Islamic Civilisation in South Asia Dhaka, I6-I8 November 2008
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RESEARCH CENTRE FOR ISLAM lC HISTORY, ART AND CULTURE Proceedings of the International Symposium on Islamic Civilisation in South Asia Dhaka, ı6-ı8 November 2008 İstanbul 2013 1_ IRCICA oıc ı Organi;>ation of Islamic Cooperation IRCICA ı Research Gentre for Islamic History, Art and Culture Yıldız Sarayı, Seyir Köşkü, Barbaros Bulvan Beşiktaş 34349 İstanbul, Türkiye PHONE ı +90 212 259 17 42 FAX ı +90 212 258 4365 ircica. org ircica@ircica. org PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ISLAM lC CIVILISATION IN SOUTH ASlA: DHAKA, 16-18 NOVEMBER 2008 SOURCES AND STUDIES ON THE HISTORY OF ISLAMI C CIVILISATION SERIES ı 29 ©COPYRIGHT ı IRCICA 2013 ISBN 978-92-9063-260-3 CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA International Symposium on Islami c civilisation in South Asia (2008: Dhaka, Bangladesh) Proceedings of the International Symposium on Islamic civilisation in South Asia: Dhaka, 16-18 November 2008 /edited by Halil Eren.- Istanbul: Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture, 2013. 227 p.: co!. ili., plans; 24 cm.- (Sources and studies on the history of Islamic civilisation; no. 29) !ncludes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-92-9063-260-3 1. South Asia--History--Congresses. 2. Civilisation, !slamic-- South Asia--Congresses. I. Eren, Halil, 1953- II. Title. lll. Series. 954--dc22 Orthography, punctuation, methods of emphasis of texts and references were kept as adopted by each auteur. EDITOR ı Dr. Halit Eren PREPARED FOR PUBLICATION BY ı Zeynep Durukal, Cengiz Tomar BOOK DESIGN ı Muhammed Nur Anbarlı muhammednur@grnail. com PRINTING AND BIN D ING ı BiRMAT MATBAACILIK LTD. ŞTI. lOOYIL MATBAACILAR SiTESi 1 CAD NO 131 BAGCILAR 1 ISTANBUL TEL: +90 212 629 05 59-60 Articulations of lslamic Architecture and its Evolutionary Processesin lndia (13th_17th centuries) Mansura Haidar* Turkish ascendancy in India can safely be deseribed as the dawn of a new era in the co n text of the efflorescence of culture whi ch marked the beginning of manifold new aspects in different areas, including the fine arts, particularly in the sp here of architecture. The Turks already had a long history of remarkable contributions to the world of civilization, aesthetics and scholarship testified by an enormous treasure of works of art and learning sprinkled over a large spectrum and leaving a milestone at every junction. The intellectual and cultural regeneration which shone forth or flickered through the ages in various domains of the Turkish world had facilitated the opening of "a new ep o ch in the history of mankind launched by the forces inherent in the Turkish race'~ 1 When the Turks extended their sway over a country like India, a fine amalgamation of two highly developed cultures opened a new chapter of cultural development. A fairly well developed system of architecture already existed in India with all the detailed plans laid out in ancient documents and contemporary encyclopedic literature. After the arrival of the Turks, Indian architecture to ok on a new lease oflife in forms, techniques, style and mo de as well as in the interior decor as a result of singular adoptions, plural adaptations and hybrid manifestations of synthesis and conglomeration of ide as from native sources as well as both the far and near abroad. To be fair to the Turks, they were not, to use a modern term, "Imperialists" who could resort to exploitative tendencies. They reinvested the surplus in the same land which they had adopted in the form of developmental works as well as beautification schemes. New cities were built, highly advanced techniques were adopted to construct new buildings (palaces, forts, caravanserais, public buildings and so on). While India had a highly developed architectural system and their forts, palaces and gardens had won the adıniration of the Turks, the latter offered * Professor, Centre of Advanced Study in ~istory, Aligarh Muslim University, lndia 1 Stephen Ronart, Turkey Taday, London, vol. mcmxxxviii, pp. 33-7. 123 124 J PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ISLAMI C CIVILISATION IN SOUTH ASlA them a totally different pattern of the art of construction. To be sure, the mosques, madrasas, khanqahs, tombs, hamams, chahar baghs ete. were quite new forms of b uildings introduced to India and so were certain equally new architectural features which further added considerably to the long established glamour of Indian architecture. In the present study, an attempt is being made to present an evaluation of the Turkish contribution to the glories of Indian ardliteetme and to highlight the new features introduced by the Turks together with some of the accompanying features with particular reference to the architecture in Bengal If the Islamic architecture of the formative centers in Delhi from the beginning of the ı2th century to the Iate ı5 1 h could be called experimental, discrete