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*MUGHAL ARCHITECTUREMughal architecture owes its origins to its
religion, Islam, as a showpiece of prestige and power, for
pleasure, and for death.These concepts are reflected in great
mosques, forts, durbars and palaces, gardens and pools, and
finally, tombs. Formally and artistically, Mughal architecture owes
as much to its genealogical origins among the Safavids and
Timurids, as it does to the passion of its patrons, notably Akbar
and Shah Jahan. It is thus that impeccable Charbagh plans combine
with indigenous detailing as in the tombs of Humayun and Akbar, and
the forts at Agra, Delhi and Lahore.
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*BUILDING TYPESForts
Palace and garden,
Mosque and
Tomb.
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*FORTThe function of a fort is to command large swathes of
territory, To control the trade routes that pass therein, To
inspire awe and loyalty amongst the populace, and finally to be a
refuge if attacked.
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*AKBAR : FORTSAgra (from 1564), Ajmer (from 1570), Lahore (from
1580) and Allahabad (from 1583).
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*AGRA FORTin the form of an irregular semicircle, has its back
to the river Yamuna which thus protects its eastern side. The
riverside walls are punctuated nevertheless by defensive bastions
of which the main one controls an access from the river and
numerous underground passages.
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*FORTOn the town side the bastions are regularly spaced and the
height of the walls is 30m.
The western wall is dominated by the massive main entrance the
so-called Delhi Gate- and the Hathi Pol. This gate is approached by
a tortuous access ramp. More to the south, the Amar Singh gate is
defended by two towers which flank the entrance.
A remarkable feature in this fort is a hybrid beast, part horse,
part lion and part elephant sculpted on a panel. This monster
evokes Assyrian men-beasts but also resembles the monsters of Hindu
mythology.
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*FORTmost of Akbars work within the fort walls was demolished or
modified by Shah Jahans rebuilding and transformation later. One
specimen that does survive is the Jahangiri Mahal. This structure
built for the emperors wives and family is similar in character to
the Man Mandir at Gwalior.
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*FORTShah Jahans additions, the Anguri Bagh (Garden of
grapes)
palace and
the white marble Moti Masjid. Anguri Bagh Moti Masjid.
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*Tombs I the first great Mughal construction, Humayuns tomb near
Nizam-ud-din in Delhi This was the first mosque built on the lines
of the Charbagh, gardens with fountains built on the Islamic
concept of paradise being gardens in which flow torrents of water.
Its construction was undertaken by the late emperors widow, the
Hamida Bano Begum, in the reign of Akbar.
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*The tomb is entered by a long axial processional path, which
has on its way great gateways offering teasing views to the
superstructure.
The tomb itself is raised on an arcaded platform, under which
can be found numerous lesser graves, which are ascribed to various
nobles and workers who served Humayun.
A great central chamber has four offshoots, double storeyed in
height and arcaded on their facades. The central room contains the
epitaphs of the emperor Humayun and his queen, and is crowned by
great double dome.
On the exterior, the tomb is clad in red sandstone with marble
being used for detail work and inscriptions. Also continued here is
the jali work along the facades, rich in detail, which keeps the
interiors cool and breezy.
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*Tombs I the first great Mughal construction, Humayuns tomb near
Nizam-ud-din in Delhi This was the first mosque built on the lines
of the Charbagh, gardens with fountains built on the Islamic
concept of paradise being gardens in which flow torrents of water.
Its construction was undertaken by the late emperors widow, the
Hamida Bano Begum, in the reign of Akbar.
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*Akbars Tomb, Sikandra built by his son Jahangir continuing the
charbagh formula, is set in the midst of gardens with fountains and
canals, and like Humayuns tomb, is also raised on a
superstructure.
Here, however, the similarities lessen, because in plan and
detail, Akbars tomb takes much from the indigenious Rajput and
Gujarati traditions. The pavillions inside are decorated with
motifs ranging from elephants, swans, lotus, swastika and chakras,
along with the more conservative arabesques and calligraphy
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*Badshahi Masjid, Fatehpur Sikri The Badshahi Masjid is the
largest and most impressive mosque built during Akbars reign, and
its central court is dominated to the south by the Buland
Darwaza,
The materials used are the same which dominated much of Akbars
reign, a preponderance of sandstone with marble filigree and
detailing. The prayer hall to the west is a departure from the
free-standing Afghan mosque halls like Jamali-Kamali near the Qutb,
or the Qila-i-Kuhna at the Purana Qila, and is instead integrated
into the pillared cloisters. Added later during Jahangirs reign,
the dargah of the Sufi saint Salim Chisti was designed in sandstone
during Akbars reign, but was eventually executed wholly in
marble.
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* several lesser known structures built during the same period.
Jahangirs tomb at Shahdara near Lahore which reflects the influence
of Sikandra, Itmad-ud-Daulas (Jahangirs father-in-law) tomb at
Agra, mosques at Tatta and Ajmer, the Begam Shahi Masjid of Akbars
widow at Lahore, and the Patthar Masjid of Srinagar. This last is
one of the few notable mosques built during Jahangirs reign.
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*Jahangirs tomb. shahdara Lahore.Itmad ud daulahs (Ghiyas beg0
Tomb Agra.Both build by his wife Nurjahan (Nur Mahal Begum)
Jahangirs tombSquare structure.30.5 m high minarets at each
corner.Entire structure of brick withcoloreddecoration distributed
all over the surfaceIn the interior fresco paintings used inlay
colored works on pavements sides of minarets colored glazed tiles
on dados in corridorsWhite marble cenotoph.Not a great work of
architecture but a display of works minarets though graceful appear
out of proportion due to flat central mass.Set in hugh garden
divided into 16 equal squres with fountain and pool at
intersection.
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*Jahangir.Great patron of building arts rather than
architecture
Gardens in Kashmir.Expression of the familiar theme of Mughal
architecture.Undulating topography and endless supply of water -
result - Cascade and flowing channels and garden pavilions on
ascending levels Flagged walkways divide flat rectangular garden
areas into formal square spaces with chinar trees and flower
bedsplanted in linear patterns along challened paths.At change of
levels stone pavilions sometimes in blac k erected.
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*The reign of Shah Jahan The Mughal empire now stretched across
almost the whole subcontinent, and the imperial court was amongst
the richest in the world.
a patron of the arts and architecture. As most rulers did, one
of his first acts was to found a new city, Shahjahanabad, the Jama
Masjid at Shahjahanabad, Agra and Agra fort. The Jama Masjid at
Shahjahanabad is raised on a platform surrounded by arches, and is
built on an exceptionally grand scale. In fact, one of the
requirements for the Viceroys house built by the British (and now
Rashtrapati Bhavan) was that its dome should be higher than that of
the Jama Masjid, as a symbol of the supremacy of British power over
the previous emperor. The great central arch of the frontispiece of
the qibla qubba masks the dome behind, and chattris set off the
entrance pavilions. The Jama Masjid is accessed by monumental gates
and steps from the bazaar below. Jama Masjid at Delhi
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*Mosques at Agra, Lahore Moti Masjid is in the precincts of Agra
fort.
This mosque entirely clad in white marble has calligraphy in
black marble, and
perhaps served as an experiment in completely decking a building
in this material before the Taj Mahal. . The Badshahi masjid in
Lahore is comparable to the one at Delhi in size and importance,
(Aurangzeb)but its splendid free standing prayer hall has a minar
at each corner, as does the courtyard.
The squatness of the corner minars, however, does no good to the
proportions of the mosque, and the decoration in terms of patterned
panels on the sandstone clad surface is more effete than a strong
statement. BADSHAHI MASJID
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*Shahjahen.