Islamic architecture ksm dsatm 2013

DAYANAD SAGAR ACADAMY OF TECHNOLOGY amp MANAGEMENT Bangalore 560082

Course material for ARC 44 For BArch Course under Visvesvaraya Technological University Belgaum

History Of Architecture ndashIII

The Phase of Islamic amp Colonial Architecture in INDIA

1

By Prof KSMukunda Dean School of Architecture

Architecture is a product of culture history science technology economics society religion and state

Contents

bull 1 Glossery of terms used in Muslim Architecture pages 03 t0 04

bull 2 Evolution of Islamic Architecture in India during 11th Century AD 05

bull 3 Types f Buildings built by Muslims 06

bull 4 History of Imperial Style Period amp Moghul period 07

bull 5 Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque (built 1192-1316) 11

bull 6 The Qutub Minar 12

bull 7 Octagonal amp square tombs Tomb of ghias ud-in toghlaq Khirki Masjid 13

bull 8 Tomb of Firoz Shah Tughlaq and Sheesh Gumbad 14

bull 9 Atala Masjid Jaunpur 1408 15

bull 10 Ahmedabad Jama Masjid ` 16

bull 11 Moghul period art amp architecture 17

bull 12 Agra Fort amp Itmad-ud-daula 18

bull 13 Taj Mahal 19

bull 14 Fatepur sikri Mosque Tomb of Salim chisti Buland Darwaza Palace Panch mahal Diwan I-am etc 20 to 23

bull 15 British Architecture in India ( 1757 to 1947) 24 to 26

2

3

Glossery of terms used in Muslim Architecture

bull Salat or namaz (prayer) Is the ritual of symbolically facing toward God and declaring in recitation and in anelaborate series of bending prostrating and genuflection the submission to Him

bull Mihrab A wall recess mostly in the form of arched niche in the Qibla wall indicating the position of theprayer-leader facing the direction toward Mecca

bull Minbar The pulpit mostly made of wood put in a mosque near its mihrab upon which the prayer-leaderstands when he gives the congregational prayers sermon on Fridays and in holidays

bull Minaret A tall slender tower circular or square in section built next or in a mosque from which theMuslims are called to prayer Mosques may have one two three four and up to six minarets

bull Ablution Fountain A feature frequently but not always encountered in mosques It is usually put in thecenter of the mosques courtyard for the worshipers to perform their ritual washing before prayer

bull The Hypostyle Mosque Mosque in which the prayer hall is formed of rows of vertical supports orcolumns that can multiply indefinitely Dominant type in the early period

bull The Iwan Mosque Mosque in which the prayer hall is an iwan or more up to four iwans surrounding acourtyard It was the most popular type in the medieval period and remained dominant in Iran

bull The Central-Dome Mosque Mosque in which the prayer halls space is dominated by a central domesurrounded by smaller and lower semi-domes It was introduced by the Ottomans in the 15th century

bull Pietra Dura Semi-precious stone (lapis onyx jasper topaz and cornelian) inlays in marble followinggeometric or floral designs

bull Chatri (originally Persian for umbrella) A small vaulted pavilion used in India mostly in the articulation ofroofs corners

bull Trabeate Architecture The characteristic architectural principle of Hindu India based on the post-and-lintelsystem mostly done in stone and related stylistically and decoratively to carved wood architecture

bull Arcuate Architecture The contrasting architectural principle based mostly on vaults arches and domesexecuted in brick It is generally attributed to Mesopotamia and Persia and seen as the Islamic stylebrought to India with the invading Turkish armies

bull Chahar Bagh (Persian four gardens) Quadripartite garden enclosure with a cruciform planbull Hazira or Rawda (Arabic) terms used in the Mughal period to designate a tomb or a mausoleum The

origionial meaning of the former is enclosure the latter garden This suggests the garden origin oftomb-gardens

4

bull Dargah A Persian term for entrance vestibule it became an important element in Timurid architecture and developed intomonumental proportions along very symmetrical lines

bull Iwanbull the iwan entrance to the Taj Mahal in Agra An iwan is defined as a vaulted hall or space walled on three sides with one

end entirely openbull Iwans were a trademark of the Sassanid architecture of Persia later finding their way into Islamic architecture This transition

reached its peak during the Seljuki era when iwans became established as a fundamental design unit in Islamic architectureTypically iwans open on to a central courtyard and have been used in both public and residential architecture

bull Sahn A simple Sahn with a howz in the middle Notice flanking domed arcade Almost every mosque and traditionally allhouses and buildings in areas of the Arab World contain a courtyard known as a sahn which are surrounded on all sides byrooms and sometimes an arcade Sahns usually feature a centrally positioned pool known as a howz

bull Calligraphy Arabic calligraphy is associated with geometric Islamic art (the Arabesque) on the walls and ceilings of mosquesas well as on the page Contemporary artists in the Islamic world draw on the heritage of calligraphy to use calligraphicinscriptions or abstractions in their work Arabic Calligraphy on large pishtaq of the Taj Mahal

bull Arabesque French word used for Muslim art style based on the use of interlacing plant motif with leaves and tendrilsbull Diwan It is a government office where the governor (ruler) sets receptions for the population It may also means the room

where the ruler meets his council to discuss the affairs of the statebull Hammam Bath house for public use male at certain times and female at other timesbull Madrassa A theological school consisting of a Mosque for regular prayers and study roomsbull Mahal A Mogul Palacebull Masjid A small mosque used locally for five daily prayersbull Mausoleum Structure accommodating a tomb of an important personbull Muqranna Also called stalactite or honeycomb a decorative pattern consisting of small niches arranged like honeycomb and

made mostly from plaster for internal treatment of curved surface especially in transitional zones between domes and theirsupports

bull A jharokha (or jharoka) is a type of overhanging enclosed balcony used in Indian architecture typically Mughal architectureand Rajasthani architecture Jharokhas jutting forward from the wall plane could be used both for adding to the architectural beauty of the building itself or for a specific purpose One of the most important functions it served was to allow women in purdah to see the events outside without being seen themselves Alternatively these windows could also be used to position archers and spies

5

Evolution of Islamic Architecture in India during 11th Century AD

Muslim architecture attests to the high level of power and sophistication that the Muslim community had reached at a time whenEurope was living in the dark ages Throughout the Muslim World the search for knowledge and science was undertaken in an effort toimprove society as a form of worship The formative period of Islam is characterized by the foundation of Muslim Caliphate (state) andthe establishment of the congregational mosque This period witnessed the introduction of a number of design principles and rulesAfter the death of Prophet Muhammad The development of medicine the construction and provision of hospitals the building ofhundreds of libraries and schools the planting of beautiful gardens and green parks and so much else made the Muslim World anoasis of light in a dark surrounding Islams stress on excellence and its search for perfection was crucial to the progress of itscivilization Hordes of Arabs Persians Turks and Afghans who had been successively inspired by the Theology of Islam poured in inwave after wave carrying fire and sword to every nook and corner of this vast area INDIA

Islamic elements of architecture had already passed through different experimental phases in other countries like Egypt Iran and Iraqbefore these were introduced in India Unlike most Islamic monuments of these countries which were largely constructed in brickplaster and rubble the Indo-Islamic monuments were typical mortar-masonry works formed of dressed stones

Islamic rule in India During 11th century amp towards the end of the 12th century AD introduced New elements into the Indianarchitecture that include use of shapes (instead of natural forms) inscriptional art using decorative lettering or calligraphy inlaydecoration and use of colored marble painted plaster and brilliantly glazed tiles In contrast to the indigenous Indian architecturewhich was of the trabeate order ie all spaces were spanned by means of horizontal beams the Islamic architecture was arcuate iean arch or dome was adopted as a method of bridging a space

