahan`s reign....................................................................................... 6
Later Mughal Architecture ........................................................................................................................ 7
Characteristics of Mughal architecture .................................................................................................... 7
Variety of buildings: ............................................................................................................................... 7
Synthesis of Persian and Indian style:................................................................................................... 7
Specific characteristic:............................................................................................................................ 7
Costly decorations:.................................................................................................................................. 7
Building material:................................................................................................................................... 7
Mughal
Architecture
A
characteristic Indo-Islamic-Persian style that flourished on the Indian
subcontinent during the Mughal Empire
(1526–1857). This new style combined elements of Islamic art and architecture, which had been introduced to India during the
Delhi Sultanate (1192–1398) and had produced
great monuments such as the Qutb Minar, with features of Persian art and
architecture. Mughal monuments are found
chiefly in N India, but there are also many remains in Pakistan.
Abstract decoration of the surface is an important factor in every work of Islamic art and architecture, whether large or small. Curving and often interlaced lines, of which the arabesque is a typical example and the use of brilliant colors characterize almost all of the finest productions, which are of greatly varied styles. Islamic art eschews the realistic representation of human beings and animals, and its floral designs are extremely distant from their original models. While the prohibition against depicting living forms is not contained in the Qur’an, it is widely thought that the non-representational character of Islamic ornament has its source in the traditional theological prohibition against imitating God’s works.
Scrolling
vines and flowers, jewels, and crowns in greens, blues, and gold adorn Mughal
buildings.
For
the Mughal emperors, a tomb was an opportunity to pay tribute to the dead,
observe their religious responsibilities
and broadcast their magnificence. The tombs of Humayun and Akbar were also grand architectural experiments
Shah
Jahan, who ruled from 1628 to 1657, is best remembered for building the
splendid Taj Mahal, which has become a
symbol of India the way the Eiffel Tower symbolizes France or the pyramids represent Egypt. This was the tomb of his
beloved wife, who died giving birth to her seventh child. The walls of the dazzlingly beautiful marble
monument are incised with calligraphy and inlaid with flowers made of lapis lazuli, green
jade, carnelian and other semi-precious stones. Floral design was popular at the time of Shah
Jahan´s reign; artists and craftspeople used it in architecture, on textiles, on metalwork such as enamelled
gold, and on the borders of paintings.
Introduction
of Greater Mughals
The
House of Timur moved to India: Babur established the Timurid Dynasty in India
in 1526 which is known as the Mughal
empire (1526-1857). Babur was sixth in descent from Timur, while his mother was a descendant of Chengiz Khan.
The first six Mughal Emperors from Babur to
Aurangzeb are known as the great Mughals. This was the time period when
Mughal Empire reaced to its full peak
and so did Mughal architecture. Some information about the greater Mughals is
as follow
Babur, the first Mughal Emperor
(1526-1530)
The
founder of the Mughal dynasty was Babar, "The Tiger," who ruled from
1526 to 1530. Babar was not fully a
Mongol: his mother was descended from Genghis Khan, but his father was descended from Timur. He ruled over a small
kingdom in Turkestan; he expanded his kingdom by attacking Afghanistan and India in 1504 A.D.
When he died in 1530 he had conquered all of
Hindustan and controlled an empire that extended from the Deccan to
Turkestan.
Since
Babar was aggressively expanding his territory he did not concentrate on
constructing buildings of architectural
value but he paved the way for an empire famous for its architecture.
Humayun, the second Mughal Emperor (1530-1540
& 1555-1556) Babar was succeeded by
his son, Humayun, who was 23 years old. Humayun's tenure is marked by aggressive fighting throughout his life-
from losing the entire empire to recon quest he was busy in the fighting. However, had a profound
influence on Mughal culture? In his years of exile in the Persian court, Humayun developed a
deep understanding and love for Persian culture, and instilled that in his son Akbar. After his
and his son's recon quest of India, the culture that they built around themselves was based heavily on
Persian models: philosophy, literature, painting, and architecture, all show deeply embedded
Persian models.
