Aman Kumar

MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE

Major Mughal contribution to the Indian subcontinent was their unique architecture. Many monuments were built by the Muslim emperors, especially Shah jahan, during the Mughal era. One of them is the world famous Taj Mahal. Others are Fatehpur sikri, Red fort, Qutb Minar and Agra fort and many more.

Introduction

Mughal Paintings

• Under the rule of King Akbar, there was a large scale growth of Painting experience.

• He encouraged paintings based on Ramayana, Mahabharata and Persian epics. It also used to depict nature, animal tales and portraits of Kings and Queens.

• The king who showed the maximum interest in painting was Emperor Jahangir.

• This period saw more and more refinement in brushwork, along with the use of much lighter colours.

• During the rule of Aurangzeb, Painting was not allowed and thus Mughal style of painting started to decline.

More about Mughal Painting

More Paintings

Bahabar Shah Jafar

A rare picture of Bahadur Shah Jafar awaiting trial

Mughal Literature

• Islamic schools were attached to mosques, Khanqah of the Sufis and tombs.

• Students received education free of cost. Famous scholars received fixed stipends from the royal treasury.

• Nizamiyyah ( model of madrasa) system of education was introduced.

• Nizamiyyah institutes were the first well organized higher institutes of learning in the Muslim world. The quality of education was the highest in the Islamic world.

• Girls from rich families were given private tuitions at home and girls from middle class were usually able to attend classes in the same schools as the boys.

Mughal Literature

The Mughal period saw great developments in the field of literature.

Many Mughal emperors and members of the royal family were great men of letters.

Babar the first Mughal emperor was one of the pioneers of Turkish poetry and also the author of a very valuable autobiography in Turkish BabarNama which was later translated into Persian

Jahangir the great connoisseur of painting wrote his autobiography the Tuzuk-i- Jahangiri.

The last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was a notable Urdu poet.

Mughal Literature

• Hindi literature made significant progress during Akbar’s reign.

• Tulsidas and the Surdas wrote in this period. Keshavdas a great poet wrote on themes of love

• Abul Fazl wrote the Ain-i-Akbari and Akbar Nama during Akbar’s reign.

• Akbar also encouraged the translation of Mahabharat, Bhagvad Gita, a Panchatantra, etc.

• One of the most significant developments during the medieval period was the birth of the Urdu language.

• It produced great poets like Wali, Mir Dard, Mir Taqi, Akbarabadi, etc.

Mughal Literature

Architecture

Introduction Indo-Islamic style is neither a local variant of Islamic art, nor a modification of Hindu art; it is an assimilation of both the styles, though not always in an equal degree. On the other hand, Islamic art itself was a composite style, which had various Muslims influences-Turkish, Persian, and Arabic. This amalgamation of exotic and indigenous architectural styles was possible due to a variety or factors- Muslim rulers had to use, in most cases, Indian craftsmen and sculptors who were schooled in their own art traditions. Another factor that inadvertently contributed to this fusionof style was that during the early Muslim invasions, mosques were often built out of materials from Hindu and Jain temples and sometimes temples themselves were modified into mosques.

FATEHPUR SIKRI

Fatehpur Sikri Fort was built by Akbar. It is regarded as Emperor Akbar’s crowning architectural legacy. This was the temporary capital of Emperor Akbar, of the Mughal Empire, between 1570 to 1586. He came to the city of Sikri and met the Sufi mystic called Sheikh Salim Chishti. Salim told the Emperor that he would have at least three sons. A year later, the first son was born. In gratitude, Akbar named the son Salim (later known as Jahangir), after the saint and he also moved his capital here.

FATEHPUR SIKRI

Sikri was the first planned city of the Mughals. Akbar chose to construct this capital on the natural feature of the terrain. In 1571, Akbar began building a mosque and then a palace complex at Sikri. The nobilities built their mansions further down the hill and shops lined the road to Agra. To commemorate his conquest of Gujarat, Akbar named his new capital Fatehpur Sikri or the “City of Victory.”

The structures here include palaces and courtyards, as well as official buildings, like audience halls, the treasury, the harem, soldier's barracks and kitchens. The attached complex comprises the main mosque, the shrine of Sheikh Salim Chishti, and a lofty gateway. The mosque complex at the highest level – comprising of Jami Masjid, Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chisti and Buland Darwajah. Royal complex on the lower level comprising of Raniwas, Mahal-I-ilaahi, Shahi Bazaar, Meena Bazaar, Baithak and gardens. And the public complex at the lowest level comprised of Panch Mahal, Khawabghah, Shahi kutub khana, Ibaadat khana and deewaan-i-aam.

FATEHPUR SIKRI

The Dewan-i-Khas”or “Ibadat khana”. Is the centerpiece of the room, it is a highly decorated pillar – Throne pillar, from which four bridges radiate. Akbar’s throne is placed on the circular platform over the central pillar. It is here that Akbar, seated on his throne, listened to the discussions/debates among representatives/gurus of all the major religions of that time.