The concept of arch or dome was not invented by the Muslims but was in fact borrowed and was further perfected by them from thearchitectural styles of the post-Roman period The Muslims used the cementing agent in the form of mortar for the first time in theconstruction of buildings in India They further put to use certain scientific and mechanical formulae which were derived by experienceof other civilizations in their constructions in India Such use of scientific principles helped not only in obtaining greater strength andstability of the construction materials but also provided greater flexibility to the architects and builders It must be emphasized that thedevelopment of the Indo-Islamic architecture was greatly facilitated by the knowledge and skill possessed by the Indian craftsmenwho had mastered the art of stonework for centuries and used their experience while constructing Islamic monuments in India

The Islamic architecture in India can be divided into religious and secular Mosques and Tombs represent the religious architecturewhile palaces and forts are examples of secular Islamic architecture Forts were essentially functional complete with a little townshipwithin and various fortifications to engage and repel the enemy ldquo

Islam is a complete way of life not a Sunday religion- Islam by making self-improvement of the individual and the betterment ofsociety part of religious duty inspired individuals in a multitude of ways above all in the search for knowledge Throughout the MuslimWorld the search for knowledge and science was undertaken in an effort to improve society as a form of worship

6

Types f Buildings built by Muslims

bull MosquesWhat are the essential elements for Mosques bull Basically there are four elements The mosque or masjid is a representation of Muslim art in its

simplest form The mosque is basically an open courtyard surrounded by a pillared verandah crowned off with a dome A mihrab indicates the direction of the qibla for prayer Towards the right of the mihrab stands the mimbar or pulpit from where the Imam presides over the proceedings An elevated platform usually a minaret from where the Faithful are summoned to attend the prayers is an invariable part of a mosque Large mosques where the faithful assemble for the Friday prayers are called the Jama Masjids there are also entrance gates courtyards fountains for ablution roofs to block sunlight and so on

bull Islamic ornamentation is fascinating What kinds of ornaments are there bull There are principally three categories whatever they may be mosaics stucco woodcarvings or stone

carvings That is geometric pattern foliage or floral pattern and calligraphy as art of writing Since idol worship is strictly inhibited there are no figurative sculptures or paintings of creatures Strictly speaking there were figural arts in the early stage including Umayyad Mosque in Damascus that has mosaics depicting landscapes of trees and buildings nevertheless no humans or God figures

bull Tombsbull Although not actually religious in nature the tomb or maqbara introduced an entirely new

architectural concept While the masjid was mainly known for its simplicity a tomb could range frombeing a simple affair (Aurangazebrsquos grave) to an awesome structure enveloped in grandeur (TajMahal) The tomb usually consists of solitary compartment or tomb chamber known as the huzrah inwhose centre is the cenotaph or zarih This entire structure is covered with an elaborate dome In theunderground chamber lies the mortuary or the maqbara in which the corpse is buried in a grave orqabr Smaller tombs may have a mihrab although larger mausoleums have a separate mosque locatedseparately from the main tomb Normally the whole tomb complex or rauza is surrounded by anenclosure The tomb of a Muslim saint is called a dargah Almost all Islamic monuments weresubjected to free use of verses from the Holy Koran and a great amount of time was spent in carvingout minute details on walls ceilings pillars and domes

7

Imperial Style

bull The Delhi or the Imperial Style of Indo-Islamic architecture flourishedbetween 1191-1557 AD and covered Muslim dynasties viz Slave (1191-1246) Khilji (1290-1320) Tughlaq (1320-1413) Sayyid (1414-1444) andLodi (1451-1557) The first Islamic sultanate structures were built ofdisparate dismantled pieces of Hindu temples after which came an era ofcarefully planned structures and precincts later assimilating andincorporating Hindu elements and workmanship

bull The earliest construction work of this period was began by QutubuddinAibak who started erecting monumental buildings of stone on Qila RaiPithora the first of the seven historical cities of Delhi associated withPrithviraj Chauhan

bull The Qutb Mosque (1192 AD) is one such building whose arcaded aisleswere composed of pillars carved in the Hindu style Named as theQuwwat-ul-Islam Masjid it is considered as the earliest mosque in IndiaThe mosque has beautiful Islamic calligraphy the arabesque designs andpillars with pre-Islamic Hindu motifs Aibak got a series of archesconstructed to screen the Hindu pillars of the sanctuary

bull Qutub-ud-din Aibak also started the construction of Qutub Minar in 1192(which was eventually completed by Iltutmish in 1230) The Qutub Minarbuilt to commemorate the entry of Islam was essentially a victory towerdecorated with several calligraphic inscriptions The diameter of theQutub Minar is 1432m at the base and about 275m at the top Itmeasures a height of 725m and contains a spiral staircase of 379 steps

8

bull Shamsuddin Iltutmish (1211-1236 AD) was another great building monarch of the Slave dynasty He extended the Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid (1229 AD) i He also started his own tomb (Iltutmishs Tomb) located in the Qutub Minar complex in 1235 AD Thistomb employed the squinch system of construction in which a square hall is converted into an octagon by projecting a smallarch across the angle of the square hall Iltutmish is also credited with constructing The tomb of Balban constructed in 1280 ADrepresents the first true arch built in India which is produced by following the scientific system originally formulated by theRoman engineers

bull Allauddin Khilji established the second city of Delhi at Siri built the Alai Darwaza near the Qutub Minar and dug a vast reservoirat Hauz Khas around 1311AD The well-decorated Alai Darwaza which served as an entrance gateway to the mosque at theQutub complex marks the evolution of another innovative feature in the Indo-Islamic architecture

bull The rulers of the Tughlaq Dynasty also undertook considerable construction activities including building three of the sevenancient cities of Delhi Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (1320-1325 AD) built Tughlaqabad the third city of Delhi in 1321-23 AD The Tomb ofGhiyasuddin Tughlaq built of red sandstone is an irregular pentagon in its exterior plan and its design is of the pointed orTartar shape and is crowned by a finial resembling the kalasa and amla of a Hindu temple Delhis fourth city Jahanpanah wasbuilt by Mohammad-bin-Tughlaq in mid-14th century

bull Feroz Shah Tughlaq (1351-1388 AD) was undoubtedly the greatest builder among all the rulers of the Tughlaq dynasty He himselfwrote in Fatuhat-i-Feroz Shah among the gifts which God bestowed on me His humble servant was a desire to erect publicbuildings He built Ferozabad Delhis fifth city in 1354 AD The famous Firoz Shah Kotla ground is the only remnant of its pastglory Feroz Shah Tughlaq is also credited with founding the fortified cities of Jaunpur Fathabad and Hissar His construction workswere of a unique simple style characterised by the use of inexpensive materials The medieval rulers who were used to theconvenience of choosing new locations for starting new constructions rarely adopted restoration of previous buildings It wasonly Feroze Shah Tughlaq who took up large-scale restoration works and repaired hundreds of monuments including the QutubMinar which was damaged by lightening in 1369 AD

bull In the 14th century under the Timurid rulers Islamic architecture underwent a change The narrow horseshoe arch was replacedby the true arch an idea imported directly from Persia However Indian masons werenrsquot completely convinced of its holdingpower They began using wooden beams as supports and eventually the four-centred arch minus the beam support came intovogue

bull During the Sayyid and the Lodi Dynasties more than fifty tombs of different sizes were constructed The Lodis introduced theconcept of double domes built one upon the other leaving some space in between Two different types of tombs withoctagonal and square plans respectively began to be constructed The Tombs of Mubarak Sayyid (d 1434 AD) Muhammad Sayyid(d1444 AD) and Sikander Lodi (d1517 AD) are all of the octagonal type The square tombs are represented by such monumentsas the Bara Khan Ka Gumbad Chota Khan Ka Gumbad Bara Gumbad (1494 AD) Shish Gumbad Dadi Ka Gumbad and the Poli kaGumbad The Tomb of Isa Khan (1547 AD) the Tomb of Adham Khan (1561 AD) Moth ki Masjid (c1505 AD) Jamala Masjid (1536AD) and the Qila-i-Kuhna Masjid (c1550 AD) belong to the final phase of the Delhi style of architecture

