MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE.

INTRODUCTION:

 THE GREAT MUGHAL EMPERORS:

BABUR(1526-1530): THE FIRST OF MUGHALS.
HUMAYUN(1530-1556): THE LUCKLESS LEADER.
AKBAR(1556-1605): THE GREAT.
JAHANGIR(1605-1627): THE PARAGON (ADARSH) OF STABILITY.
SHAH JAHAN(1627-1658): THE MASTER BUILDER.
AURANGZEB(1658-1707): THE INTOLERANT.
 ALL THE EARLY MUGHAL RULERS WERE GREAT LEADERS.
 WITH THE COMING OF THE MUGHALS,INDIAN ARCHITECTURE WAS GREATLY
INFLUENCED BY PERSIAN STYLES. THE MUGHALS CONSTRUCTED EXCELLENT
MOSQUES, FORTS, GARDENS AND CITIES.
 THE MUGHAL BUILDINGS SHOW A UNIFORM PATTERN BOTH IN STRUCTURE
AND CHARACTER.
 IT HAD A TIME SPAN OF 132 YEARS, PRATICALLY FROM 1526 TO 1658, AND
AGRA-FATEHPUR SIKRI, LAHORE-KASHMIR-KABUL, DELHI, ALLAHBAD, AJMER,
AHEMDABAD, MANDU AND BURHANPUR ARE ITS MAJOR CENTRES.
MAIN CHARATERISTICS FEATURES:

 THE BULBOUS DOMES.

 THE SLENDER MINARETS WITH CUPOLAS AT FOUR CORNERS.
 LARGE HALLS.
 MASSIVE VAULTED GATEWAYS AND DELICATE ORNAMENTATION.
MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE BEGINS WITH AKBAR
WHO SHOWED HIS PASSION FOR BUILDING BY
PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTING SPLENDID
EDIFICES.
DURING HIS REIGN MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE
TOOK ON NEW FORMS.
AKBAR MADE FREE USE OF BOTH HINDU
PERSIAN STYLES.
THE USE OF RED SANDSTONE INLAID WITH
WHITE MARBLE AND PAINTED DESIGNS ON THE
WALLS AND CEILING ARE THE SALIENT
FEATURES OF AKBAR’S BUILDINGS.
AKBAR CONSTRUCTED NUMEROUS FORTS,
TOWERS, PALACES, MOSQUES, GATEWAYS.
HUMAYUN’S TOMB:

HUMAYUN’S TOMB WAS BUILT BY HIS WIDOW HAJI BEGUM

IN 1565A.D., FOURTEEN YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH. THE
TOMB STANDS IN THE CENTRE OF A SQUARE ENCLOSED
GARDEN. THE GARDEN IS DIVIDED AND SUB-DIVIDED INTO
SQUARES, TYPICAL OF MUGHAL GARDENS.
THE LOFTY DOUBLE STOREYED STRUCTURE IS BUILT ON A
HUGE HIGH PLATFORM TERRACE WHICH HAS A ROW OF
CALLS WITH ARCHED OPENINGS.
THE CENTRAL CHAMBER IS OCTAGONALIN SHAPE AND
CONTAINS THE TOMB. IT HAS A HIGH MARBLE DOUBLE
DOME IN THE CENTRE AND PILLARED KIOSKS WITH
CUPOLAS SURROUNDING IT.
BUILT IN A RED SANDSTONE WITH AN INLAY, OF BLACK,
WHITE AND YELLOW MARBLE IT PRESENTS AN IMPOSING
PICTURE.
AGRA FORT:

A GREATER PART OF THE FORT AT AGRA WAS

CONSTRUCTED BY AKBAR STARTING IN 1565 A.D.
SITUATED ON THE BANKS OF RIVER JAMUNA, IT IS A
MASSIVE AND GRAND STRUCTURE. THE SPECIAL
FEATURE OF THE FORT IS THE 2.5KMS LONG AND 21
METERS HIGH CIRCUITOUS WALL OF SOLID RED SAND
STONE.
THE ENTRANCE TO THE FORT IS THROUGH TWO
GATEWAYS: THE MONUMENTAL DELHI GATE WHICH
FACES THE CITY ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE FORT
AND WAS BUILT TO ENHANCE SECURITYAND AS THE
KING’S FORMAL GATE, AND INCLUDES FEATURES
RELATED TO BOTH. THE OTHER SMALLER GATEWAY IS
CALLED THE HATHI POL OR THE ELEPHANT GATE
BECAUSE OF TWO LIFE-SIZED ELEPHANTS WITH THEIR
RIDERS-ADDED ANOTHER LAYER OF SECURITY.
FATEHPUR SIKRI:

AKBAR’S GREATEST ARCHITECTURAL ACHIEVEMENT WAS

THE CONSTRUCTION OF FATEHPUR SIKRI, HIS CAPITAL
CITY NEAR AGRA. THE CONSTRUCTION OF WALLED CITY
WAS STARTED IN 1569 A.D. AND COMPLETED IN 1574.
CONTAINED SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS-
BOTH RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR WHICH TESTIFY TO
EMPEROR’S AIM OF ACHIEVING SOCIAL,POLITICAL AND
RELIGIOUS INTEGRATION.

THE RELIGIOUS EDIFICES WORTH MENTIONING ARE THE

JAMI MASJID AND SALIM CHISTI’S TOMB. THE TOMB
BUILT IN 1571 A.D. IN THE CORNER OF THE MOSQUE
COMPOUND IS A SQUARE MARBLE CHAMBER WITH A
VERANDAH.
BULAND DARWAZA:

A MAGNIFICENT GATEWAY WAS ADDED LATER 1571-

72 TO COMMEMORATE HIS CONQUEST GUJRAT.
BUILT OF RED SAND STONE AND MARBLE IT IS SAID TO
BE THE “MOST PERFECT ARCHITECTURAL
ACHIEVEMENT IN THE WHOLE OF INDIA.”
A FLIGHT OF STEPS LEAD TO THE GATEWAY WHICH IS
ABOUT 53 METERS IN HEIGHT AMD 39 METERS IN
WIDTH.
ENTRANCE IS THROUGH A HUGE ARCHED DOME
RECESS. A BROAD RECTANGULAR STRIP BORDERING
THE ARCHWAY HAS CALLIGRAPHIC INSCRIPTIONS
ON IT.
THE BEAUTIFUL PERFORATED PARAPET AND THE ROW
OF KIOSKS WITH CUPOLAS ADD TO THE DIGNITY OF
THE MONUMENT.
 AND MANY OTHER MONUMENTS LIKE: AKBAR’S TOMB-SIKANDRA,JAMA
MASHJID-DELHI, RED FORT-DELHI, TAJ MAHAL-AGRA, BIBI KA MAQBARA AND
WERE CONSTRUCTED DURING MUGHAL’S PERIOD.

 THE MUGHAL PERIOD IN THE INDIAN HISTORY IS ONE OF THE

GLORIOUS PERIODS THAT HAVE ENRICHED INDIA IN MULTIFARIOUS
WAYS. ART AND ARCHITECTURE HAD RECEIVED A GREAT FILLIP
DURING MUGHAL PERIOD THAT HAVE GIFTED US WITH
ARCHITECTURAL GEMS THAT HAVE DEFIED THE PASSAGE OF THEIR
TIME IN THEIR APPEAL AND SPLENDOR.
THANKYOU.
BY:JATIN TILWANI.
3RD SEM AR17010.