MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

Discuss the origin of Islam & its philosophies

What do you mean by the term ‘Indo-Islamic Architecture’? Explain the vocabulary of Indo-Islamic
Architecture and the influence from Hindu Architectural language.

Compare the architectural design philosophies of Islam and Hindu.

 MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

The Delhi or Imperial Style – Slave Kings

• The imperial style of Islamic architecture, as this flourished under the aegis of the ruling
power at the Moslem capital of Delhi, was maintained for a period of over three and half
centuries ( Later stages of 11th Century to the end of 14th Century).

• The earliest appearance of Islamic architecture in India, and referred to as the imperial style,
may be divided in to five phases corresponding to the five Mohammedan dynasties which
prevailed in Hindustan from the twelfth to sixteen centuries.

• They are designated

 Slave (A.D. 1191-1246)
 Khalji (1290-1320)
 Tughluq (1320-1413)
 Sayyid (1414-1444)
 Lodi (1451-1557)
 MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

The Delhi or Imperial Style – Slave Kings

• None of the building activities of these rulers affected more materially the character of the
subsequent architecture than those of the first dynasty, known as the Salve kings of Delhi.

• Such was one of Mohammed Ghuri’s salves, Qutb-ud-din Aibak, whom that eastern Persian
prince appointed as governor of his possessions in India A.D. 1191.

• Qutb-ud-din established the Salve dynasty on the death of Mohammed of Ghuri in 1206.

• This dynasty, , Qutb-ud-din himself, and his son-in-law Shams-ud-din Ilututmish (Altumish),
who ruled from A.D. 1211 to 1236, were the most active patrons of the building art, and
their productions were of the utmost significance in laying the foundations of the style.

• Qutb-ud-din lost no time in consolidating his power by proceeding to erect monumental

buildings of stone on the site of captured Hindu stronghold of Qal’a-i-Rai Pithaura, which he
converted into Moslem capital of Delhi.
 MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

The Delhi or Imperial Style – Slave Kings

• Maintaining the ancient tradition of the Arabs, who, on founding their “hirahs”, or camp cities
in the course of their conquest, first marked out the area of the mosque, with a central
place of assembly for the people, , Qutb-ud-din put into practice a similar plan.

• In the centre of the Hindu citadel was a large temple, which he ordered to be dismantled.

• Retaining intact the chabbutra or plinth of the temple, this stone basement was enlarge to
double its original size in order to from a stylobate sufficiently spacious to accommodate the
mosque, which was designed to cover a rectangle 212 feet long by 150 feet wide, the whole
being enclosed by wall and with cloisters around its four sides.

• For such an activity twenty – seven temples within the neighborhood were utilized.
 MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

The Delhi or Imperial Style – Slave Kings

• Thus, this means that for such development work, the same community of artisans , who
probably sometime before had been employed in raising these structures, now found
themselves compelled to supervise the demolition of their own handiwork and to undertake
its re-erection in another place, under entirely different conditions, and for a widely
different purpose.

• In such circumstances the first Islamic building in India of dressed stone was at its best
mainly a patch work of older materials, beautiful in detail, as its arcaded aisles were
composed of pillars carved in the most perfect Hindu style.

• This mosque consisted of a courtyard some 141 feet by 105 feet surrounded by pillared
cloisters, three aisles deep, the short pillars from the temples being placed one above the
other in order to secure the necessary height.
 MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

The Delhi or Imperial Style – Slave Kings

• On the west or Mecca side of the courtyard, the arrangement of pillars was made spacious
and elaborated into a series of bays with shallow domed ceilings, from the sanctuary.
• In front of the center the sanctuary was erected the famous Iron pillar, but deprived of its
crowning figure of Garuda, this remarkable example of indigenous craftsmanship having been
torn from its original setting near Mathura.
• Accordingly in 1190 arrangements were made for expensive arched façade to be projected
across the entire front of the sanctuary on the west.
• Here he caused a maqsura or screen brick to be built, separating the sanctuary from
courtyard, and through the openings of which congregation could view Imam or leading
priest conducting prayer.
• When complete this screen as a whole formed a great wall of masonry over 50 feet in height
at the centre its width 108 feet, and with a thickness of 8.5 feet.
MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

The Qutb Mosque, Delhi

 MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

The Delhi or Imperial Style – Slave Kings

• It was pierced by five openings, consisting of a large central archway measuring 45 feet high
with a span of 22 feet, while on each side were two lesser archway, each of 25 feet in height.

• Above the side arches was a kind of clerestory having a series of four smaller arched
opening one over each of the side arches.

• The screen was almost an independent object itself, having but slight organic connection with
the Hindu or low pillared sanctuary at its rear, and clerestory was singularly inapplicable as it
served practical purpose either for lighting the sanctuary for anything else.

• When a traditional element appears in a scheme the real significance of which have been
either forgotten or not understood.

• Without adequate knowledge of its structural meaning, or its relation to the rest of building.
 MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

The Delhi or Imperial Style – Slave Kings

• Yet putting one side certain inconsistency in principle, this screen of red sandstone is by its
noble conception, its fine pointed arches with ogee curves producing that effect of lightness
necessary in such a massive volume.

• Ingenuously graceful is borders of spiral having a floral device within each coil of its
contrasting with it are upright lines of decorative inscriptions as emphatically Islamic.

• And upon the surfaces of the stones were engraved verses of the Koran in such a manner as
could not be done in wax; ascending so high that you would think the Koran was going up to
heaven, and again descending in another line so low that you would think it was coming
down from heaven.
MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

The Delhi or Imperial Style – Slave Kings

 MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

The Delhi or Imperial Style – Slave Kings

• The notch or peak in the pointed arch of Indo-Islamic buildings, wherever found, although
insignificant in itself, may be regarded as the sign-manual of a distant Indo-Buddhist origin.

• The Hindu fortress of Qal’A-i-Rai Pithaura, although recorded as the first of the seven
historical cities of Delhi when captured and occupied by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, was by no
means important strategic and political centre that it afterwards became.

• He had already designated his mosque the Quwwat-Islam, or “Might of Islam,” indicating that
he was fully conscious of the spiritual force it signified.
 MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

The Delhi or Imperial Style – Slave Kings

• Accordingly in the last year of the twelfth century, Qutb-ud-din laid the foundations of a
structure, which, when completed, became one of the most remarkable architectural
monuments ever produced.

• This was immense and lofty tower, the Qutb Minar, originally some 238 feet in height.

• Its royal builder had no doubts as to the great ideal such a monument embodied, for the word
Qutb by the pivot of justice, Sovereignty, and of the faith.

• the inscriptions carved so beautifully and boldly on its surface, which plainly announce that it
was erected in order to cast “the shadow of God over the East and over the West.”
 MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA

The Qutb Minar, Qutb Mosque, Delhi