9

bull The Provincial Style of Architecture encompasses the architectural trends and developments noticed indifferent provincial capitals in India but specifically in Punjab (1150-1325 AD) Bengal (1203-1573 AD)Gujarat (1300-1572 AD) Jaunpur (1376-1479 AD) Malwa (1405-1569 AD) Deccan (1347-1617 AD)Bijapur (1490-1656 AD) Khandesh (1425-1650 AD) and Kashmir (1410 onwards)

bull The Mughal rulers were visionaries and their own personalities reflected in the all-round development ofvarious arts crafts music building and architecture The Mughal dynasty was established with thecrushing victory of Babar at Panipat in 1526 AD During his short five-year reign His son Humayun laid thefoundation of a city called Dinpanah (refuge of the faithful) at the Purana Qila in Delhi but the city couldnot be completed The Mughal Empire briefly fell to the Suris in 1540 but was re-established by Humayunin 1555 The Persian influence into the Mughal architecture was largely a result of Humayuns observanceof this style at the court of Shah Tahmasp during the period of his exile However the Persian elementscould manifest and mature only several years after his death as is evident in the Humayuns Tomb atDelhi

bull Architecture flourished during the reign of Akbar (1555-1605) The chief feature of the architecture ofAkbars time was the use of red sandstone In principle the construction was of the trabeate orderalthough the Tudor arch was also used The domes were of the Lodi type while the pillar shafts weremany-sided with the capitals being in the form of bracket supports One of the first major buildingprojects was the construction of a huge fort at Agra The massive sandstone ramparts of the Red Fort areanother impressive examples The most ambitious architectural exercise of Akbar and one of the mostglorious examples of Indo-Islamic architecture was the creation of an entirely new capital city atFatehpur Sikri

bull It has been described as a frozen moment in history The buildings at Fatehpur Sikri blended bothIslamic and Hindu elements in their architectural style Its structures have been modelled after the simplecanvas tents used by semi-nomadic ancestors of the Mughals The free-standing pavilions are constructedas stone analogues of the tents The Buland Darwaza the Panch Mahal and the Darga of Saleem Chisti arethe most imposing of all the buildings of Fatehpur Sikri The Diuwan-e-Khas is another fascinatingstructure in the complex which was designed for private audiences It is of cube-like form with anelaborate central column connected to the four corners by bridges The square plan although of CentralAsian origin would have represented to the Hindu craftsmen the mandala model of the cosmos Thereare several palaces in the complex including Jodaha Bais Palace and the houses of Miriam the Sultanaand Birbal

10

bull Akbars successor Jahangir (1605-1627) concentrated more on painting and other forms of art than on buildingand architecture However some note-worthy monuments of his time include Akbars Tomb at Sikandra nearAgra which was completed in 1613 This monument represents a major turning point in Mughal history as thesandstone compositions of Akbar were adapted by his successors into opulent marble masterpieces Jahangir isthe central figure in the development of the Mughal gardens The most famous of his gardens is the ShalimarBagh on the banks of Lake Dal in Kashmir The adjoining Nishat Bagh built by Asaf Khan also belongs to this periodThe Jahangirs Tomb at Shadera near Lahore built by his wife Nur Mahal is another outstanding architecturalproduction of this time

bull The style of Mughal architecture found expression of exceptional splendour during Emperor Shah Jahans reign(1628-1658) The single most important architectural change was the substitution of marble for the redsandstone He demolished the austere sandstone structures of Akbar in the Red Fort and replaced them withmarble buildings such as the Diwan-i-Am and the Diwan-i-Khas In 1638 he began to lay the city of Shahjahanabadbeside the river Jamuna The Red Fort at Delhi represents the pinnacle of centuries of experience in theconstruction of palace-forts Outside the fort he built the Jama Masjid the largest mosque in India Shah Jahanbuilt the Jami Masjid at Agra in 1648 in honour of his daughter Jahanara Begum The Wazir Khans mosque inLahore built in 1634 is another fine example of the Mughal art during Shah Jahans time However it is for the TajMahal which he built as a memorial to his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal that he is most often remembered Thehigh point of the Mughal architecture during the Shah Jahans time was the mellow marble has subtle low reliefcarving lace like jalis exquisite inlays pietra dura and calligraphy The pietra dura work was first incorporated inthe Itamad-ud-Daulas Tomb at Agra built by Ghyas Beg father of Nur Jehan The extensive decoration of theinteriors of monuments with precious and semi-precious stones using the pietra dura technique which developedin Florence in the 16th century and the use of pictures jewellery and metal-works indicate considerable Europeaninfluence on the Mughal art of this period

bull Jahan Ara daughter of Shah Jahan was also a generous patron of architecture and showed an eclectic taste inbuilding spacious gardens mosques madrasas and serais She built the famous Begum Ka Bagh and Begum Seraiat Delhi She also built her own tomb near the shrine of the dargah of Hazrat Nizauddin

bull The architectural projects of Aurangazebs reign (1658-1707) are represented by the Bibi-ki-Maqbara the tomb ofAurangzebs wife Begum Rabia Durani which is a poor replica of the famous Taj Mahal and is a fine example ofMughal architecture in the Deccan region The death of Aurangazeb in 1707 led to the decadence of Mughalarchitecture

bull The Islamic invasion commenced around 650 AD when a Muslim army secured a foothold in Seistan andcontinued till the end of the eighteenth century when the last Islamic crusader Tipu Sultan was overthrown bythe British Hordes of Arabs Persians Turks and Afghans who had been successively inspired by the Theology ofIslam poured in in wave after wave carrying fire and sword to every nook and corner of this vast area INDIA

11

Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque (built 1192-1316)

Quwwat-ul-Islam was sponsored by Qutb-ud-din Aibak founder of the Mamluk dynasty Born a slave in Turkey Qutb was a fanaticalMuslim When his garison occupied Delhi under the command of Muhammed Ghari in 1192 he ordered the destruction of twenty-sevenHindu and Jain temples to furnish building materials for the construction of Delhis first mosque The Hindu stonemasons re-usedcolumns from the destroyed temples mosques built on the ruins of temples (Jain temples not Hindu in the Qutub minar complex andFatehpur Sikri also) but adapting them to use in a mosque proved problematic given Islams injunction against the use of images intemples The masons were forced to plaster over the highly sculpted Hindu columns and presumably cover them with geometric designsThe Quwwat-ul-Islam is best known for its tower of victory celebrating the Muslim conquest of India It is built of red sandstone grayquartz and white marble but is probably inspired by the iron Pillar of the Law that stands on the site Expansion of the mosquecontinued after the death of Qutb His son-in-law Altamash (or Illtutmish) Almost 30 years after the construction of original mosqueIltutmish decided to extend the mosque the original prayer hall screen by three more arches Just to the west of the expanded mosqueAltamash built his own tomb the first to be erected for the Delhi Sultanate

12

Qutub Minarbull the Qutub Minar a 2378-feet-high (725-meter- high) tower of victory started in

1193 by the first Muslim ruler of Delhi Qutub-ud-din Aibak with additions beyondthe first story made by his successors Gradually narrowing from the base to the topthere are five stories the first three made of fluted red sandstone and the top twofrom sandstone and marble Carvings and verses from the Quran adorn the towerwhich today leans around two feet (60 centimeters) off the vertical

bull The Alai Darwaza or Gate was built by the second Khilji Sultan of Delhi Ala-ud-dinKhilji in 1311 AD The domed gateway is decorated with inlaid white marbledecorations inscriptions and latticed stone screens This is the first building in Indiato employ Islamic architecture principles in its construction andornamentation Thus it is the earliest example of true arches and true domes inIndia

bull Alai Minar was commissioned by Ala-ud-din Khilji his projected minar was alsoconceived on a scale double that of the existing Qutub Minar However Alauddin`sgreat minar never rose above the first stage and his whole scheme was abandonedat his death

