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National Culture And Heritage

Bengal Architecture through the Ages:

Architecture in the Ancient period:

Bangladesh has inherited from the ancient times onwards, the honour and the
grandeur of Architecture legacy than any other century so far. This architecture have been
appreciated even by the earliest Buddhist pilgrims and visitors to Bangladesh like Fa-hien
on the 5th century and Hieun-Tsang, I-tsang and Sheng-Chi in the 7th century a full
description of the period of architecture splendor of various places in Bangladesh,
particularly (Mahasthan), an enclosed city of 5 miles in circuit, Hieun-Tsang in fact noticed
20 “Sangharamus” (monasteries) and 100 Brahminical Temples, a fact not sufficient to
explain in writing. Near these monasteries was also a magnificent “Po-Shi-Po” Monastery.
This is generally identified with the Bhasa-Vihara which had “specious halls and tall storied
chambers”. Hieun-Tsang also visited other Buddhist centres in Bangladesh including these
in Samatata (Comilla) including those in Samatata (Comilla) where he counted more than
30 Buddhist monasteries with above 2000 brethren of the “Sthavira School”. The lofty
descriptions of that architectural magnificence described by those Chinese pilgrims so
eloquently are nowhere to be seen in Bangladesh. The ravages of time and climate and
geographical sudden calamities and ruined such splendors as architectural beauty and
evidences, have turned into legends. Particularly Bengal climate and its soil are responsible
for such ruins. It needed a constant care, otherwise creeping shrubs and trees, take cover
on these monuments, which soon break these into pieces. Secondly, the non-durability of
building materials like the bricks, the wood, the cement, the plasters etc, also the changing
course of rivers and the atrocities of the brick and treasures hunters account for this
ruination.

However, inspite of these the archaeological excavations which have started in the
1920s and which are now being followed quite successfully, unveiled a number of
architectural remains including monist and Temples which not only testify to the existence of
these findings but also inform of many other details which are of most fundamental
importance in reconstructing the early history of Bangladesh. “The Buddhist manuscript
illustrations of the 11th century A.D. such as the Artheshastra projnaparamitu and also
contemporary miniature sculptural representation of various archaeological sites also
supplement these sources. Therefore, in the absence of the existence of architectural
monuments in their entirety, it is with the help of these materials only, that we have to work
in delineating the early architectural history of Bangladesh”.

A. Monuments: Religious buildings examples later comments: It is a great pity that

ancient or pre-Muslim architecture of Bangladesh has not been able to survive the
test of time, but the remaining materials in the ruins are sufficient to build an either
imaginary or speculative picture of the glorious past. Therefore it is not possible to
draw a clear picture of distinctions between the Hindus and Buddhist architect that

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must have adorned the country for centuries. On the contrary, in fact, homogeneity
has always been noticeable and so it is on this basis “this continuity” that the
architecture of ancient Bangladesh is generally reconstructed. That Bangladesh at
some point of time was the focal point of Indian architecture is quite apparent.

B. Architecture: Medieval period:

Sultanate Architecture: It is noticeable indeed that the conquest of Bengal by

Bakhtiyar Khalji in 1204 A.D. was a new chapter in the history of Bengal
architecture. Previous to this the architecture had been far so long by Hindu or
Buddhist, but now it is different and by Muslim patronage. All along it had been
noticed that one of the first acts or move of the muslim conquerors was to erect
mosques, not only to perform the religious duty of prayers, but also to show and
establish the authority of Islam. Bakhtityar Khalji erected “mosques, madrashas and
moktabs” after his conquests, but it was not known fully. They have used the very
local materials with local craftsman whatever available at that period. It may not have
a good quality- so the result was obvious a Muslim mosque constructed with was
materials from local Temples and following local method of constructions. It is really
unfortunate to say the least, that except for four inscriptional references and the
extant examples of the mosques and tomb of Zafar Khan Ghazi and the Bari Masjid
and Minar at Trebeni in the Hooghly district of west Bengal, these is absolutely no
surviving examples of any religions or secular buildings.

After the assumption of power of the sultanate of Bengal by the Ilyas Shahi dynasty
in 1342 A.D. Haji Ilyas Shah was the first Independent Bengal who assumed the title of
“Shsh-i-Bangalah”. This dynasty ruled Bengal for twenty nine years (1413-42A.D.) of the
house of Ganesh from (1342-1487 A.D.) which was followed by the short rule of Habshish
(Negros0 (1487-93 A.D.) and then again by Hussain Shahis from (1493-1538 A.D.); then
came the Sher Shah Sur’s (Afghan) from (1538-1564), the karranis from (1564-to the
Mughal conquest in 1575 A.D.).It was the most important period of the history of
architecture in Bengal. By this time, the architecture has assumed a style and from of its
own, particularly known as “Bengali “quite distinct from imperial Delhi Sultanate style or any
other regional style of India. Hence, the most significant contributions were the Ilyas Shahi’s
and Hussain Shahi’s.