and gradual, the rise of the Deccan architecture from the latter period to the second half of the ıih century was phenomenal, profuse, organic and monumental, and well integrated with the populous towns without any corresponding stifling of the indigenous creations. In Bengal, the period from ı4ı4-ı5ı5 known as the Eklakhi period was the most mature phase of architectural creation and a break with the past, which had an amorphous imperial flavor which continued to ı 5 ı 5 when the Mughal imprint on its architecture, though hardly to be compared in its grandeur or individuality with its quondam phases elsewhere, became common. It would, therefore, be invidious to treat the Islamic building mavement in India either as some unconnected series of provincial episodes or as stringent phenomena, but as the natural result of the stages of the domestic organization and integration of their religions, inspired in this most unambiguously by the several thousands of saints, scholars and pious clergy that thronged not only the courts of the various kings but also the metropolises and marts, seeking to enliven the cultural scene with the pursuit of their academic, religious, literary, cultural and spiritual aspirations and expertise. The Islamic architecture was directed into its natural evolutionary developmental groove, forming what was perhaps the most comprehensive and satisfying stage of Islamic art. A wholesale indigenous flavor is to be noticed in building and omamental style 'all over India, including Bengal. "New elements were introduced in the architectural craft and Bengal also contributed many novel motifs and usages''.l Quite understandably, the prime need of the new entrants was a mosque where the 'faithful' could pray. Congregational prayers formed an important component of the Islamic concept of worship and the fulfillment of its 2 K. V. Soundara Rajan, Islam Bui/ds in lndia, Del hi 1983, pp. 23, 24, 118, 166, 170,178-179,186-187, 194; Daljeet & Jain, Monuments oflndia, New Del hi 2000, p. 280. ARTICULATIONS OF ISLAMI C ARCHITECTURE AND !TS EVOLUTIONARY PROCESSESIN INDIA 1 125 basic principles of equality and fraternity while respect for other religious susceptibilities and traditions was als o an equally important ingredient of this faith. But the medieval mind had its own limitations and peculiar nations. The construction of the mosque had to be urgently accomplished and this was done within two years of Qutbuddin Aibak's conquest. It is alleged that the material used was brought from temples desecrated without any respect forthemas holy places and conveniently setting aside and ignoring ecclesiastical norms and Islamic dictums. During the process, they acted with the same ease and fervor with which the mosque in Damascus was later demolished by Timur's soldiers for a different purpose. It is said that the mosque constructed by Qutbuddin Aibek on the plinth of a temple had all the columns, shafts, capitals, and other material acquired from the demolished temples. The southern colonnades at the Quwwatul Islam mosque, the Garuda figures, the sinuous tendrils, rounded lotus buds ete. are purely ethnic in depiction. This mosque is generally referred to by the writers as Quwwatul Islam though in all probabilitythe name must have been given as 'Qubbatul Islam' (ie the abode or centre oflslam), which seems to be more meaningful than Quwwatul Islam (lit. meaning, the might or power of Islam). There were several mosques constructed later as well as during the early medieval period. Some of the mosques, like Iltutmish's Badayun mosque and Balban's Jalali mosque, have been renovated so many times that their original form is hard to imagine. The Ukha temple, though for same time converted into a mosque, was again transformed into its original form of a temple. Firuz Tughlaq's mosque was so large that it could accommodate a cangregation of same 1,ooo people. Babur's mosque was simple and utilitarian in design. Like other buildings of the age, Shahjahan's Jami mosque at Delhi Shahjahanbad is built on a raised platform with three beautiful white domes on the roof and large piers supporting the namazgah, presenting 'pleasing proportions' that were missing in other mosques. In the Agra Fort, the Moti Masjid was also built of marble by order of Shahjahan, as was the small marb le mosque built by Aurangzeb in the Delhi fort, but both were less attractive architecturally than the Shahjahanabad mosque.3 Soundar Rajan rightly commented that "If the Islami c architecture of the formative centers in Delhi from the beginning of the 121h century to the late 15 1h could be called experimental, discrete and gradual, the rise of the Deccan architecture from the latter period to the second half of the 1ih century was phenomenal, profuse, organic and monumental, well integrated with the populous towns and without any corresponding stifling of the indigenous creations. In Bengal the period from 1414-1515 known 3 A. A. Rizvi,"Muslim lndia'; The World ofis/am, ed.