13

Octagonal amp square tombs

Tombs are the most significant monuments of both the Lodi and Sayyid periods and many were built

in a necropolis now known as the Lodi Gardens including that of Sikander Lodi (r1489-1517) The

tombs are either square or octagonal with large central domes and are often called ldquogumbadrdquo or

ldquogumbazrdquo from the Indo-Persian word for dome

During sayyid amp lodhi dynasty due to weekened state treasure they built only monuments only for the

dead They constructed tombs in two different forms One pattern was based on octagonal plan

surrounded by arched walkway with one storey in height and the otherone is based on square plan

without walkway with two or three story in height In both the cases the building had a dome with

pillars on each side of the octagonal amp square variety The octagonal tombs was reserved for therulers amp square tombs were reserved for the nobels of their courts

Tomb of ghias ud-in toghlaq In the early 14 century Ghiyas ud-Din Tughluq was emperor of the DelhiSultanate and fearing invasion from the Mongols of the north he commissioned and built this massive projectin just five years or so built Tughlaqabad Fort and the mausoleum of Ghiyas ud-Din Tughluq

Khirki Masjid the techniques of Islamic architecture were fundamentally of the arabian type with the planof hypostyle oblong hall but the Khirki Masjid (c1375) presents a peculiar plan having four courtyards like aCharbagh-style The mosque is unique in many ways more than 80 of the mosque is roofed over the entiredesign is such that the west side of the mosque the side pointing to the Kaarsquoba from India is built in exactlythe same manner as the other three sides the only difference is in the absence of a gate on this side The playof light through the day creates fascinating patterns from the shadows of the many arches that supported the90 domes that adorned the more than 2500 square meter mosque the roofing of the Khirki masjid anddividing of the interior spaces into various small courtyards - perhaps to avoid the scorching heat of NorthIndia in the summer - effectively broke up the congregation into small groups Whatever the reason for thisunusual masjid it was apparently not very successful as a building type and was not repeated -

14

Tomb of Firoz Shah Tughlaq and Sheesh GumbadFiroz Shah Tughlaq (1351-1388 AD) became Sultan

The architecture of Firoz Shah is stern utilitarian almost tragic - at times hauntingly lovely at times warningly forbidding Heused to say ldquo among the Gifts that God has bestowed on meis a desire to erect public buildingsrdquo embarking on a vigorouscampaign of building

and in the words of a contemporary historian he was eventually responsible for ldquo1200 gardens around Delhi200 towns 40mosques 30 villages 30 reservoirs 50 dams 100 hospitals 100 public baths and 150 bridgesrdquo -

The Madrassa at Hauz KhasHis tomb is in the middle of a madrasa he commissioned The simple 15 foot squarestructure is built of ashlar walls finished with lime plaster with arched entrances andmerlons along the parapet Above the parapet rises an octagonal drum which supports ashallow and slightly pointed dome The north and west of the tomb are contiguous withone of the wings of the madrasa To the east are several chattris small domed structuressupported by pillars which house tombs of saints and religious teachers The tomb has alow platform to the south that is enclosed by a graceful stone railing a large schoolmosque and his own tomb were added by Firoz Shah These buildings are laid out in an lsquoLrsquoshape on a high rocky outcrop overlooking the tank Firoz Shahrsquos tomb is at the junctionof this lsquoLrsquo and is also the highest building there surmounted by a dome with its interiorfinely stuccoed -

SHISH GUMBAD (KHAIRPURILODI GARDEN)- Architecturally this tomb follows the patternof square Lodi tombs with a double storeyed appearance and is similar to the gate-houseof the Bara Gumbad mosque The ceiling is decorated with incised plaster workcontaining floral designs and Quranic inscriptions Originally the monument was richlydecorated with blue tiles It is not known who lies buried here It was perhaps builtduring Sikandar Lodis reign (AD 1489-1517) Lodi Gardens is a park in Delhi IndiaSpread over 90 acres it contains Mohammed Shahs Tomb Sikander Lodis TombSheesh Gumbad and Bara Gumbad architectural works of the 15th century Sayyid

15

Provincial stylebull The Provincial Style of Architecture encompasses the architectural trends and developments noticed in

different provincial capitals in India but specifically in Punjab (1150-1325 AD) Bengal (1203-1573 AD) Gujarat(1300-1572 AD) Jaunpur (1376-1479 AD) Malwa (1405-1569 AD) Deccan (1347-1617 AD) Bijapur (1490-1656AD) Khandesh (1425-1650 AD) and Kashmir (1410 onwards)

Atala Masjid Jaunpur 1408 Being the first mosque to be built after the independence of Jaunpurfrom the Islamic caliphate in India The majestic pylons of the portal of its main prayer room the three unequaldomes above its roof and the large court with its two storey porticoes all expressed a new grandeur never seenbefore adding more mystery to the skill and imagination of the medieval Muslim architect

As illustrated the mosque has a square plan consisting of three main sections The sanctuary is a longrectangular prayer hall of three aisles deep running from north to south The hall is ordered around a centraliwan which is a square area containing the main mihrab and carrying the largest dome of the mosque Thedome itself is raised on octagonal drum supported by squinches Its size and location signify both the sanctity ofthis area as well as a representation of the heavenly dome A third level of symbolism is seen in the context ofthe prayer hall and the mosque as a whole In the former the central dome is flanked to the north and south bytwo smaller domes which adorn the roofs of two side mihrabs The three dome composition a feature widelyspread in India refers to the trio companionship of prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) and the two first caliphs Abu BakraAl-Saddique and Umar Ibn Al-Khattab

bull The central mihrab of stone with ribbed niche and ogee arch was fixed in the western wall of the centralroom and accompanied by a stone minbar The two wings flanking the prayer hall are two-storey high arrangedaround the side domes and their mihrabs and having separate access to the courtyard The exterior of the qiblawall is distinguished by three projections flanked in their corners by tapering three-quarter round turretsdenoting the position of the three domed areas and their mihrabs Two Larger turrets of similar form supportthe northern and southern corners of the wall

The Monumental Portal and its origin

bull The prayer hall of the mosque is accessed through a large stone portal the dominating feature of the mosqueThe portal consists of a huge pointed arch recess flanked by pylons of a gigantic size reaching up to a height of23 meters The faccedilade of these pylons is divided into five sections separated by horizontal mouldings a blindground section and four upper sections adorned with panels containing a blind arch decorated with buds andvegetal designs The Atala example also repeated in Jaunpurs Friday Mosque has undoubtedly introduced anunprecedented dimensions to this architectural element

bull The monumental gate entered the mosque architecture From here the Seljuks spread the iwan style portal inAnatolia and central Asia to reach later India through the Timurids and Moguls

16

Ahmedabad Jama Masjid

bull The Jami Masjid of (1411-1442) Ahmedabadbull it was probably the largest mosque constructed on the Indian

subcontinent at the time Made by using yellow sandstones the architecture of this mosque is a blend of Hindu and Muslim styling This edifice was built using items rescued from the demolished Hindu and Jain temples Supported by 260 pillars the Jama Masjid of Ahmedabad consists of 15 domes Jama Masjid lies in the heart of-the-old-city

bull the mosque lies to the south of a royal processional way the triple gateway known as Teen Darwaza To the east of the mosque are the tombs of Ahmed Shah his son and grandson A further adjacent enclosure RaniKa Hazira houses the tomb of the Shahs queen and other royal ladies

bull Built over many years the mosque complex is centered on a vast paved courtyard that is about seventy-five meters long and sixty-six meters wide There is a long rectangular ablution tank in the center It is wrapped by a colonnade on three sides with the prayer hall occupying the western side

bull The prayer hall is rectangular and covered with five domes The domes are carried on two hundred and sixty columns which divide the space into fifteen bays or three rows of five square bays each with a dome and decorated mihrab along a the qibla wall Its courtyard faccedilade has a stepped roofline with a tall portal at its center The north and south chambers which are the lowest open onto the courtyard through five pillared bays of unequal size The taller central chamber is flanked by two shorter archways and is entered from the tall arched portal with a final bearing dome Perforated stone screens are pierced into the pillars of the two framing bays The portal is framed by two columns which are the remains of two lofty minarets (shaking minarets) whose shafts were destroyed by the earthquakes of 1819 and 1957 Their decoration is reminiscent of the details of Hindu and Jain temple of the Gujarat and Mandu area