INSIDE FATEHPUR SIKRI

Deewan-i-Khaas

FATEHPUR SIKRIThe Pachisi court has a giant stone board of the game “Chausar”. It is believed that Akbar used to play this game using slave girls as live pieces. According to Abul Fazal – Another jewel of Akbar’s Nauratna- at a time there were about 200-300 people playing the game with Akbar and they were not allowed to go home till the Emperor had played 16 rounds of this game.

Treasury or Aankh Michauli

The Treasury or Aankh Michauli was composed of three rooms. Current thinking suggests that that building was used as the imperial treasury of gold and silver coins. Its brackets had mythological sea creatures carved on it signifying the guardians of the treasures of the deep sea

Pachisi Court

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned it as a mausoleum for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Construction of the Taj Mahal was begun in Agra soon after Mumtaz's death. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648, and the surrounding buildings and garden five years later. Construction began in 1632 and was completed in 1648.

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia. Over 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials during the construction. The translucent white marble was brought from Rajasthan, the jasper from Punjab and the jade and crystal from China. The turquoise was from Tibet and the Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, while the sapphire came from Sri Lanka and the carnelian from Arabia. In all, 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones were inlaid into the white marble.

Taj MahalThe Taj rises on a high red sandstone base topped by a huge white marble terrace on which rests the famous dome flanked by four tapering minarets. Within the dome lies the jewel-inlaid cenotaph of the queen. So exquisite is the workmanship that the Taj has been described as "having been designed by giants and finished by jewellers". The only asymmetrical object in the Taj is the casket of the emperor which was built beside the queen’s as an after-thought.

Inside the dome

• The Taj Mahal is built from precious white marble with delicate mosaic, with inlaid precious stones. Almost every surface of the entire building has been decorated, and every detail is symmetrical. The mosaic designs are based on three decorative elements- calligraphy, abstract geometric and vegetative motifs. The exterior decorations of the Tag Mahal are among the finest to be found in Mughal architecture of any period. • The Taj Mahal is arguably one of the most incredible man-made constructions in the world. It’s located in Agra, which is in the north central part of Indian, on the right part of the Humana River. Known for its symmetry, the Taj Mahal sits on a raised platform surrounded by four minarets.

The tomb of Shah Jahan bears a calligraphic inscription, not taken from the Qur'an, but referring to the resting place of this Mughal Emperor. Part of the inscription reads; "He travelled from this world to the banquet-hall of Eternity on the night of the twenty-sixth of the month of Rajab, in the year

1076 Hijri."

??Did You Know ??

Shah Jehan deemed that one else should ever copy the masterpiece, so he had the master craftsman Ustad Isa right hand cut off.

Many people believe, Shah Jehan had planned to build another Taj Mahal in black marble,which was to be his own tomb on the opposite bank of the River Yamuna and connect the two by a bridge. However, the construction never got started due to conflict with his son, which took up most of his time.

The Taj Mahal cost 32 million rupees to build, which is roughly $1,000,000.

Little Known Facts Of Taj Mahal

• A whole town, named Mumtazabad, was constructed to house the twenty

thousand workers who laboured for whole years to build the Taj Mahal.

• A whole town, named Mumtazabad, was constructed to house the twenty

thousand workers who laboured for whole years to build the Taj Mahal. • Above the tombs is a Cairene lamp, the flame of which is

supposed to neverburn out. The acoustics of the building are superb with the domed ceiling being designed to echo chants from the Koran and musician’s melodies.

• Above the tombs is a Cairene lamp, the flame of which is supposed to never

burn out. The acoustics of the building are superb with the domed ceiling being designed to echo chants from the Koran and musician’s melodies.

• Taj is a world’s wonder because of its perfect symmetry, than beauty. The

composition of the forms and lines is perfectly symmetrical. Here is a beautiful admixture of lines, horizontal with vertical, and straight with curved all harmoniously set together in total unity. The adopt each other with amazing uniformity.

• Taj is a world’s wonder because of its perfect symmetry, than beauty. The

composition of the forms and lines is perfectly symmetrical. Here is a beautiful admixture of lines, horizontal with vertical, and straight with curved all harmoniously set together in total unity. The adopt each other with amazing uniformity.

Red Fort

The Red Fort, set amidst the bustling heart of Old Delhi, with its obligatory share of dust and memories, bears the stamp of a place that has seen much grandeur and knows it. After Mughal Emperor Shahjahan shifted his capital to the royal quarters of Delhi, this colossal fort sprouted from the heart of his new city, Shahjahanabad. History traces its way back from the dawn of Mughal power in Delhi, to the times when it was known as Qila-e-Mu'alla or the 'Auspicious Fort'.

Diwani-Khas: Red Fort

The Diwani Khas, an outstanding structure was meant for the Emperor to sit in audience with his ministers and listen to disputes and discussions.  A novel structure, it is a large hall with a giant monolithic pillars in the centre with a circular railed platform on top like a cup which is supported by a circular array of beautifully carved brackets.  From the  Central platform branch out four diagonal railed galleries symbolizing Akbar’s supremacy over his dominions.  The gallery is continued on all four sides of the hall.  The audience  sat in the galleries and in the hall below giving it the effect of a two-storey building.  Sitting in the centre, Akbar heard discourses and discussions on religions.

