PREFACE

The successful completion of this project was a unique experience for me because by going
through various articles and reports on Mughal Architecture, I have achieved a better
knowledge about it. The object of this project work is to understand and learn more about the
Mughal Period, their style of architecture and the most famous monuments from the Mughal
Period.
This project reports attempts to bring under one cover, the hard work and dedication put in by
me in the completion of the project work on Architectural Monuments during the Mughal
Empire. This project work has also given me an opportunity to utilize and exhibit all my
knowledge and competencies.
The project work is on the topic Architectural Monuments of the Mughal Empire

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The success of any venture solely depends on the effort of every single person involved.
Similarly, the efforts in this project work are attributed to a number of people who guided me
at all times.
I extend my gratitude to Subha Dutta Maam, who gave me her valuable suggestions and was
ever ready to answer my queries.
I would also like to thank my family and friends, without whose valuable inputs this project
would not have been completed.

Introduction

MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE An Introduction

Mughal architecture is an architectural style developed by the Mughals in the 16th, 17th and
18th centuries throughout the ever changing extent of their empire in Medieval India. It was
an combination of Islamic, Persian, Turkic and Indian architecture.
Mughal buildings have a uniform pattern of structure and character, including large bulbous
domes, slender minarets at the corners, massive halls, large vaulted gateways and delicate
ornamentation.[1] Examples of the style can be found in India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and
Pakistan.
The Mughal dynasty was established after the victory of Babur at Panipat in 1526. During his
five-year reign, Babur took considerable interest in erecting buildings, though few have
survived. His grandson Akbar built widely, and the style developed vigorously during his
reign. Among his accomplishments were Humayun's Tomb (for his father), Agra Fort, the
fort-city of Fatehpur Sikri, and the Buland Darwaza.
Mughal architecture reached its zenith during the reign of Shah Jahan, who constructed
the Jama Masjid, the Red Fort, the Shalimar Gardens in Lahore, and the most famous Mughal
monument, the Taj Mahal, as well as many other fine examples of the style.

Top Four Monuments from the Mughal Period

Taj Mahal
Panch Mahal
Jama Masjid
Agra Fort

TAJ MAHAL
The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble tomb on the south bank of the Yamuna River in the
Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to
house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 42acre complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens
bounded on three sides by a fortified wall.
Construction of the tomb was essentially completed in 1643 but work continued on other
phases of the project for another 10 years. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been
completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around
32 million rupees, which in 2015 would be approximately 52.8 billion rupees. The
construction project employed some 20,000 artisans under the guidance of a board of
architects led by the court architect to the emperor, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.
Architecture & Design
The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions of Persian and earlier Mughal
architecture. Specific inspiration came from successful Timurid and Mughal buildings
including; the Gur-e Amir, Humayun's Tomb, Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb, and Shah Jahan's
own Jama Masjid in Delhi. While earlier Mughal buildings were primarily constructed of
red sandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious
stones. Buildings under his patronage reached new levels of refinement.
THE TOMB
The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal. It is a large, white
marble structure standing on a square platform and consists of a symmetrical building with
an iwan (an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial.
The most spectacular feature is the marble dome that surmounts the tomb. The dome is nearly
35 metres high which is close in measurement to the length of the base. Because of its shape,
the dome is often called an onion dome or amrud (guava dome). The top is decorated with
a lotus design which also serves to accentuate its height. The shape of the dome is
emphasized by four smaller domed chattris (kiosks) placed at its corners, which replicate the
onion shape of the main dome.
The main finial was originally made of gold but was replaced by a copy made of
gilded bronze in the early 19th century. This feature provides a clear example of integration
of traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements. The finial is topped by a moon, a
typical Islamic motif whose horns point heavenward.

Interior decoration
The interior chamber of the Taj Mahal reaches far beyond traditional decorative elements.
The inlay work is not pietra dura, but a lapidary of precious and semiprecious
gemstones.] The inner chamber is an octagon with the design allowing for entry from each
face, although only the door facing the garden to the south is used. The four central upper
arches form balconies or viewing areas, and each balcony's exterior window has an intricate
screen or jali cut from marble. In addition to the light from the balcony screens, light enters
through roof openings covered by chattris at the corners.
Muslim tradition forbids elaborate decoration of graves. Hence, the bodies of Mumtaz and
Shah Jahan were put in a relatively plain crypt beneath the inner chamber. Mumtaz Mahal's
cenotaph is placed at the precise centre of the inner chamber on a rectangular marble base.
Both the base and casket are elaborately inlaid with precious and semiprecious gems.
Calligraphic inscriptions on the casket identify and praise Mumtaz. Shah Jahan's cenotaph is
beside Mumtaz's to the western side, and is the only visible asymmetric element in the entire
complex. His cenotaph is bigger than his wife's, but reflects the same elements: a larger
casket on a slightly taller base precisely decorated with lapidary and calligraphy that
identifies him.