17

The Deccan Style

Numerous independant kingdoms arose in the Deccan region the most prominent of which were Bijapur ruled by the Adil Shahis (16th-17th C) and Hyderabad ruled by the Qutb Shahis (late 16th -17th C)

The Adil Shahi dynasty of Bijapur constructed several mosques tombs and palaces The development of the dome reached its acmeduring their reign They also borrowed some elements like the use of symbol of crescent from the Ottoman Empire The most distinctmonument of this period is undoubtedly the Gol Gumbaz built by Mohammad Adil Shah which is largest masonry dome in the world Thedome is 51metres high and has a diameter of 37metres The dome is an engineering marvel since it stands unsupported by any pillars Italso has an excellent acoustic system Bijapur is also famous for the Ibrahim Roza It is the tomb of Adil Shai Sultan Ibrahim II (1580-1627AD)

bull The monuments of the Qutb Shahi period represent different building typologies Golconda near Hyderabad is a fortified citadel and anearly capital city of the Qutb Shahi dynasty It is an ensemble of military structures ramparts gates bastions armoury religious structuressuch as mosques temples residential structures such as palaces water systems such as canals fountains and landscaped gardensGolconda Fort Qutb Shahi Tombs and Charminar are the landmarks that symbolize the Qutb Shahi Dynasty The Char Minar in the heart ofthe new city This monument (completed in 1591) has four minarets of 56 m height

Sher Shah Suris Reign

Most of the monuments built during Sher Shah Suris reign (mid 16th C) are concentrated in the Eastern UP and Bihar region and are much more impressive

than anything built during the reign of Babar or Humayun

Tomb of Sher Shah Suri Sasaram Rohtas is an amazing building an architectural wonder a huge and a noble composition set in a beautiful tank

approached by a causeway This remarkable monument formed by the finest Chunar sandstone had a significant impact on the architectural evolution of

tombs (Indo-Islamic funerary architecture) Sher Shah Suri patronized a list of architectural innovations which represent an important development in the

gestation of the subsequent Mughal architecture The declared ambition of Sher Shah Suri was to construct such an architectural embellishment that foe

and friend might render their tribute of applause and that his name might remain honoured on the earth until the day of resurrection

This three-storied mausoleum rises to a height of 457 m and was originally planned to be a typical island tomb with no access to the mainland There are

stairways on each side of the tomb leads to the water there is a landing platform on the eastern side and a causeway between the tomb and the guardroom

The guardroom or the entrance porch on the edge of the northern side of the lake is flanked by two mosques and was meant to provide crew and rafts to the

serious visitors willing to see the tomb A bridge of arches linked the entrance porch and the tomb The bridge did not last and the visitors used rafts made of

earthen pots until 1881 until the present causeway was constructed

The mausoleum appears perfectly symmetrical but its base has a slight deviation at the cardinal points However these have been skillfully adjusted to give

the impression of perfect alignment The mausoleum is built on a large square terrace the corners support the octagonal pavilions with small kiosks between

them The entrance gives way to a wide verandah on all sides which is shaded by 24 small domes supported on arches and each corner of the verandah has

a cupola The tomb chamber is plain with faded inscriptions on the western wall The interior is well ventilated and the light comes through the large windows

on the top part of the walls fitted with jalis

18

The Charminar built in 1591 AD is as much the signature of Hyderabad as the Taj Mahal is of Agra or the Eiffel Tower is of ParisThe landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad listed among the most recognized structures of India The Charminar is on the eastbank of Musi river To the northeast lies the Laad Bazaar and in the west end lies the granite-made richly ornamented Makkah MasjidCharminar has the signature style of Islamic architecture This great tribute to aesthetics looks sturdy and solid from a distance and as onemoves closer it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice proclaiming its architectural eminence in all its detail and dignity Charminar isa beautiful and impressive square monumenthe Charminar is a square edifice with each side 20 meters (approximately 66 feet) long with four grand arches each facing a cardinal pointthat open into four streets At each corner stands an exquisitely shaped minaret 56 meters (approximately 184 feet) high with a doublebalcony Each minaret is crowned by a bulbous dome with dainty petal like designs at the base A beautiful mosque is located at thewestern end of the open roof and the remaining part of the roof served as a court during the Qutb Shahi times There are 149 windingsteps to reach the upper floor Once atop the solitude and serenity of the beautiful interior is refreshing The space in the upper floorbetween the minarets was meant for Friday prayers

Moghul period art amp architecturebull Agra is an ancient city in Uttar Pradesh northern India and an Islamic treasure

house of the architectural legacy of the Mughal Dynasty It is connected withDelhi which is 200km north by the Yamuna River forming a tight relationshipwhen either city was capitalInvading India from Kabul Babur defeated the LodiDynasty and founded the Mughal Dynasty in Agra in 1526 Mughal meansMongol The second emperor Humayun returned to Delhi in 1555 bringing alarge number of Persian architects and painters with him greatly contributingto Mughal art Akbar the Great (r 1556-1605) succeeded to the empire forhalf a century and expanded it to the whole of India developing Mughal artremarkably The Mausoleum of his father Humayun was the first full-blownpiece of Mughal architecture which would determine the splendid styleafterward combining red sandstone and white marble

bull the most creative and attractive Islamic architecture in India is actually Sufiarchitecture It is the Sufis who served as the innovative and spiritual face ofIslam ndash Sufis (Islamic mystics) played an important role in the spread of Islamin India They were very successful in spreading Islam as many aspects of Sufibelief systems and practices had their parallels in Indian philosophicalliterature in particular nonviolence and monism The Sufi movement alsoattracted followers from the artisan and untouchable communities theyplayed a crucial role in bridging the distance between Islam and the indigenoustraditions

bull The Mughals are also credited to have introduced the double dome system ofdome architecture and the pietra-dura style of inlay decorations especiallyfloral and other naturalistic elements so as to brighten the cold formality andcliched form of the typical Islamic monument Just as Indias Sufis moderatedthe totalitarianism of Quranic literalism they also brought a touch of color anddecorative beauty to monuments that might otherwise have been excessivelydour (Stubbornly unyielding) and imposing

19

Agra fort

Standing next to and often overshadowed by Agras better known Taj Mahal Agra Fort

is nevertheless a beautiful monument with a rich and colorful history Construction of the

Agra Fort was begun by Emperor Akbar from 1565 to 1573 over an existing fort ruled by

the Sultan Lodi of Delhi and designed primarily for military purposes Additions were

made until the time of his grandson Emperor Shah Jahan who helped transformed Agra

Fort into a luxurios palace for the Mughals

Agra Fort is one of the most important forts in India - and certainly the most important

under the Mughal empire Emperors Babur Humayun Akbar Jehangir Shah Jahan and

Aurangzeb all lived and governed from this fort at some stage of their respective

rule Situated on the west bank of the Yamuna River in Agra the imposing red

sandstone complex surrounded by a deep moat once filled with water from the Yamuna

itself includes courtly buildings palaces mosques and gardens The British destroyed

and converted much of the fort into barracks in the 19th century and only a fraction of

the original structures remain today

The itmad -ud -daula was build by the empress Noor Jehan as a memorial to her father

