MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE

Mughal architecture is mainly characterised under

Babur
Humayun
Akbar
Jahangir
Shah Jahan
Aurangzeb
The rulers of Mughal Empire were great patrons of art and architecture
and constructed many fine tombs, mosques and madrasas.
BABUR (1526-1530)
• founder of Mughal dynasty
• considerable amount of building construction was undertaken
• large structures
• inspiration from Persia
MAJOR BUILDINGS BUILT
• Babur erected a mosque at Panipat to celebrate his victory over Ibrahim Lodi.
• A second mosque, known as the Babri masjid, was built in Ayodhya, and
demolished in 1992.
• A third mosque also built by Babur during the same period was constructed in
Sambhal in Moradabad.

• The central courtyard was surrounded by lavishly curved columns superimposed

to increase the height of the ceilings.
• A murmer from the Babri Masjid Mihrab could be heard clearly at the other end
200 feet [60 m] away and through the length and breadth of the central court .
HUMAYUN
• Humayun was the successor of Babur.
• Humayun ruled the inherited empire from 1531– 1540, after which he fled to
Persia during the attack by army of Sher Shah Suri.
• However he regained his control over the empire (Delhi) in 1555 and ruled for 6
months.
• Most of the structures built by him was destroyed when it came under the power
of Sher Shah Suri.
• One of the most remarkable building remembered in his name is his Tomb which
was built in 1564 by his son.
SHER SHAH (AD 1540- 1545 )
• Under his rule building activity in Delhi got a new vigour & pace- laid out anew
city known as Delhi Sher shahi by expanding purana Quila
• Sher Mandal- an octagonal 3 storey pavilion was built near Yamuna
• Quila Kunha Masjid - Central dome with lotus & kalasha finial,4 pointed Tudor
arches, Chajja supported by brackets , complete the well proportionate Facade
• Sher Shah died in a battle in AD 1545 & was buried in Sasaram,Bihar

SHER SHAH ‘S TOMB,SASARAM,BIHAR

It is an imposing brick structure partly veneered with stone standing in the middle of a
fine square tank measuring about 1400’, and rising above a large stone terrace.
. A parapet wall encloses the terrace 250’ and the four corners have octagonal domed
pavilions. In the middle of the terrace stands the mausoleum proper on a low octagonal
plinth. This three-storied mausoleum rises to a height of 150’ in terraces
The building consists of a very large octagonal chamber surrounded by a 3.10 mts wide
verandah. Each arm of the octagon measures about 17.00 mts externally. Surrounding
the main dome are 16 pillared cupolas on the corners of the octagon in two levels.
AKBAR, THE KING OF BUILDERS
• The emperor Akbar (1556-1605) built largely, and the Mughal style developed
vigorously during his reign.
• He was religious but not an orthodox.
• Frugal and was tolerant to all religions.
• There is a combination of Muslim and Hindu features in his work
• First structure built by him is his father’s tomb - Humayun’sTomb
• Akbar constructed the royal city of Fatehpur Sikri, located 26 miles (42 km) west
of Agra, in the late 1500s.
• The numerous structures at Fatehpur Sikri illustrate the style of his works.
FEATURES
Buildings were chiefly executed in red sandstone, with insertions of white marble
In its appearance, the style was accurate and “trabeate” in almost equal
proportion
Pillar shafts were many sided
Capitals were almost invariably in the form of bracket supports
They built impressive tombs
Constructed domes which were sometimes hollow but never technically of true
double order
Principle of construction: “trabeate” order, although the “tudor” arch was often
used but mainly for decorative arcading
Ornamentation: carved or boldly inlaid patterns, painted design for interior wall
and ceiling
 AKBAR
HUMAYUN’S TOMB

