MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE DURING THE REIGN OF AKBAR

(1556-1605)

SUBMITTED BY :NEHA SINGHI

SAHIL AHMED SHOMA DUTTA

About AKBAR • Babur’s Grandson• Akbar took throne at age 13• Realized India had diverse population, which could lead to breakdown of

empire he did everything he could to win people’s loyalty• Akbar married daughter of local noble to win noble’s support• Brought sons of other nobles to live at court• Did not hesitate to fight to prevent rebellion• 1605, Akbar died; at time, Mughals ruled most of north India, much of

interior

INTRODUCTION • Mughal Architecture was the combination of the Hindu and Muslim style

of Architecture. • The employment of Hindu masons and architects who unconsciously

introduced in the Muslim buildings their own ideas of art.• Akbar had his own conception of architecture and planned many

buildings, such as palaces, mosques, tombs and forts. • Hindu temples at Vrindaban show clearly that certain of their features are

borrowed from the contemporary style of the Mughals.• Decorative carving was an important feature of Mughal architecture.

IMPORTANT MONUMENTS DURING HIS REIGN

LAHORE FORT

FATEHPUR SIKRI

ALLAHBAD FORT

AGRA FORT

Lahore FortLocation: Pakistan Architectural Style: Akbari Architecture

The trapezoidal composition is spread over 20 hectares.

1. Alamgiri gate on west. It faces badshaji mosque and opens at hazuri bagh. It is presently used as the main entrance.

2. Masjadi gate it was built by Akbar and was the original entrance to the fort.

Jahangir Quadrangle (a square or rectangular space or courtyard enclosed by buildings) is the largest of all quads . It was begun by Akbar and completed by Jahangir.

Shish mahal :• Mosaic of glass as

decoration • 12 marble pillars with

2 sets of attached marble column

• To its east is paien bagh for ladies

Diwan-e-aam: • Hall of public audience.• On north of char bag

garden

Diwan- e-khas :• Built for Saha Jahan.• Built by chaste white

marble

Naulakha pavilion:• Attributed to shah jahan • Built entirely of marble.• Its remarkable for its deep

curving roof in Bengali tradition.

Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri Live Map• Entrance (Diwani-i-Amnm)• Diwani-i-khas• Daulat khana• Panch Mahal• Anup Talao• House of the turkish sultana• House of Miram• Palace of Jodha Bai• Garden• House of Birbal

Diwan- I- Amm• The mughal fusion of hindu and

muslim architectural styles was embodied in spacious courtyards, wide palaces and open pavilions, quarried from the local sandstone and cooled by numerous water channels, ponds.

Diwani- I- khas• It is also known as ceremonial

platform.• It is two-storey square building

with a balcony supported on heavy corbels above which is a chajja also supported on heavy corbels.

Daulat Khana and Astrologer’s seat• Daluat Khana means “treasury”.

Daulat Kana is one of the monuments of Fatehpur Sikri.

• The Daulat Khana was Akbar’s private quarters.

Panch Mahal• It is a rectangular colonnaded

structure open on all sides and built from local red sandstone.

Anup Talao• The Anup Talo was also known

was the “peerless pool”.• It was completed in 1576 on a

wide platform (chabutara)to the north of the Khwabgah in the Mahal-I- Khass courtyard.

House of the Miriam• The Anup Talao is placed in the

centre of its own courtyard built in ared sandstone building known as Sonahra Makan on account of its rich interior murals.

Birbal’s House• The building is also known as

“Birbal’s Palace” and may have once formed part of the haram sara, with its own covered and screened passage.

Palace of Jodha Bai• The Jodha Bai’s palace was one of the

polular names of the haram sara.• The haram sara is a double storied

structure composed of rooms arranged around a big open-air courtyard. It is rectangularin plan which measures 211.34 metres east to west and 196.5 metres north to south.

Agra Fortlocation: Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

Architecture Style: Islamic Architecture

Description• Akbar built the Agra Fort on the bank of the Yamuna in Eight years(1565-73).•It forms an irregular semicircle plan.•The fort is fortified by a 2.4km long and 21 m high wall made of red sandstone.•The marble, floral decorations and double domes in the fort building exemplify later mughal architecture•It has some important monuments which were added later by emperor Shah Jahan. The prominent among them are Khas Mahal, Diwa-I-Am and Moti Masjid.

Layout of Agra Fort

•The arched entrance is flanked by two huge bastions(projecting part of a fort) projecting from the wall.

Some ImagesExterior Views

Interior Views