THE PROVINCIAL STYLE OF

Jaunpur
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THE GOVERNOR OF JAUNPUR, AN EASTERN PROVINCE OF THE SULTANATE WAS GIVEN
THE TITLE 'MALIK-USH-SHARQ' (KING OF THE EAST) BY THE TUGHLAQ MONARCH IN
DELHI.
UNDER THE SHARQI MONARCHS, JAUNPUR BECAME AN IMPORTANT CENTER OF ISLAMIC
ART, ARCHITECTURE AND LEARNING, A UNIVERSITY TOWN KNOWN AS 'SHIRA-I-HIND'
AFTER THE CITY OF SHIRA IN IRAN.
MOST OF THE STRUCTURES OF THE STYLE WERE DESTROYED WHEN SIKANDER LODI OF
DELHI RECONQUERED JAUNPUR, LEAVING ONLY ! MOSQUES
THE STYLE WAS MAINLY FORMED UNDER SULTAN SHAMS-UD-DIN IBRAHIM ("#$%- &')
MAIN FEATURES(
PYLONS BUILT ON THE FACADE TO ACCENTUATE ENTRANCES ETC. ARE A COMMON
FEATURE.
ARCHES ARE OF THE 'DEPRESSED FOUR CENTERED' OR 'TUDOR' VARIETY WITH 'FLEUR-
DE-LYS' FRINGES.
THE BUILDERS WERE NEVER CERTAIN OF THE CURVES AND CONTOURS OF THE
ARCHES, WHICH WAVERED WEAKLY IN THE LARGER E)AMPLES.
THE PREDOMINANTLY HINDU MASONS ANDARTISANSWERE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH
THE PILLAR, BEAM AND BRACKET (TRABEATE) SYSTEM OF CONSTRUCTION WHICH WAS
FREQUENTLY USED.
THE PILLARS HAVE SQUARE MONOLITHIC SHAFTS WITH BANDS ACROSS THE MIDDLE.
THE SAME BANDS ABOVE FORM THE CAPITAL OUT OF WHICH CLUSTERS OF BRACKETS
EMERGE. THESE HAVE A FEEL OF ROUGH E)ECUTION.
THE ATALA MASJID
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F - N+,-. /012
A - E34- 51-,3165B - C51-,37 0/31
C - P,385, ,++9-F363:5
D - S+;-. /012E - D+95: C.39<5,
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BUILT ON THE SITE OF HINDU TEMPLE OF ATALA DEVI,
THE MATERIALS OF WHICH AND THOSE OF OTHER
TEMPLES IN THE VICINITY WERE USED IN
CONSTRUCTION
COVERS AN AREA OF %!= SQUARE FEET
ITS COURTYARD IS ">> FEET LONG
ON THREE SIDES ARE THE CLOISTERS AND ON THE
FOURTH THE SANCTUARY
CLOISTERS ARE ! AISLE DEEP AND IN THE MIDDLE
THERE IS A GATEWAY, NORTH AND SOUTH BEING
PROMINENT WITH A DOME ABOVE
THE WEST SIDE WHERE THE SANCTUARY STANDS IS
DIVIDED INTO FIVE COMPARTMENTS.
A PYLON WITH SLOPING SIDES RISES IN THE CENTRE OF
SANCTUARY, >! FEET HIGH, !! FEET WIDE AT BASE
HAS LARGE ARCHED RECESS "" FEET DEEP AND
CONTAINS ENTRY TO THE NAVE AND ARCADED
WINDOW OPENINGS
SMALL SCALE PYLONS ARE PLACED ON EITHER SIDE
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SANCTUARY HAS A CENTRAL NAVE (&! FEET )
&$ FEET), WITH PILLARED TRANSEPTS ON
EITHER SIDE, TOPED WITH A HEMISPHERICAL
DOME
OBLONG IN FORM,%! FEET IN LENGTH AND %?
FEETIN WIDTH
NAVE@S VERTICAL SPACING IS ARRANGED IN &
STAGES, THE LOWEST PART HAS & MIHRAB AND
A HIGH PULPIT,
%
ND STAGE IS COMPOSED OF = DECORATED ARCHES, FOUR OF THEM SPAN THE
SQUINCHES, BRIDGING ACROSS THE ANGLES, MAKING AN OCTAGON,
&RD STAGE IS CONVERTED BY MEANS OF BRACKETS IN EACH CORNER INTO "'
SIDED STOREY, EACH SIDE CONTAINING AN ARCH, FORMING AN ARCADED
TRIFORIUM TO SUPPORT THE DOME
DOME IS !> FEET HIGH INSIDE, MADE OUT OF CIRCULAR STONE COURSE COVERED
WITH A THICK LAYER OF CEMENT
TRANSEPTS ARE LONG PILLARED HALLS OPENING INTO OCTAGONAL BAY AT
CENTRE, ROOFED BY DOME AND AT THE END IT BECOMES A % STOREYED
STRUCTURE, THE UPPER STOREY SURROUNDED BY PERFORATED SCREENS
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