The Boundless Beauty of Mughal Architecture
“Not a piece of architecture as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones.”
- Edwin Arnold on The Taj Mahal
What comes to your mind when you think of the Mughals? Is it the epic love saga of Jodha and Akbar, or Salim and Anarkali? Or is it the sumptuous biryani that both you and I enjoy through its fragrance even before it is served in your plate? Or the Qawalis, Ghazals and Shyaris? Or the Mughal language which is a highly etiquette laden version of Hindi? Or is it the universally admired masterpiece, The Taj Mahal?
The mighty Mughal dynasty that was established after the victory of Babur in the war of Panipat in 1526, is entwined inseparably with India’s history and culture. Bringing along the Turko-Mongol culture that paved the way for the development in the field of art, history, science, economics, literature, cuisines, grandeur, warfare, etc in India, architecture is the greatest gift offered by the Mughals to India. The remarkable amalgamation of styles inspired from the Islamic, Persian, Turkic and Indian architecture is what gave rise to the bewitching buildings of the Mughal era. These can predominantly be seen in the northern and central part of the Indian subcontinent along with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
The basic principles of the Mughal architecture were provided by emperors Babur and Humayum. However, the foundation of the architecture that was brand new in India had already been laid during the thirteenth century with the introduction of the arcuate technique where the space was covered with large bulbous onion shaped domes and entrances made with delicate design of arches. The Mughal buildings have a uniform pattern of structure and character which includes slender minarets, massive halls, large vaulted gateways. These blending designs gave the Mughals a distinct style of their own.
The early Mughal architecture first developed under the reign of King Akbar, the great. Akbar, among the greatest of all rulers anywhere in the world and a monarch far ahead of his medieval times, took a concrete form and had an aesthetic taste in architecture. He commissioned magnificent palaces, mosques, gardens and mausoleums. The architecture during his time was a combination of Persian, Turkic, Timurid Iranian, Central Asian, Indian muslim and Muslim Style.
The Akbari architecture made extensive use of sandstones and the trabeated and arcuate construction where the doors and roofs were constructed by placing one horizontal beam against two vertical columns. The arches were mainly in the decorative form rather than in structural form. The domes typically were of the ‘Lodi’ type, where they were built hollow but never technically of true double order. The decorations as well, were boldly carved or inlaid patterns complemented by bright coloured patterns. One of the earliest commissions of Akbar was the ‘Agra Fort’. With its massive battlements and crenelated walls, its gates consist of two octagonal towers of dressed red sandstones linked to each other. The Delhi Gate of the Agra fort is the principal entrance to the fort. The architecture of the gate shows an originality signifying the start of a new era in the building art of India. The Jehangir Mahal at the fort is said to have been based on the Man Mandir in Gwalior fort, and has a number of Rajasthani features like red sandstone brackets, balconies carved with peacock and serpent motifs. The walls of hallways and staircase carry flamingos, geese, lotus carvings and also figures of mythical creatures such as winged dragons, half elephants, birds, etc.
The majestic Mughal architecture showcases an illustrious architectural past. The Mughal Inlay art is an astounding feature and an instrument of dynamic expression in the great era of the Mughal empire. The ‘pietra dura’ which translates to hard stones from Italian, is considered as the jewel and is referred as ‘Pachchikari’ or ‘Parchinkari’ in India. The details of this design can not only be found in the buildings in India but also in Venice, Italy. The style can be seen evolved by emperors like Akbar, Jehangir and Shah Jahan. The explicit details of the art can be visible during Akbar’s time at the Jahangir Mahal in the Agra Fort and the Red Fort in Delhi. However the most impressive amongst them is the Taj Mahal, whose astonishing and impressive reputation exceeds everything else.
The art present at the UNESCO world heritage, Taj, at the arched entrances and the neighbouring structures is in form with its all prestige. It is embedded with Rajasthani Makrana ivory marble, gemstones such as carnelian, lapis lazuli, turquoise and malachite and exhibited in floral designs of the Parchinkari that stands out on the glimmering ivory surface. Another example of this fine craftsmanship can also be seen at ‘Bibi ka Maqbara’ in Aurangabad, which is also referred as the ‘mini Taj’.
A Mughal town appears to have a strong, centralized base. Its colossal hydraulic works for irrigation, the efficient well planned roads, streets and bylanes and the presence of monumental gardens, points out the desire of the Mughal architects to redesign the urban landscape. There were around 120 cities and 3200 towns in the mughal period which included administrative centres, trade and commercial places, coastal towns, ports and religious as well as educational centres. The Mughals were also renowned for creating exquisite gardens in the Persian Charbagh layout in which the quadrilateral gardens were divided by walkways or flowing water into four smaller parts. The capital towns built by the Mughals were schemed to serve the theatrical expression of splendor, power and authenticity. The royal planned city in Fatehpur Sikri, situated 26 miles west of Agra in Uttar Pradesh, served as the political capital of India during emperor Akbar’s reign.
Every vision of a Mughal emperor introduced a delicate elegance and detail to the architecture. The Mughal period in the Indian history is one of the most glorious periods that has enriched Indian architecture in multifarious ways.