Scale and principles reflect the dynastic origins and aspirations of the mughals
Persian Inspiration
Tomb is conceived at the heart of a grand symmetrically arranged Char bagh,
which is a formal garden intersected by canals and paths
Entered through monumental gateways on each axis
Huge plinth, rectangular facade
Elevation: central rectangular fronton with a deep arch, flanked by cubic masses
with chamfered corners
Mausoleum is set in garden whose axis project those of building into the
landscape
PLAN
• Single chamber with a complex of octagonal halls
• Octagonal halls comprising central one surrounded by 4 corners as inspired by
persian models & hindu pancharatna planning
STRUCTURE
• display vast, flat surfaces relieved by deeply shaded arcades and only somewhat
softened by chamfered corners
• core was finely claded with finely dressed red sandstone, the stone courses
alternatively broad and narrow duly contrasted with white recessed marble inlay
and a bulbous dome
• four octagonal towers containing a central space, above which rises a white,
marble double-shelled dome
• The platform, chajja, domed canopies are of Indian origin
 FATEH PUR SIKRI,AGRA (AD1571-1585)
Akbar built this city in the honour of the saint, Shaikh Salim Chishti on Sikri hills near
Agra. The city is a refection of the emperors vision & philosophy.- ,in creating an
architectural vocabulary that’s truly an amalgam of different styles in his vast empire.
Artists ,architects & builders from all over the empire were invited, encouraged to
express freely their creativity in the designs to build the new city.
The layout had some broad zoning principles:
1. Service areas: water works, serais, guards rooms etc on outskirts
2. Public areas: courts, Diwan –i-am ,& Jami masjid forms an outer periphery
around an inner private zone.
3. Private zones: Diwan-i-khas,kings&queens residenes at inner coe on top of
the ridge
Orientation was strictly followed:
• Secular bldgs: N-S
• Religious bldgs : E-W
Overall visual unity through use of red sand stone: cut to shape as
columns,beams,backets & roofing slabs ,joined together as in Timber construction often
without mortar
Every bldg is visually linked to another through a series of visual axes connecting
through courtyards.

• It is surrounded by a bastioned wall enclosing an irregular area about 2 miles long

and 1 mile broad & 7 gates.
• The main approach is from Agra, through the Agra Gate and a Naubat Khana
which leads straight to the Diwan-i-Aam
• public areas are on the southern flank of the hill, while the private areas
reserved for the Royal family and personages of importance are on the northern
flank.
 • Apart from the Jami Masjid, the structures in the city are for the most part
trabeate, with some diversities in detailed treatment due to the different
backgrounds of the artisans
• he buildings can be segregated into two classes,
1. the religious: jami masjid,salim chistis tomb
2. the secular: palaces, administrative buildings and miscellaneous structures.
Major buildings in the city are:
Diwan-i-Aam : Diwan-i-Am or Hall of Public Audience, is a building typology found in
many cities where the ruler meets the general public. In this case, it is a pavilion-like
multi-bayed rectangular structure fronting a large open space

Diwan-i-Khas: the Diwan-i-Khas, or Hall of Private Audience, is a plain square building

with four chhatris on the roof..
However it is famous for its central pillar, which has a square base and an octagonal
shaft, both carved with bands of geometric and floral designs, further its thirty-six
serpentine brackets support a circular platform for Akbar, which is connected to each
corner of the building on the first floor, by four stone walkways. It is here that Akbar had
representatives of different religions discuss their faiths and gave private audience

Panch Mahal: A five-storied palatial structure, with the tiers gradually diminishing in
size, till the final one, which is a single large-domed chhatri. Originally pierced stone
screens faced the façade, and probably sub-divided the interior as well, suggesting it
was built for the ladies of the court. The floors are supported by intricately carved
columns on each level, totalling to 176 columns in all.
Jodh Bai’s Palace is a structure built as the house of the principal queen and discloses
some of the conditions of living in the Mughal household..

The palace in plan measures 320’ X 215’, consisting of a large central courtyard with
buildings arranged around its periphery. The only entrance is through a guarded
gatehouse with staggered doorways to provide seclusion
In many of its elements and carved decoration, especially in the design of the niches
and brackets with their volute forms and the shapes of the pillars, an influence of Hindu
temple architecture can be seen, showing that artisans from Gujarat were assigned with
the construction of the palace.
The building known an Birbal’s house is a two storeyed structure, complex in its
arrangements and elaborate in its architectural ornamentation. The ground storey is
made up of four rooms and two porches, while the upper storey is made up of two
rooms and open terraces enclosed by screens.

