The 14th century CE in India saw the emergence of a new religious and cultural tradition: Islam. There was a prolific growth of Islamic architecture, along with art and learning centres. The broader theme of this paper will discuss the... more
The 14th century CE in India saw the emergence of a new religious and cultural tradition: Islam. There was a prolific growth of Islamic architecture, along with art and learning centres. The broader theme of this paper will discuss the Begumpuri Masjid, a site in the Tughlaq city of Jahanpanah, and its influence on the Tughlaq religious architecture. The paper will further dive into the question of cultural syncretism visible in the buildings of that period and the political reasons behind the same. This aim is taken with the view that there was an underlying process of “alloying” and “accommodation” prevalent in the interaction between Islam and Indic traditions. The paper will also deal with the conservation of the site in question. The Masjid is situated in the Delhi Ridge, which is slowly vanishing due to the large-scale urban development. Therefore, it becomes imperative to locate the conservation of the site in this context. For the purpose of this paper, an attempt to conduct a first- hand observation of the site was done. However, due to it being closed for certain reasons, a detailed primary documentation of the site could not take place.