Comments: Sultanate period of Muslim architecture in Bengal is the most

important of its history. During this period, the Bengali architecture took a definite from, with
its separate identity, distinct from Delhi Sultans. By the middle of the 15th century A.D. with
local adjustment fiving a totally new look of local aspirations and taste. Hence with the
coming of the Mughals this style was discontinued, and Imperial Mughal style of

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architecture of Northern style was brought in this style continued in Temple construction the
period of the British Raj.

Examples: Religions Buildings

(i)Mossques: Some important examples are, Adina Mosque at Hazrat pandua (1375 C.),
Shat Gunbad Mosque, Nine Domed Mosque and Ronvijaypur Mosque at Bagerhat (C.15 th
century), Baba Adam’s mosque at Rampal (1433) Dorasbari Masjid(C.1470), Choto Sonar
Masjid and Bara Sona Masjid at Gaur, (early 16th century), Bagha Masjid (1523) and
kusumbha Masjid (1558 C.) at Rajshahi.

(ii) Tombs: Tomb of Ghiyas uddin Azam Shah (C.1410) in Sonargaon, Eklakhi Mousoleum
at Gaur (1413-42), Tomb of Khan Jahan Ali (C. 1459) at Bagerhat.

(iii) Madrasas: Two known examples are Belbari Madrasas in west Bengal Gaur and
Darasbari Madrasas in Bangladesh side. The Darasbari madrasha has been an example
and also built in (1504 C.)

(iv) Secular Buildings: Important examples- Citadel of Gaur and its Gateways (1435-59
C.), citadel of sataisghara and the ruined Hammam (C. 1342) in Pandua, the barder outpost
of Khalifabad (mid 15th century).

C. The Mughal Architecture: With the conquest of Bengal by the Mughals brought a new
order and new dimension in political, social and cultural life in this province or Subah.
The Mughals in Bengal like their masters in northern India at Agra, Lahore and Delhi
were the direct descendants of the mongol-Timurid race of central Asia and Persia
and even mostly the relatives of the emperor or their confidents. So the direct
descendants of the superor were sent as vieeroys to Bengal to represent the
emperor. Naturally their direct rule was based on Mughal life and culture at the
centre. So long in Bengal was the independent style, but now reduced to a provincial
version of the imperial style. The local characterstics remained with new forms and
new techniques. Bengal architecture under the Mughals’ in Bengal was wrostly the
work or initiative of subahdars under superor shahjahan and Emperor Aurangzeb.
During the time of Aurangzeb Bengal subahdars became hereditary, and the
subahdars were powerful that they led almost independent of the Mughal emperor at
the centre. One important feature of this Mughal period is that many Temples were
built in Bengal by the Hindus and also by the Mughals.

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Comments:

The numbers of monuments from the Mughal period are more in numbers than
from the sultani period, because of the cheaphess of materials and simplicity, and easy
techniques of construction. Due to its simplicity etc., the style got its way throught the
country, not only by the Mughal officers but also by local zamindars who wanted to be really
benevdlent to the public. The mosques in the countryside are mostly square and
singledomed, and haven created a typical tradition which is followed even to this day.

The Temples unlike the Mughal monument continued to be the same; they copied
the features of both sultani and Mughal architecture, which probably gives the impression of
examples of continuity throughout the ages.

Examples: Religious Buildings

(i)Mosques: Some important examples are Jami Masjid of old Maldah (15th cent.
A.D. ), Kherua Masjid (1582), Atiya Masjid (1409), Mosque of Musa Khan (early 17th cent. ),
Mosque of shah Niamatullah wali at Firojpur (mid 17 th cent. ), Sat Masjid ( late 17th cent. ),
Khawaja Ambar’s Mosque (1680), Kartalab Khan’s Mosque (1700-04 A.D. ), Khan Moham
Mirdah’s Mosque (1706 cent. ), Dhanmondi Eidgah (1640).

(ii)Tombs: Some important examples are: - Tombs of Bibi pari (c. 1684 A.D.), Dara
Begum’s Tomb of Haji Khawaja Shahbaz (1679),

(iii)Temples: Dhakshwain Temple (mostly modernized), Jor-Bangla Temple at pabna

(early 17th cent.), Raja Ram Temple at Khalia in Faridpur (early 18th cent.), Kantanagar
Temple in Dinajpur (1752).

(iv)Secular Prmidings : Bara Katra (1644), Chota Katra (1668), lalbagh fat (1678),
Pagla Bridge (mid 17th cent.), Sonargaon Bridge (mid 17th cent.), Tahkhana at Firozpur
(c.1664), Idrakpur Fat (1660), Sonakanda Fort (mid 17th c.), Zinjira Fort (late 17th cent.)

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