The upper rooms are roofed by cupolas while the porches have pyramidal roofs, all of
which are constructed on a modified form of the double dome in order to keep the
interior cool.
Anup Talao: A ornamental pool with a central platform and four bridges leading up to it.
Some of the important buildings of the royal enclave are surround by it including,
Khwabgah (House of Dreams) Akbar's residence, Panch Mahal, a five-storey palace,
Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience), Ankh Michauli and the Astrologer's Seat, in the
south-west corner of the Pachisi Court.
Jama Masjid: It is a Jama Mosque meaning the congregational mosque, with a massive
entrance to the courtyard, the Buland-Darwaza added some five years later. Only
building that follows an Islamic vocabulary in its architecture

Measuring 515’x 43’,largest mosque in India. Triple domed liwan with a large courtyard.
central iwan almost hides the main dome & the size of the arch not proportionate with
side arches. A distinguishing feature is the row of chhatri over the sanctuary.
Buland Darwaza:

The southern gate was added some five years later after the completion of the mosque
1576-1577 as an 'victory arch', to commemorate the Akbar's successful Gujarat
campaign.
The gateway is 134’ high, approached by a steep flight of steps 42’ high. Thus, the total
height of the structure comes out to be 176’ above the roadway. The structure is 130’
wide and 123’ deep. The main element of the decorative treatment of the outer façade
is the wide border of the gateway emphasizing its rectangular formation, providing
ample space for a continuous ornamental inscription.

The façade has three planes comprising a large central face and a lesser one on each
side receding at an angle. he rear aspect of the gateway is less pronounced, consisting
of three arched entrances and a parapet in two stages
The tomb of Salim Chisti is located in the courtyard of the Jami Masjid at Fatehpur Sikri,
its construction beginning along with the mosque in A.D. 1571.

The tomb consists of a square exterior of 24’ side which contains a mortuary chamber
of 16’ side, the whole covered by a low dome. A wide verandah is carried around the
outside, its roof supported by pillars with the interspaces filled with perforated screens,
the whole measuring 48’ square. porch, also supported on pillars is projected from the
southern side.
SHAHJAHAN
SHAJAHANABAD, DELHI,(AD 1639)
The period of Shahjahan was the golden age of Mughal architecture & one of the most
prosperous ages of Indian civilization.
Shahjahanabad was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1639 It remained the capital
of the Mughals until the end of the Mughal dynasty in 1857.
It is approximately shaped like a quarter circle, with the Red Fort as the focal point. The
old city was surrounded by a wall enclosing about 1,500 acres (6.1 km2), with 14 gates
It is approximately shaped like a quarter circle, with the Red Fort as the focal point. The
old city was surrounded by a wall enclosing about 1,500 acres (6.1 km2), with 14 gates.
The city was planned according to planning principles of Vaastushastra. The site was
placed on a high land as in the Shastras and was Karmukha or bow shaped, for this
ensured its prosperity
The city was planned according to planning principles of Vaastushastra. The site was
placed on a high land as in the Shastras and was Karmukha or bow shaped, for this
ensured its prosperity

.. The surrounding built-form was originally divided into introverted clusters reflecting
the socio-economic structure and supporting a high degree of functional mix.

The mosque is about 261 feet (80m) long and 90 feet (27m) 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 3 principal nodes of the city are:
1. Chandni Chowk
2. Red Fort
3. Jama Masjid
The Red Fort was built as the fortified palace of Shahjahanabad, capital of the fifth
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, in 1648. The imperial apartments consist of a row of
pavilions, connected by a water channel known as the Stream of Paradise (Nahr-i-
Behisht).

The fort lies along the Yamuna River, which fed the moats surrounding most of the
walls. With the Salimgarh Fort, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
2007 as part of the Red Fort Complex
The Red Fort has an area of 254.67 acres (103.06 ha) enclosed by 2.41 kilometres
(1.50 mi) of defensive walls,[2] punctuated by turrets and bastions and varying in height
from 18 metres (59 ft) on the river side to 33 metres (108 ft) on the city side.
The Lahori Gate is the main gate to the Red Fort, Every Indian Independence Day since
1947, the national flag has flown and the Prime Minister has made a speech from its
ramparts.