Purana Quila (Old Delhi), Delhi

Sher Shah built the Purana Quila in Delhi. Started by him, it was completed by Humayun. Built of red and buff sand-stone, it is ornamented with black and white marble and coloured tiles. A beautiful mosque inside the Quila with ornamental arches, decorative panels, geometrical designs and inscriptions is an example of the development of architecture and ornamentation during Sher Shah's reign.

Agra Fort

A greater part of the fort at Agra was constructed by Akbar starting in 1565 AD and completed it in 1574 A.D. Situated on the bank of the river Jamuna, it is a massive and grand structure.  The special feature of this fort is the 2.5 kms. long and 21 metres  high circuitous wall of solid red sand stone.

Jama Masjid

The Jami Masjid of Ahmedabad is one of the biggest and oldest mosques of India, built by a Bahmani ruler Ahmed Shah I (1411-1442), the founder of Ahmedabad, in 1423. One of the major tourist attractions of Gujarat, Jami Masjid is known for its fine and amazing architecture. The Mosque has a total of 260 pillars supporting 15 domes at different elevations. The Jami Masjid also had tall minarets, which were destroyed in an earthquake.

The mosque was the result of the efforts of over 5,000 workers, over a period of six years. The mosque faces west. Its three sides are covered with open arched colonnades, each having a lofty tower-like gateway in the centre. The mosque is about 261 feet (80 m) long and 90 feet (27 m) wide, and its roof is covered with three domes with alternate stripes of black and white marble, with its topmost parts covered with gold. The courtyard of the mosque can be reached from the east, north and south by three flights of steps, all built of red sandstone.

Jama Masjid

Did you know • The Mughal Empire

originated in Pakistan and Afghanistan

• First Army Headquarters was first housed inRed Fort, Delhi

• From the top of Jama Masjid's

minaret, there is an amazingview of the sprawling cityof Delhi

Tombs………..

Humayun’s tomb was built by his widow Haji Begum in 1565 A.D. in Delhi in 1569A.D., fourteen years after his death.  The mausoleum 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 Mausoleum of Akbar at Sikandra near Agra was started by Akbar and completed by his son Jahangir in 1612 A.D. who changed the original design of his father. Designed on the model of  a Buddhist Vihara, it is set in the centre of a square garden.

The Mausoleum of Itmad-ud-Daula, the revenue minister of Jahangir and Nur Jehan’s father was built in Agra on the banks of the Jamuna. Started by Jahangir it was completed by Nur Jehan in 1628 A.D.  A small rectangular structure in white marble, inlaid with semi-precious stones and coloured glass, it is a delicate and beautiful piece of architecture.  It is the first pure marble monument and differs from the typical massive, red sand-stone structures of earlier Mughals.  Situated in a garden amidst fountains, it has a square lower storey with four minarets in the four corners.  A traceried pavilion forms the second storey. 

Tombs………..

Itmad-ul-Daula

Sher Shah's tomb at Sasaram in Bihar built in 1549 is in the centre of a large square tank and rises at 46 metres high. It is a two storey construction on a terraced platform. The upper terrace has pillared domes and the two storeys above have a pillared kiosk at the four corners. The base of the large central dome has thirty two sides. The tomb is decorated with coloured tiles, very few of which remain now. Entrance to the tomb is through a domed structure

Sher Shah’s Tomb

Qutup Minar

The Qutub Minar is 72 meters high (237.8 ft) with 379 steps leading to the top. The diameter of the base is 14.3 meters wide while the top floor measures 2.75 meters in diameter. Surrounding the building are many fine examples of Indian artwork from the time it was built in 1193. A second tower was in construction and planned to be taller than the Qutub Minar itself

Qutup Minar

The purpose for building this monument has been variously speculated upon. It could take the usual role of a minaret, calling people for prayer in the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, the earliest extent mosque built by the Delhi Sultans. Other possibilities are a tower of victory, a monument signifying the might of Islam, or a watch tower for defense.

??Did You Know??

The Taj Mahal is so proportionately constructed, one never imagines that it is taller than the Qutb Minar, the tallest minaret in the world! The Taj is 243½ ft. in height while the Qutb Minar is only 239 ft.

The Mughals made use of the ancient Indian decorative technique of carving and sculpture and freely utilized glazed-tiling, painting, stucco, mosaic and inlay arts. They liberally employed all types of motifs and designs which were in vogue in the Orient. The Mughal decorative art is not an expression in isolation, it is a link in the continuous growth of the art of the people.

• During the Mughal period, especially under Akbar's reign, temple music took a backseat and durbar sangeet came into being.

• Music was composed mainly to sing praises of the masters. There were numerous musician irrespective of gender or religion.

• The main instruments were Sarmandal, bin, nay, karna and tanpura.

• The musicians came from far and wide and the music was rich and varied.

• Akbar’s court was witness to a complete fusion of the Persian and Indian music systems. But Aurangzeb was a puritan thus did not support any type of art or architecture

MUGHAL MUSIC

MUGHAL MUSIC

Fashion designing or embroidery

Other arts popular at the mughal court were Jewellery, Fashion designing or embroidery, writing, perfumery and so on.

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