TUGLAQ DYNASTY (1320-TUGLAQ DYNASTY (1320-1413)1413)

The rulers of the Tughlaq Dynasty undertook considerable construction activities, including building three of the seven ancient cities of Delhi.

Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (1320-1325 AD) built Tughlaqabad, the third city of Delhi, in 1321-23 AD.

Feroz Shah Tughlaq (1351-1388 AD) was undoubtedly the greatest builder among all the rulers of the Tughlaq dynasty.

He built Ferozabad, Delhis fifth city, in 1354 AD. The famous Firoz Shah Kotla ground is the only remnant of its past glory.

Feroz Shah Tughlaq is also credited with founding the fortified cities of Jaunpur, Fathabad and Hissar.

Architectural style and innovationsArchitectural style and innovations

Followed the militaristic style of Ghias-ud-din Followed the militaristic style of Ghias-ud-din Vertical walls with tapering circular quoins Vertical walls with tapering circular quoins

- at the corners- at the corners

- in the rear wall of the maqsura - in the rear wall of the maqsura

- at the entrance points- at the entrance points

Massive buttressed pylon like structure with arches in the Massive buttressed pylon like structure with arches in the middle of the maqsura façademiddle of the maqsura façade

Tughluqabad is divided into three parts;1) the wider city area with houses built along a rectangular grid between its gates2) the citadel with a tower at its highest point known as Bijai-Mandal and the remains of several halls and a long underground passage3) the adjacent palace area containing the royal residences.

Today most of the city is inaccessible due to dense thorny vegetation. An ever increasing part of the former city area is occupied by modern settlement, especially in the vicinity of its lakes.

South of Tughluqabad was a vast artificial water reservoir within the fortified outpost of Ghiyas ud-Din Tughluq's Tomb. This well preserved mausoleum remains connected to the fort by an elevated causeway that still stands today.

TughlaqabadTughlaqabad

a ruined fort in Delhi, stretching across 6.5 km, built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, the founder of Tughlaq dynasty, of the Delhi Sultanate of India in 1321, as he established the fifth historic city of Delhi, which was later abandoned in 1327

Tughlaqabad FortTughlaqabad Fort

consists of remarkable, massive stone fortifications that surround the irregular ground plan of the city.

The sloping rubble-filled city walls, a typical feature of monuments of the Tughluq dynasty, are between 10 and 15 meters high, topped by battlemented parapets and strengthened by circular bastions of up to two stories height.

The city is supposed to once have had as many as 52 gates of which only 13 remain today. The fortified city contained seven rainwater tanks.

Tomb of Giyas ud-din Tomb of Giyas ud-din TughlaqTughlaq

The Tomb of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, built of red sandstone, is an irregular pentagon in its exterior plan and its design is of the pointed or "Tartar" shape and is crowned by a finial resembling the kalasa of a Hindu temple. Walls made an angle of 75degree with ground (multan influence)Plan based on the contours of the siteTomb is connected to the fortress by a 250 yards (228.6m) bridge, built over what at one time would have been a sheet of water, today dry landSquare tomb – 61 ft side & Height – 80 ft

Tomb of Giyas ud-din Tomb of Giyas ud-din TughlaqTughlaq

Arch and lintel construction – mixed attitude of the hindu builders to arched and lintel and beam method

True arch + redundant stone lintel installed just below the springing of the arch

This compromise became an elegant device thereafter.

Firoz Shah TuglaqFiroz Shah Tuglaq

His construction works were of a unique simple style characterised by the use of inexpensive materials.

The medieval rulers, who were used to the convenience of choosing new locations for starting new constructions, rarely adopted restoration of previous buildings. It was only Feroze Shah Tughlaq who took up large-scale restoration works and repaired hundreds of monuments, including the Qutub Minar which was damaged by lightening in 1369 AD.

The Kali Masjid (c.1370 AD), the Khirki Masjid (c.1375 AD) and the Kalan Masjid (c.1375 AD) also belong to this period, the last two being raised on a tahkhana or substructure of arches.

Known as the prince of builders- 1200 gardens, 200 towns, 40 mosques, 30 villages, 30 reservoirs, 50 dams, 100 hospitals and 150 bridges.