The inner main court to which the Nakkar Khana led was 540 feet (160 m) wide and 420
feet (130 m) deep, surrounded by guarded galleries. On the far side is the Diwan-i-Aam,
the Public Audience Hall.
The hall's columns and engrailed arches exhibit fine craftsmanship, and the hall was
originally decorated with white chunam stucco.In the back in the raised recess the
emperor gave his audience in the marble balcony (jharokha).
West of the hammam is the Moti Masjid, the Pearl Mosque. A later addition, it was built
in 1659 as a private mosque for Aurangzeb. It is a small, three-domed mosque carved in
white marble, with a three-arched screen leading down to the courtyard.

• The Red Fort is considered to represent the zenith of Mughal creativity under
Shah Jahan
• It was the largest & extravagantly beautiful palace complexes in the word.
• The Red Fort was the residence of the Mughal emperor of India for nearly 200
years, until 1857.
JAHANGIR
After the death of Akbar in 1605, his son, Prince Salim, ascended the throne and
assumed the title of Jahangir, "Seizer of the World".
The Mausoleum of Akbar and Mughal gardens were the most important works which
were initiated by Jahangir.
Under Jahangir’s rule Hindu features vanished from the style of architecture that was
used.
Some of the notable contributions by Jahangir in architecture were the-
Tomb of Akbar
Tomb of Itmad-Ud-Daula
Shalimar gardens, Kashmir
The Great Mosque at Lahore
-AKBAR’S TOMB.
• The tomb of Akbar, though Islamic in spirit, is a blend of styles.
• The magnificent entrance, use of exquisite patterns, excellent jali work
(intricately perforated decorative stone screens), fine Persian style calligraphy,
the charbagh garden layout (four-quartered garden layout, with the main
building at the center), etc., are representative of Islamic influence.
The Mausoleum of Akbar
The Mausoleum of Akbar at Sikandra, outside Agra, represents a major turning point in
Mughal history.
The sandstone compositions of Akbar were adapted by his successors into rich marble
masterpieces.
The Tomb of Akbar “the Great” is an important architectural masterpiece set in 119
acres near Agra.
Akbar commenced its construction in around 1600.
Akbar's son Jahangir completed the construction in 1605-1613.
The ground is precise 690 m square, aligned with the points of the compass, surrounded
by walls, and laid out as a classic charbagh style.
A gatehouse stands at the center of each wall, and broad paved avenues, laid out in
Mughal style with central running water channels representing the four rivers of
Paradise, lead from these to the tomb which is at the center of the square.

Gateway to Akbar’s tomb

The south gate is the largest, with four white marble chhatri-topped minarets, this is the
normal point of entry to the tomb.
The tomb itself is surrounded by a walled enclosure 105 m square.
The tomb building is a four-tiered pyramid, surmounted by a marble pavilion containing
the false tomb.
The true tomb, as in other mausoleums, is in the basement.
The buildings are constructed mainly from a deep red sandstone, enriched with features
in white marble.
Decorated inlaid panels of these materials and a black slate adorn the tomb and the
main gatehouse.
Panel designs are geometric, floral and calligraphic.
AURANGZEB
MOTI MASJID (1659- 1660)
rd
Aurangzeb, the 3 son of Shajahan captured power in 1659 after murdering his
brothers & imprisoning his father at Agra fort. He was a man of strict orthodox views
who was more interested in military pursuits than art & architecture. He inherited a
near bankrupt treasury & chaotic empire.

The splendour of Shahjahan began to decline with rule of Aurangzeb.Shortly after his
accession, Aurangzeb is known to have ordered a small marble mosque, today
acknowledged as the Moti or Pearl Masjid, to be constructed inside the Shahjahanabad
fort (the present-day Red Fort) for his private use.
Typical triple domed Indian Mosque with a courtyard.The prayer hall has three arches,
and it is divided into two aisles.It is surmounted with three bulbous domes, which were
originally covered in gilded copper
The mosque is plastered in white on the outside. Inside is the white marble courtyard
and a prayer hall, which stands on a higher level than the courtyard. The floor of the
prayer-hall is inlaid with outlines of small carpets for prayers (musalla) in black marble.