Mirza Ghiyas Beg is beautifully ornamented with pietra dura inlay and lattice work

marble screens The city of Agra has an amazing has captured the history of the

architectural heritage in the various monuments Before the Taj Mahal came its ancestor

the square tomb of the Itmad-ud-Daula The queen of Jehangir and the daughter of

Itmad-ud-daula Nurjahan built the tomb It was in the year 1628 that the pioneer of the

white marble tomb was constructed

It also houses the cenotaph of Nurjahans mother Asmat Begum It is noteworthy that

the real name of Nurjahans father was Mirza Ghiyas a Persian Both of the

gorgeous(dazingly beautiful) Mughal queens namely Nurjahan and Mumtaz Mahal

belonged to the Persian Family Mumtaz mahal happened to be the daughter of the

Nurjahans brother Asaf Khan

Itmad-ud-daula ie the pillar of state was a title bestowed on him by emperor Jehangir

The tomb is at times refereed to as the baby taj The mausoleum rests in a walled

garden with a view of the river Yamuna In fact it is approximately one and a half

kilometers upstream of the Taj Mahal The structure is renowned for its pietra dura

decoration ie the inlay works and the carvings20

Humayun tomb-Delhi amp Taj Mahal- Agra

bull Academics relate that the plan of the Taj Mahal represents an elaboration of Humayun mausoleumbuilt by Akbar for his father Sayid Muhammed (1562-71) which introduced for the first time in India many of the features found in Taj Mahal The first of these is the setting of the mausoleum on a highplatform an analogue to the throne (takht) The complex is preceded by a large garden divided intofour symmetrical square sections by two marble water canals fitted with fountains and lined withcypress trees The canals meet at the centre of the garden forming a square pool Each of the foursquares was subdivided into four subsections which in their turn were subdivided into four squareflower beds This geometrical layout is undoubtedly based on the Persian quadrate plan seen in anumber of Safavid gardens The mausoleum instead of occupying the central point (as seen inprevious Mughal mausoleums including Humayun) stands majestically at the north end overlookingthe Jumna River creating a unique visual impact greatly emphasised by the white marble covering theentire construction in contrast with the red sandstone of the adjoining structures the two royalpavilions the mosque and the visitors lodging To further emphasise this point designers of the Tajensured that the view of the mausoleum is kept clear and unobstructed from any spot in the garden

bull The overall character of the Taj displays a great integration of architectural elements of Islamic Asiaincorporating Iranian features such as the octagonal shape the iwan and pishtaq Indian features suchas the bulbous dome the chattri and Central Asian features such as the four robust cylindricalminarets All blended in a wonderful geometrical relationships hardly contained within the buildingDefined by its four corner minarets the structure consisted of four corner chambers and axialcorridors leading to a central focal point the chamber accommodating the cenotaph Furtheraccentuation of this room is expressed by the height and size of its magnificent bulbous dome set on ahigh drum behind the raised central iwan In the middle of the domed chamber is a screen ofperforated marble through which the white cenotaph of Mumtaz lying beside that of her husband canbe seen The sarcophagus itself is immured in typically Timurid fashion directly below in a crypt

bull In decorative terms the building was adorned with the three major elements of Muslim decorativearts involving calligraphy geometry and floral forms presented in the form of frames and borderscovering most of the surfaces Such decor complements the symbolic picture of peacefulness loveand paradise which were achieved by the rich choice of texture size and colour

bull To further elaborate the Taj Mahal landscape Shah Jahan raised on either side of the mausoleumbuildings of red sandstone a Mosque to the west and a guest hall (mihman khana) to the east placedon mirror image to both sides of the mausoleum The mosque a rectangular structure supportingthree elegant bulbous domes and four minarets provided the right space for the visiting emperorand visitors to pray in The guest hall is identical to the mosque located on the opposite side of themausoleum but having somewhat an ambiguous function Many writers questioned its use suggestingthat the real factor behind its presence was purely architectural to counter balance the mosque andpreserve the symmetry of the entire design on the platform

bull The mosques built only to balance the composition are set sufficiently far away to do no more thanframe the mausoleum In essence the whole riverside platform is a mosque courtyard with a tomb atits centre

bull The last element of the Taj Mahal complex is the entrance gate a monumental portal (darwaza) madeof red stones located south of the complex leading to the gardensIt is a lofty structure in the form ofan iwan with a massive central ogee arch and a flat roof equipped with eleven small turrets famouslyknown as chhattri raised on columns and topped with small domes According to some writers

21

Fatepur sikri Jama Mosque Tomb of Salimchisti Buland Darwaza

Palace Panch mahal Diwan- I-khass etc

The construction of the palatial complex begun in 1572 and progressed rapidly There were two main phases of construction for the complex when passages and corridors where added to the existing buildings according to the needs of the Emperor and his family The complex served as the main residential quarters of the Emperor for fourteen years and was subsequently abandonedThe new mosque was oriented to the west (qibla) and the

other buildings of the palace complex developed parallel to it It is also speculated that Akbars complex was oriented according to the principles of Vastu an ancient Indian architectural system The whole complex is spread in three plateaus on receding levels with respect to the topography of the ridgeThe palace complex is laid out on the two lower platforms covering approximately 250 square meters The buildings of the complex can be grouped in two main zones The middle plateau is the most private housing the residential buildings the northern palace (Birbals Palace) the Shaqh-i Isbal (JodhBais Palace) the Sonahra Makan (Miriams Palace) the guest house (hospitalia) and the stables (Shahi Bazar and Mina Bazar) The lowest plateau is occupied by the public and semi-public areas of the palace complex comprising the public audience hall (Diwan-i Am) the (attributed) private audience hall (Diwan-i Khass) the Ank Michauli and Astrologers Seat the Panj Mahal the imperial apartments (Khwabgah) the royal quarters (Daulat Khana) including the library (Kutubkhana) the state archives (Daftar Khana) the Anup Talao pavilion and the storage house (Abdar Khana) Most of the buildings of the public and semi-public area face east while the Khwabgahfaces north

22

bull Fatehpur Sikri Overview bull Built by Emperor Akbar in honor of the Sufi Saint Salim Chisti Fatehpur Sikri was briefly the capital of the Mughal

empire and is regarded as Akbarrsquos crowning architectural legacybull The city is one of the finest and best preserved examples of a Mughal walled city with defined private and public

areas imposing gateways and a beautiful blend of Islamic and Hindu styles of design and architecture FatehpurSikri fully reflected Akbars secular vision for his empire and his tolerant style of governance

bull Due to a shortage of water the city was abandoned and effectively became a ghost town for a few centuries While most of its treasures have long since been plundered Fatehpur Sikri remains one of the best surviving monuments of the Mughal era in India

bull Fatepur Sikri is famous for bull Being the first planned Mughal citybull Its immaculately preserved fort and palaces that were abandoned by Emperor Akbar due to a shortage of water

supply for the citybull Being recognised as a World Heritage Site (UNESCO)bull

bull The area around Fatehpur Sikri was originally a part of the Rajput kingdom and there are temple ruins in the area that date back to the 12th century The Mughals under Emperor Babur took over the the village of Sikri in defeating Rana Sanga The place was then called Khanwa but Emperor Babur renamed the village as ldquoShukrirdquo -meaning ldquoThanks to Godrdquo

bull The city of Fatehpur Sikri was built by Emperor Akbar one of the greatest Mughal rulers Akbar originally had his capital city in Agra and built the Agra Fort for military and royal residential purposes However and in the course of time he shifted his capital to Fatehpur Sikri a city he decided to build in honour of Sufi saint Sheikh SalimChisti The Emperor was without an heir to his throne and made the pilgrimage to the renowned Sufi saint to seek his blessings Akbar was soon rewarded with a son who came to be known as Jehangir

bull The name of the town was changed to Fatehpur Sikri after Emperor Akbarrsquos successful conquest of Gujaratkingdom in 1573

bull The development of the city began in 1571 However by 1585 Emperor Akbar decided to abandon it due to scarcity of water in town The capital city was then moved to Delhi

bull The sufi saint Salim Chisti hailed from Sikri bull Fatehpur Sikri complex consists of two distinct and separate areas The Royal Complex was built with private and

public spaces for Emperor Akbars court including his Treasury and harem Adjoining to the Royal Complex is the Jami Masjid complex These two complexs are connected by the Badshahi Darwaza - a gateway that was used exclusively by the royals

bull The structures in Fatehpur Sikri are thought to be the finest examples of Mughal architecture a fine blend of Hindu and Muslim styles of architecture But the structures also show elements of various regional schools of architectural craftsmanship including Gujarati Bengali and Rajasthani because the craftsmen came from various regions of the country to carry out the constructions of the buildings - and Emperor Akbar actively encouraged a synthesis of various religions and design styles

bull Red sandstone was the primary material used and the buildings were spaciously laid out around open courtyards Towering walls surround the city on three sides and entry is through one of the nine colossal gates