Akbar
The Great (1556-1605)
Akbar
was born in November 1542 and was a little more than 13, when he ascended the
throne on Feb, 14 1556. He ruled India
till his death on Oct 27, 1605. During Akbar's reign (and to a much greater extent during the reign of Jahangir),
trade activities were further facilitated by the construction of numerous caravanserais (inns)
and hospitals along the Grand Trunk Road,
especially in Punjab.
Under
Akbar, Persian artists directed an academy of local painters. The drawings,
costumes, and ornamentation of
illuminated manuscripts by the end of the 16th cent. Illustrate the influence
of Indian tastes and manners in the
bright coloring and detailed landscape backgrounds. Modeling and perspective also began to be adapted from
Western pictures. Basawan, Lal, and Daswanth
were Akbar’s most famous painters.
This
tradition translated into beautiful artwork on buildings built by later
Mughals.
Nur-ud-din Jahangir (The age of Mughal
Splendor 1605-1627)
Jahangir
ascended the throne on Nov 3, 1605 and ruled India till his death on Oct 28,
1627. Jahangir seems to have inherited
the attitude of the older Akbar, for he lavishly patronized the arts: painting, architecture, philosophy, and
literature, while ignoring military conquest. The period of Jahangir's tenure as Emperor is considered
the richest period of Mughal culture; Indian, Muslim, and Western scholars have named this period,
the age of Mughal splendor.
Jahangir
favored paintings of events from his own life rather than illustrated fiction.
He encouraged portraiture and scientific
studies of birds, flowers, and animals, which were collected in albums. Mansur and Manohar were among his famous
painters. Jahangir, who resided at Lahore, built less than his predecessors but effected the
significant change from sandstone to marble in his monuments of architecture.
Shah Jahan, The Architect King
(1628-1658)
The
reign of Shah Jahan, who formally ascended the throne on Feb 6, 1628 is
considered the period of the greatest
splendor of the Greatest Mughals. The empire enjoyed a great measure of
internal peace and the emperor had ample
leisure to satisfy his taste for cultural pursuits and the Mughal armies could attend the expansion of the
empire. It was Shah Jahan who perfected Mughal
architecture. Shah Jahan began a series of incredible, resplendent, and
monumental architectural projects in
Dehli. The city itself was surrounded by sixty foot walls. In the middle of the
city he built a magnificent palace for
himself itself contained within the Red Fort (so called because it was made of red sandstone), which housed the
palace as well as all the buildings associated with imperial administration. He built for himself
an extravagant throne, the Peacock Throne, all in gold and covered in rare jewels. Western
historians estimate that the throne was built at an expense of over five million dollars. In 1739, the
Afghani conqueror of Persia, invaded Hindustan, burned down Shah Jahan's palace and seized the
Peacock Throne for himself—it has remained in Iran ever since.
Shah
Jahan's most famous building project, however, was the Taj Mahal in Agra. When
his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal
("Ornament of the Palace"), died at the age of 39 while giving birth
to her seventh child in 1631, the
grief-stricken emperor set about building for her the most lavish tomb he could manage. Combining both Persian and
Indian architectural styles, the tomb and the
grounds are meant to bring into reality the Muslim idea of Paradise. The
Taj Mahal took over twenty years to
build and demanded the labor of over twenty thousand men.
Aurangzeb Alamgir (1658-1707)
Aurangzeb,
the third son of Shah Jahan, was born on Oct 24, 1618. He firstly ascended the
throne on 21st July, 1658, and then on
5th June 1659. He was industrious far seeing and thorough. Under the orthodox Aurangzeb (1658–1707) the
decline of the arts began, although his ornate Pearl Mosque (1662) at Delhi is worthy of mention.
During his reign the Mughal academy was
dispersed. Many artists then joined Rajput courts, where their influence
on Hindu painting is clearly evident.