New capital city- Firuz Shah Kotla-A prototype for the Mughal palace cities

Feroz Shah Feroz Shah KotlaKotla

A fortress built by Sultan Feroz Shah Tughlaq to house his version of Delhi city called Ferozabad, which was established in 1354 on the banks of Yamuna river.

A pristine polished sandstone pillar, 13.1 metres high, from the 3rd century B.C. rises from the palace's crumbling remains, one of many pillars left by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka; it was moved from Ambala, Punjab (currently in Haryana) and re-erected in its current location in 1356.

It stands on the uppermost section of a three-tiered arcaded palace pavilion located near the main royal residences and congregational mosque at the heart of the fortified area.

West gateway to the ancient city of Firozabad (now on the outskirts of New Delhi)

Ashoka pillar

Citadel of Firoz shah kotla is 800 m X 400mConsists of private palaces, mosques, harems of royal court, gardens, baths, tanks, barracks, armory, servant quarters E River Yamuna Diwani khas Diwan-i-am Main entrance is in the western side Three tiered structureEvery platform is set back from the preceding one to create terraces in front of a series of compartmentsInspiration - terraced Buddhist viharas Inhabited by the concubines of the King

-pseudo militaristicstyle of Ghiyas-ud-din

Khirki MasjidKhirki Masjid

Approached from the Khirki village in South Delhi and close to the Satpula or the seven arched bridge on the edge of southern wall of Jahapanah (the fourth city of Medieval Delhi)

Built by Khan-i-Jahan Junan Shah, the Prime Minister of Feroz Shah Tughlaq (1351–1388)

The word 'Khirki' prefixed to masjid is an Urdu word that means "window" and hence is also called "The Masjid of Windows

West gateway to the ancient city of Firozabad (now on the outskirts of New Delhi)

Khirki Masjid belongs to the Indo-Islamic style of architecture - a distinctive blend of Islamic as well as traditional Hindu style of architecture

The presence of a number of domes on the roof covering the mosque and the latticework (jali) on the windows are suggestive of the Islamic style of architecture.

The pillars and brackets within this structure show local Hindu influence.

It is said to be the only mosque in North India, which is mostly covered; the totally covered mosque of the Sultanate period is, however, in South India at Gulbarga in North Karnataka

The mosque, which is built with rubble masonry covered externally with plaster, has majestic steps leading up to it.

Roof of the mosque

The Mosque has a 52 m (170.6 ft)x52 m (170.6 ft) square plan in an area of 87 m2 (936.5 sq ft). It is raised on a plinth of 3 m (9.8 ft). There are four open courtyards (square in size of 9.14 m (30.0 ft) on each side) encircled by arcades built with 180 square structural columns and 60 pilasters, which run in north–south direction and divides into aisles. The open courtyards are the source of light and ventilation to the internal prayer spaces. The roof is partitioned into 25 squares of equal size with 9 small domes in each square (totaling to 81 domes) and alternated by 12 flat roofs to cover the roof. There are four open courts. This internal layout gives a spectacular view. Sunlight streams in through these square openings.

Southern entrance

The four corners of the mosque are adorned with towers with three protruding gateways, one in the middle of each face, with tapering turrets flanking each gate.

The southern gate, with imposing steps at the main entrance, exhibits a combination of arch and trabeated construction. It has an ornamental rectilinear frame.

The turrets flanking the southern and northern gates are circular in shape; the articulation on these gives them a three storied appearance.

Khirkis on the second floor

The main gate, which leads to the qibla on the western wall, has a projecting mihrab. Above the vaulted first floor cells, arch windows (carved out of stone guard) with perforated screens or jalis or tracery, known as "Khirkis"", are seen on the second floor.

However,the foyer in front of the mihrab is not well lighted since light from the latticed windows on the second floor do not penetrate this space.

The approach to the roof of the mosque is from the east gate, and the view from the roof leaves a lasting impression of the geometrical design of the Mosque.

Rubble masonry construction

The symmetrically designed admirable mosque is considered as one of “the finest architectural compositions of the Sultanate history.”

Style as a response to Indian climatic conditions-seen in Khirki MasjidA part of the courtyard was covered using domed and flat roof.4 symmetrical open to sky courtyard for light and ventilationComfortable praying conditions were createdCompartmentalization created psychological difficulties

End of Tughlaq’s rule was marked with the invasion of Mongols

Other provinces like Bengal, Jaunpur, Gujarat and Malwa declared themselves as independent

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