Threats
More recent threats have come from environmental pollution on the banks of Yamuna
River including acid rain[45] due to the Mathura Oil Refinery,[46] which was opposed
by Supreme Court of India directives. The pollution has been turning the Taj Mahal yellow.
To help control the pollution, the Indian government has set up the Taj Trapezium Zone
(TTZ), a 10,400-square-kilometre (4,000 sq mi) area around the monument where strict
emissions standards are in place.
Concerns for the tomb's structural integrity have recently been raised because of a decline in
the groundwater level in the Yamuna river basin which is falling at a rate of around 5 feet a
year. In 2010, cracks appeared in parts of the tomb, and the minarets which surround the
monument were showing signs of tilting, as the wooden foundation of the tomb may be
rotting due to lack of water. In 2011 it was reported that some predictions indicated that the
tomb could collapse within 5 years.

JAMA MASJID

The Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque), AKA Jami Masjid, is a 17th Century mosque in
the World Heritage Site of Fatehpur Sikri in India. Built between 1644 and 1658, Jama
Masjid is one of the last architectural works of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and
dedicated to his loving daughter, Jahanara Begum. The mosque also known as the "Friday
Mosque" is one of the largest mosques in India and is a most sought after pilgrimage site by
the devotees. It is also one of the most visited tourist destinations in Agra district. Some of
the designs of the mosque reflect beautiful Iranian architecture.
The mosque uses both red sandstone and white marble to create a magnificent evidence of
Mughal architecture. The central courtyard has a fountain, with four small minaret-shaped
kiosks around its corners. The structure required 5000 workers and took nearly 6 years to
complete, its resulting beauty an evidence of the hardwork and time that went into its
creation.
ARCHITECTURE
The Jama Masjid was designed as the main mosque of Shahjahan. It stands on one of the two
hills, Bho Jhala in the Mughal capital, Shahjahanabad. The mosque has three gateways, four
towers and two minarets. It is constructed with alternate use of vertical strips of red sandstone
and white marble. The white marble has been used extensively in the three domes and has
been inlaid with stripes of black. The structure was situated on a high platform so that its
magnificent facade would be visible from all the neighboring areas. The main prayer hall on
the west is decorated by a series of high cusped arches, which stand on 260 pillars. These
pillars support 15 marble domes at various elevations. The imposing gateways are
approached through a broad flight of steps in the north and the south. The hallmarks of this
famous mosque are the wide staircases and arched gateways.
The tower is made up of five distinguished storeys, each pronounced by a protruding balcony.
Beautiful calligraphy embellishes its adjacent buildings. The first three storeys of the tower
are made of red sandstone, the fourth one is made of marble, while the fifth is again of
sandstone.
The closet in the North gate of the mosque contains a collection of Muhammad's relics - the
Quran written on deerskin, a red beard-hair of the prophet, his sandals and his footprint,
embedded in a marble slab, all of which are still preserved.
The premises of the south minaret are 1076 sq ft wide where the people assemble for the
namaaz. The cost for building the mosque was approximately Rupees 10 Lakhs. It was the
replica of the Moti Masjid at Red Fort in Agra. It is said that the walls of the mosque were
tilted at a certain angle so that at the time of an earthquake, the walls do not collapse in the

courtyard but outwards. The Jama Masjid combines the best of the Hindu and Islamic styles
of architecture.

PANCH MAHAL
Panch Mahal is a five-story palace in Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh, India.
The Panch Mahal,also known as "Badgir" meaning wind catcher tower, was commissioned
by sikarwar rajputs . This structure stands close to the Zenana quarters (Harem) which
supports the supposition that it used for entertainment and relaxation. This is one of the most
important building in Fatehpur Sikri . This is an extraordinary structure employing the design
elements of a Buddhist Temple; entirely columnar, consisting of four stories of decreasing
size arranged asymmetrically upon the ground floor, which contains 84 columns.
These columns, that originally had jaali (screens) between them, support the whole structure.
Once these screens provided purdah (cover) to queens and princess on the top terraces
enjoying the cool breezes and watching splendid views of Sikri fortifications and the town
nestling at the foot of the ridge.
The pavilion gives a majestic view of the fort that lies on its left. The pool in front of the
Panch Mahal is called the Anoop Talao. It would have been filled with water, save for the
bridge, and would have been the setting for musical concerts and other entertainment. The
ground floor has 84 columns, the first story has 56 columns and the second and third stories
have 20 and 12 columns respectively. The topmost story has 4 columns supporting a chhattri.
There are 176 columns in all and each is elegantly carved with no two alike.

ARCHITECTURE
The first floor has 84 pillars with row of eight pillars arranged in north to south direction and
row of six pillars arranged in east to west direction. The second floor has 56 pillars with row
of six pillars in north to south direction and row of four pillars in east to west direction and
also beautiful carved pillars with unique designs. Capitals of these pillars also contain
beautiful carved designs like floral vase, arch or rosette pattern. This floor also has a
projecting chhajja and a carved frieze.
The third floor is composed of 20 pillars with smaller in size. It contains row of five pillars
from north to south and row of three pillars from east west direction having double pillars at
northeast corner. The fourth floor has 12 pillars in two rows. Pillars on eastern side are
double. This floor also has beautiful jalied balustrade. The top of the building is decorated
with beautiful square chhatri with a cupola.

AGRA FORT

Refrences for Jama Masjid

http://www.culturalindia.net/monuments/jama-masjid.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jama_Mosque,_Fatehpur_Sikri
http://www.indiaprofile.com/monuments-temples/jamamasjid.htm

References for Panch Mahal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panch_Mahal,_Fatehpur_Sikri
http://www.agraindia.org.uk/fatehpur-sikri/imperial-harem/panch-mahal.html