Famous Badshahi Mosque is also built by Aurangzeb which had the largest
praying area in the world till the
construction of Faisal Mosque in Islamabad in late twentieth century.
Early Mughal architecture
Mughal
architecture came into prominence and gained reputation with the rule of Babur
who was the first Mughal emperor in
India in 1526. Babur`s victory over Ibrahim Lodi, initiated the erection of a mosque at Panipat succeeded by another
called the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya. The Maqbara
in Vadodara is an example of the early Mughal architecture. Early Mughal
architecture relied on post-and-beam
construction and scarcely used arches. Some great forts and palaces of the
early Mughal period can be traced in the
reign of Akbar (1556-1605) in Agra Mausoleum to Humayun is another important signifier of the early
architecture of the Mughals.
Mughal architecture during Akbar`s reign
Mughal
architecture gained prominence during the rule of Akbar. He built massively and
the style was unique. Most of Akbar`s
buildings are in red sandstone, exempted at times through marble inlay. Fatehpur Sikri which is located 26
miles west of Agra. Mausoleum gra, was constructed in the late 1500s and bears the testimony to the
era of his royal heritage. In Gujarat and many other places we find the presence of a style, which
is a blend of Muslim and Hindu characteristic features of architecture. The great mosque is one such
epitome of architectural brilliance unmatched in elegance and splendour. The south gateway is
well known, excelling any similar entrance in India in its size and structure. The Tomb of
Akbar`s father Humayun, Akbar`s tomb at Sikandra are some such finest work of architectural
magnificence which highlights the Mughal architecture prototypes. The tomb placed in a garden at
Delhi, has an intricate ground plan with central octagonal chambers, which is joined by an
elegantly facade archway, surmounted by cupolas, kiosks.
Mughal architecture during Jahangir`s
reign
During
the reign of Jahangir from 1605- 1627, the decline in the Hindu influence on
Mughal architecture was witnessed. His
style was Persian like his great mosque at Lahore, which is covered Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulawith enamelled tiles.
Akbar`s mausoleum was built during his rule.
"Verinag" and "Chashma-Shahi" are gardens built by
Jahangir beautifully around spring. The tomb
of Itimad-ud-Daula completed in 1628, was built entirely of white marble
and covered wholly by pietra dura
mosaic. The Shalimar Gardens and other pavillions on the shore of Kashmir`s Dal
lake was also built by him. The Shalimar
garden is also his creation that is distinguished by a series of pavilions on carved pillars, surrounded by
pools with seats which can be reached by stepping stones. Jahangir was responsible for the
development of the Mughal garden. Jahangir`s own tomb have no dome, minarets and ornamentation are
only evident. The extensive use of white marble as a material and inlay as a decorative motif
were the two major innovations that were introduced by the Mughals.
Mughal architecture during Shahjahan`s
reign
Mughal
architecture reached its perfection in the construction of Jama Masjid of Delhi
during the rule of Shah Jahan. Humayun`s
tomb was the first of the tombs, which continued the saga of the succession of tombs out of which the Taj
Mahal is a magnificent piece of art. The Red Fort contains the imperial Mughal Palace, which is situated
in Delhi. Marble was used for the constructions. In the palace fort of Agra, Shah Jahan replaced
old structures along as well as built a couple of new ones. An inlay of black marbles was used for
the re-building of The Diwan-I-Am. The Moti Masjid is another beautiful creation which was built
during his rule. The Pearl Mosque of Agra is
reminiscent of the style that was eminent in Mughal era. Shah Jahan
built a new capital, Shahjahanabad, with
its magnificent Red Fort. The Hall of Public Audience, in the fort
contains the Peacock Throne, which
consists of jewels and precious metals and stones. It took ten years to build the city. It has three mosques that
have survived the ravages of time.
Later Mughal Architecture
Art
and architecture took a backseat during Aurangazeb`s rule. As he wanted to
overpower Hinduism, he made the Great
Mosque towering over the Hindu holy city of Benaras.
