2. Give a Brief Outline of the Mughal Architecture

1 2. Give a brief outline of the Mughal Architecture. Ans: With the advent of the Mughals the Indian Architecture entered a new phase. During the Mughals, Indian architecture was greatly influenced by Persian styles. The Mughal buildings show a uniform pattern both in structure and character. The main characteristic features of Mughal architecture are the bulbous domes, the slender minarets with cupolas at the four corners, large halls, massive vaulted gateways and delicate ornamentation. The few mosques and palaces built by Babar and Humayun are not of much architectural significance. Buildings of Akbar: The Mughal architecture reached maturity under Akbar; in fact he was the first Mughal ruler who had the time and means to undertake construction on large scale. He built a series of forts, the most famous of which is the fort of Agra, built in red sand stone with massive magnificent gates. Within the fort Akbar built “Jahangir mahal”, “Akbar mahal” etc. Notable that Jahangir mahal reflects the Hindu design and workmanship. Its roofs are flat and arches have been avoided as far as possible. But probably his most outstanding architectural creation was the construction of “Fatehpur Sikri”, 36 kilometres away from Agra. This fort was built atop a hill, along with a large artificial lake and it included many buildings in the style of Gujarat and Bengal. Here he built “Buland Darwaja” measuring 176 feet high from the level of ground, to commemorate his victory in the Gujarat. Some of the monuments here are- “tomb of Salim Chisti” with white marble and Quranic spell on the wall, five storied “Panch mahal”, “Pallace of Jodha Bai”, “Ibadat Khana”, “Pachisi court”, “Hiran Minar” etc. Buildings of Jahangir: The number of edifices erected by Jahangir was rather small as he focussed more on paintings and other forms of art. Some his noteworthy monuments were – “Akbars tomb in Sikandra”, his “own tomb at Lahore”, “Shalimar Bag” in Kashmir, “Moti Majiid” at Lahore. Among these the “tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah”, built by Nur Jahan was the magnificient one. This building made of entirely white marble is decorated with “pietar dura” work in semi-precious stone. Buildings of Shahjahqan: Mughal architecture reached its zenith during the reign of the emperor ShahJahān (1628–58), its crowning achievement being the magnificent “Taj Mahal”. This period is marked by a fresh emergence in India of Persian features that had been seen earlier in the tomb of Humāyūn. The use of the double dome, a recessed archway inside a rectangular fronton, and park like surroundings are all typical of the Shah Jahān period. Symmetry and balance between the parts of a building were always stressed, while the delicacy of detail in Shah Jahān decorative work has seldom been surpassed. White marble was a favoured building material. After 2 the Taj Mahal, the second major undertaking of Shah Jahān’s reign was the palace-fortress at Delhi called “Red fort”, begun in 1638. Among its notable buildings are the red-sandstone-pillared “Diwan-i-ʿAm” (“Hall of Public Audience”) and the so-called “Diwan-i-Khas” (“Hall of Private Audience”), which housed the famous “Peacock Throne”. Outside the citadel is the impressive Great Mosque (1650–56; Jami Masjid), which sits on a raised foundation, is approached by a majestic flight of steps, and has an immense courtyard in front. 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. From the reign of Aurangzeb the Mughal architecture tradition could not move forward for he was economic minded and most importantly possessed religious orthodoxy and during the times of later Mughals’ it gradually reached the point of stagnation. .

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