23

Jami Masjid Fatepursikribull Jami Masjid (Fatehpur Sikri)

The Jami Masjid is the sacred centre of Fatehpur Sikri and is grand open mosque The mosque is situated at the south western end of the city its designs are derived from Persian and Hindu architecture

bull A high wall with a gateway surrounds the mosque on 3 sides The gateway Buland Darwaza opens into a huge courtyard measuring 111 x 139 meters - the largest such courtyard built during the Mughalperiod The inner walls are lined with columns and cloisters while the western facade has a massive arched doorway with three domes

bull To the left of the Jami Masjid is the Stone Cutterrsquos Mosque the oldest place of worship in Fatehpur Sikri

bull Tomb of Sheik Salim Chistibull Emperor Akbars benefited from the remarkable prediction by the sufi

saint Sheik Salim Chisti with the birth of a son (Jehangir) The vast courtyard of the Jama Masjid contains the the tomb of this saint and built by Emperor Akbar in 1571

bull The Tomb of Sheik Salim Chisti is as popular today as it was during the time of Emperor Akbar People especially childless women come in numbers to offer flowers and tie a thread on the latticed screens to make a wish and seek blessings from the saint

bull The tomb was originally made of sandstone and later replaced with marble The tombstone is covered with a cloth under a canopy of ebony mother of Pearl and brass The main square chamber of the tomb is surrounded by a corridor for circumambulation The corridor has jallis with intricately carved serpentine brackets The lattice work is thought to be amongst the best in India

bull Buland DarwazaThis 54 meter high doorway was built in 1571 to celebrate Emperor Akbars successful conquest of Gujarat This gate is also called the ldquoGate of Magnificencerdquo and ldquoThe Triumphal Gatewayrdquo and is one of the grandest gateways in India

bull Approached by a steep flight of steps which adds to the height of the tall structure the doorway is made of red and buff sandstone and designed in coloured stone and inlaid carvings in white and black marble It is the main entrance to the Royal Jama Masjid

24

bull Diwan-I-KhaasThis is the Hall of the Private Audience and is also called Jewel House or ldquoThe Ekstambha Prasadardquo which means the Place of Unitary Pillar and is a unique fusion of various styles of architecture and religious motifs The hall is in the middle of the court a single vaulted chamber with a central decorated lotus theme pillar with 36 elegantly craved brackets in Gujarati style and four narrow causeways project from the central and run to each of the four corners The throne in the circular space over the central capital had Emperor Akbar sitting on the throne with the four corners assigned to his four ministers

bull Ankh MichauliAdjacent to the Diwan-i-Khaas is the Ankh Michauli building - often referred to as the Treasury The meaning of the name is Blind Mans Buff

bull Diwan-I-AamThis is the Hall of Public Audience an enclosed space surrounded by colonnades and a large open area where courtiers and the public in attendance used to stand The western side has a pavilion where the emperor sat

bull Nearby is the Pachisi Courtyrad It is a square marked out as a large sized board game (similar to Ludo) using girl slaves dressed in bright dresses as pieces of Pachisi The King and his courtiers played this game while ordering the girls to move on the giant marble board as per their strategy and move

bull Panch MahalThe Panch Mahal is a five tiered palace where each floor is smaller than the one below This is where Akbars queens enjoyed a cool evening breeze

bull The first two floors from the bottom however are of equal size The bottom floor has 176 intricately carved columns The third and fourth floors are grated The top most floor is a single kiosk or open pavilion supported by four columns Each floor is supported by pillars and had jali screen between the pillars earlier The top of the place gives a panaromic view of the entire city of Fatehpur Sikri with its buildings palaces gardens residential houses all linked in a maze

25

BRITISH ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA ( 1757 to 1947)bull British rule coincided with the decline of the Mughal era and the revival of Hinduism The construction during this time was an adaptation of the Indian

style in the colonial style brought from Europe

bull Historians regard the year 1757 as the starting point of the British Empire in India even though large parts of the country remained under the rule ofIndian princes It took nearly another hundred years for the East India Company and the British government to extend British rule to northern andwestern India The British Empire stopped thinking about its own enmity with the Portuguese and the French and allowed them to settle in theirmaritime enclaves which they retained even after India got her independence in 1947 Commencing from the basic Presidency towns comprisingBengal Bombay and Madras

bull The British crown lost its biggest jewel in 1947 but not before the subcontinent was divided into two and this legacy haunts the politics of the region tothis day

bull British cathedrals in India started branching out gradually to other villages and cities not leaving out the mofussils (a town smaller than a city with itsown municipality) Architects were shipped in huge numbers from England to erect masterpieces like St Thomas` Cathedral Mumbai or St Paul`sCathedral Kolkata

bull When the British government had consolidated its position in India it decided to redefine its administration A whole new Government architecture wasdeveloped During the initial phase the East India Companys main interest in India was to generate internal revenue for promoting its trade but underthe British government India developed as a colony and British dominion For the Public Works Royal Engineers followed Scotts lead with a VenetianGothic design in 1877 mixed Venetian and early English for the stupendous High Court buildings of Bombay of 1879 The culminating masterpieces ofthe series increasingly hybrid in style especially Victoria Terminus (1878-87) the headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway In later workslike church gate station etc a still more significant step towards the synthesis of Indian and European forms

bull The Gateway of India Bombay India Located on the waterfront in Apollo Bunder area in South Mumbai the Gateway is a basalt arch 26 metres (85 ft)high

bull India Gate of Delhi is a 42 meter high gateway located at Rajpath New Delhi Also known as the All India War Memorial the India Gate was plannedby Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens

bull Capital of British India - New Delhi

bull the British asked Lutyens to give new meaning to city development which is reflected in the architectural designs and sophistication that buildings inDelhi like Parliament House Rashtrapati Bhavan India Gate Connaught Place and various administrative buildings like the South and North blocks alongthe breathtaking view available from Raj PathS

bull Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944)had arrived in India to undertake this great work with scant respect for the Subcontinents architectural legacy

bull Sir Herbert Baker (1862-1946) was South Africas leading architect in the early 1900s He was noted for the clean classical simplicity of his buildings hedesigned very many public buildings in India

bull The builders used explosives to blast away the top layer of the land to flatten it and provide earth to fill in the nearby valleys The resulting complex is aspacious attractive and carefully planned city with broad treelined avenues and many open areas parks gardens and fountains

26

BRITISH ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA ( 1757 to 1947) Photographs 1Gateway of India Mumbai 2 India Gate New delhi3 St Thomas Cathedral Mumbai 4 Victoria Railway Terminus Mumbai 5 Rastrapathi bhavan amp Secretariat New Delhi 6 Parliament House New Delhi

27

Rashtrapati Bhavan

(Sanskrit for President House Presidential Palace) is the official residence of the President of India located in New Delhi Delhi India Until 1950 it wasknown as Viceroys House and served as the residence of the Viceroy of India It is at the heart of an area known as Lutyens Delhi It is the largest residenceof any Head of the State in the world The splendour of the Rashtrapati Bhavan is multi-dimensional It is a vast mansion and its architecture is breathtakingMore than these it has a hallowed existence in the annals of democracy for being the residence of the President of the largest democracy in the world Fewofficial residential premises of the Head of theState in the world will match the Rashtrapati Bhavan in terms of its size vastness and its magnificence