A standard mosque form was developed in his reign where the eminence of three domes over the sanctuary in conjunction with a raised central arch and engaged minarets could be seen. The Moti Masjid or the Pearl Mosque was built by Aurangzeb in the Red Fort at Delhi incorporated a three domed sanctuary with a raised central arch and mini-domed pillars projecting out of the roof to resemble minarets.
Aurangazeb`s
was more concerned seems to be for garden architecture than construction
of palaces. Fatehbad district near Agra
is one of the most impressive of these gardens.
Characteristics
of Mughal architecture
Main
features of Mughal Architecture are as follow:
Variety of buildings:
The
Mughal rulers built magnificent gates, forts, mausoleums, mosques, palaces,
public buildings and tombs etc.
Synthesis of Persian and Indian style:
The
specimens of architecture created under the Mughals have become the common
heritage of both the Hindus and the
Muslims. It is a happy blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture.
Specific characteristic:
A
common characteristic of the Mughal buildings is “the pronounced domes, the
slender turrets at the corners, the
palace halls supported on pillars and the broad/gateways.”
Costly decorations:
The
Mughal emperors in general but Shah Jahan in particular decorated his buildings
with costly articles. One of the
important distinguishing features of the Mughal buildings is their ornamentation as compared with the simple
buildings of the previous Muslim rulers of India.
Building material:
During
the Mughal period, buildings were constructed mostly of red sandstone and white
marble.
The features of Mughal architecture included a Perfect or bilateral symmetry, red sandstone with white marble inlays, later pure white marble surfaces, geometric ornament, domes which are slightly pointed instead of hemispherical ones and garden surroundings are the features of Mughal architecture. In addition to the fine-cut stone masonry used for facades, rough rubble stone construction was used for the majority of walls. For the construction of domes and arches baked brick was used that was covered with plaster or facing stones. The design of gardens is one of the most important aspects of Mughal architecture which provided the setting for tombs and palaces and also helped for relaxation.
Buildings
were decorated with ceramic tile work, pietra dura inlay with coloured and semi
precious stones, carved and inlaid stonework. Carved stonework is another
interesting feature in the Mughal
architecture, ranging from shallow relief depictions of flowers to intricate
pierced marble screens known as jalis.
There
is the existence of various influences of the Persian and Hindu architecture in
the Mughal architecture. Shallow arches
made out of corbels rather than voussoirs and richly ornamented carved piers and columns are some typical
features of Hindu architecture that have been
incorporated in the Mughal architecture. Other constructions like the
chhatris- a domed kiosk resting on
pillars, chajjas and jarokhas- a projecting balcony supported on corbels with a
hood resting on columns became a part of
the Mughal characteristics. Extensive use of tile work, the iwan as a central feature in mosques, the garden,
divided into four and the four-centre point arch and the use of domes are the features
borrowed from the Persian architecture.
The
Mughal Architecture can be termed as the Indo-Islamic architecture. Hindu
architecture was modified and elements
of spaciousness, immensity and extent were incorporated by the Mughal architecture. The kalash on top of the Hindu
temple was borrowed and replaced by a dome.
Exquisite monuments like the Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Alai Darwaza,
Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, Vitthala temple,
Tughlaqabad Fort, Kirti Stambha, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort, Red Fort have glorified India.
The
entire Mughal architecture is an excellent combination of various local and
foreign characteristics, which
associates it universally with many distinct forms of architecture. These are also a source of inspiration to many other
forms of architecture with different cultural background.
References
∙
Saraswati, S. K., and A. Goswami. Glimpses of Mughal Architecture. Publisher
Not Identified, 1953.
∙
Koch, Ebba. Mughal Architecture: an Outline of Its History and Development,
1526-1858. Primus Books, 2014.
∙
www.storyofpakistan.com
∙
www.pbs.org/treasureoftheworld/
∙
www.factmonster.com
∙
http://www.tourism.egnet.net
∙
www.waxvisual.com/mughal.html/
∙
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mughal_emperors
Post a Comment