As the plan for New Delhi took shape the Governor-Generals residence was given an enormous scale and prominent position The British architect EdwinLandseer Lutyens a key member of the city-planning process was also given the prime architectural opportunity of interaction The palace developed verysimilarly to the original sketches by Lutyens on June 14 1912 Lutyens design is grandly classical overall with colors and details inspired by Indianarchitecture Lutyens had to reduce the building size from 13 to 85 million cubic feet (240000 m3) because of the budget restrictions of Lord Hardinge Whilehe had demanded that costs be cut he nevertheless wanted the house to retain a certain amount of ceremonial grandeur Lutyens and Baker who had beenassigned to work on the Viceroyrsquos House and the Secretariats began on friendly terms although they later quarrelled Baker had been assigned to work onthe two secretariat buildings which were in front of Viceroyrsquos House At the centre of the main part of the palace underneath the main dome is the DurbarHall which was known as the Throne Room during British rule when it had thrones for the Viceroy and his wife The dome in the middle involved a mixture ofIndian and British styles In the centre was a tall copper dome surmounted on top of a drum which stands out from the rest of the building due to its heightThe dome is exactly in the middle of the diagonals between the four corners of the building The dome is more than twice the height of the rest of thebuilding The dome combines classical and Indian styles Lutyens said the design evolved from that of the Pantheon in Rome while it is also possible that itwas modelled after the great Stupa at Sanchi The reinforced concrete shell of the outer dome began to take shape near the start of 1929 The last stone ofthe dome was laid on April 6 1929 However the copper casing of the dome was not laid until 1930

Parliament House

This edifice is the brainchild of Herbert Baker and was much criticized in comparison with Lutyens creations Parliament House the power-corridors ofthe largest democracy in the world India Also known as Sansad Bhawan the Parliament House in Delhi is the hub of political activity of India Tuckedaway in the heart of the city it is to the northwest of Vijay Chowk next to the Secretariat buildings at the end of Parliament Street This beautiful circularstructure is a landmark example of the British architectural marvel the Sansad building stands almost hidden and virtually unnoticed at the end-of-SansadMarg-(Parliament-Street)just-north-of-Rajpath

The outer boundary wall has blocks of carved sandstone that borrow motifs from the typical jalis (filigree) made during the Mughal era So much sothat the parliament house finds its presence in many Bollywood films The Parliament House in New Delhi Initially known as the Circular House wasdesigned by Herbert Baker opened in 1927 the Parliament House in New Delhi is the famous landmark not only of New Delhi but Indian politicalsystem Ideally located towards the north of Rajpath The Parliament House or Sansad Bhaan as its popularly called as is the place where the IndianParliament meets and works on the worlds largest democracy

Built in a circular shape Just one storey tall The Parliament House is 570 feet in diameter has a colonaded verandah and the roof of the outer circle is supported by75 feet tall 247 pillars Designed as a circular structure the House is 171 meters in diameter and about one-third of a mile in circumference The two semicircularhouse chambers flank the Central Hall with its impressive dome The building has a continuous open corridor on the first floor fringed with a colonnade of 144creamy sandstone pillars The exterior walls of red sandstone are carved in geometric patterns that echo Moghul jaalis One can wander around this awe-inspiringstructure with a prior permission from the Government of India the Parliament House comprises of three semicircular chambers that are meant for the Legislaturesand a Central Library having a 274m high dome Covering 202 hectares of area Formerly the three semi circular chambers were designed for the Chamber ofPrinces the Legislative Assembly and the Council of State Presently these three chambers houses the Lok Sabha Rajya Sabha and the Library Lavish lawnsgardens fountains and waterways all around the building further heighten the grand and majestic appeal of this Temple of Democracy

28

Question Bank

1 Explain with sketches the Two important types of Buildings built by Muslims in Islamic Architecture 10+10= 20Mks

2 Briefly explain the Evolution of Islamic Architecture in India during 11th Century AD 10 mks

3 Draw sketches to explain the 1 Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque and 2 Qutb Minar in the Qutb Complex Delhi 10+10= 20Mks

4 Highlight briefly the development of Islamic Architecture during the Imperial style 10mks

5 Draw sketches to explain the Tomb of Feroz shah Togluk 10mks

6 Draw the plan and elevaton of Atala masjid of Jaunpur with its monumental portal 10+10= 20Mks

7 Explain with sketches the Teen Darwaza Mosque in Ahmedabad with its Shaking Minarates 10+10= 20Mks

8 Explain with sketches the uniqueness Khirki Masjid 10mks

9 Draw sketches to explain the architectural wonder of the Tomb of Sher shaw suri Sasaram Rohtas 10mks

10 Explain briefly the architectural legacy of the Mughal Dynasty in India 10mks

11 Explain with sketches the Architectural Character of itmad -ud -daula Agra 10mks

12 Discuss briefly with sketches the Architectural elements and the overall Character of TAJ Mahal in Agra 10+10= 20Mks

13 Give an overview of developments of islamic Architecture in Fatepur sikri with simple sketches 10mks

14 Draw plan amp Elevation of Jami Masjid at Fatehpur Sikri 10+10= 20Mks

15 Explain briefly any Two with sketches 1 Panch mahal 2 Buland Darwaza 3 Diwan-I-kass 10+10= 20Mks

16 Explain with sketches some of the contributions of Colonial Architecture in India 10+10= 20Mks

29

Contents

bull 1 Glossery of terms used in Muslim Architecture pages 03 t0 04

bull 2 Evolution of Islamic Architecture in India during 11th Century AD 05

bull 3 Types f Buildings built by Muslims 06

bull 4 History of Imperial Style Period amp Moghul period 07

bull 5 Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque (built 1192-1316) 11

bull 6 The Qutub Minar 12

bull 7 Octagonal amp square tombs Tomb of ghias ud-in toghlaq Khirki Masjid 13

bull 8 Tomb of Firoz Shah Tughlaq and Sheesh Gumbad 14

bull 9 Atala Masjid Jaunpur 1408 15

bull 10 Ahmedabad Jama Masjid ` 16

bull 11 Moghul period art amp architecture 17

bull 12 Agra Fort amp Itmad-ud-daula 18

bull 13 Taj Mahal 19

bull 14 Fatepur sikri Mosque Tomb of Salim chisti Buland Darwaza Palace Panch mahal Diwan I-am etc 20 to 23

bull 15 British Architecture in India ( 1757 to 1947) 24 to 26

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Agra fort







































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Rashtrapati Bhavan



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Question Bank

















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Imperial Style





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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Imperial Style





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The Deccan Style






















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Agra fort







































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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Imperial Style





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The Deccan Style






















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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Imperial Style





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The Deccan Style






















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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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Imperial Style





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The Deccan Style






















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Agra fort







































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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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Imperial Style





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The Deccan Style






















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Agra fort







































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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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The Deccan Style






















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Agra fort







































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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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The Deccan Style






















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Agra fort







































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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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The Deccan Style






















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Agra fort







































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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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The Deccan Style






















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Agra fort







































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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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The Deccan Style






















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Agra fort







































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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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The Deccan Style






















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Agra fort







































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27

Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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The Deccan Style






















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Agra fort







































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24







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26


27

Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




28

Question Bank

















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17

The Deccan Style






















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Agra fort







































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24







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26


27

Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




28

Question Bank

















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The Deccan Style






















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Agra fort







































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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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The Deccan Style






















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Agra fort







































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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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Agra fort







































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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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Agra fort







































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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




28

Question Bank

















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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




28

Question Bank

















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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




28

Question Bank

















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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




28

Question Bank

















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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




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Question Bank

















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Rashtrapati Bhavan



Parliament House




28

Question Bank

















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Question Bank

















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Islamic architecture ksm dsatm 2013

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