PROVINCIAL STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE

Jaunpur (1376-1479 AD)

 Jaunpur Style (1376-1479 AD)
•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. Hence, the dynasty was called the
Sharqi dynasty.
•Under the Sharqi monarchs, Jaunpur became an important centre of Islamic art, architecture
and learning, a university town known as 'Shiraz-i-Hind' after the city of Shiraz in Iran.
•Most of the structures of the style were destroyed when Sikander Lodi of Delhi reconquered
Jaunpur, leaving only 5 mosques.
•The style was mainly formed under Sultan Shams-ud-Din Ibrahim (1402- 36).
Salient 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 examples.
• The predominantly Hindu masons and artisans were 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
execution.
Main Buildings:
1. Atala Masjid
2. Khalis Mukhlis Masjid
3. Jhangiri Masjid
4. Lal Darwaza Masjid
5. Jami Masjid at Jaunpur
 ATALA MASJID/JAUNPUR

A Exterior around the East entrance

B Central Iwan
C Prayer room-Facade
D South wing
E Domed Chamber
F North wing
ATALA MASJID

• Built by Shams-ud-Din Ibrahim in A.D. 1408 on the

foundation built by Firuz Shah Tughlaq 30 years
before.
• Built on the site of the Atala Devi temple whose
materials along with those of other temples were
used in its construction.
• A large number of its pillars, brackets, lintels and
flat ceilings were extracted from Hindu monument.
• The mosque complex consists of a long rectangular
prayer hall that opens onto a large square courtyard
to west.
• The courtyard is enveloped by a two-story veranda on the exterior that are used by
merchants and visitors.
• It is entered from three domed gates facing north, east and west.
• The mosque consists of a square courtyard of 177' side with cloisters on 3 sides and the
sanctuary on the fourth (western) side. Entire mosque is a square of 258' side.
• Inside, the courtyard is enveloped by a three-bay deep double-story colonnade on three
sides. The screened upper story was most likely reserved for women.
• The mosque occupies the western side of the courtyard; its facade is marked by an imposing
central portal — close to twenty-three meters tall — flanked by secondary portals.
• Its plan is centered around a tall domed sanctuary behind the central portal, with two long
three-bay deep galleries to the north and south.
• The dome of the main sanctuary is carried on squinches. Although it is raised on an octagonal
drum, it is still not visible from the courtyard due to the imposing height of the entry iwan, a
distinctive element of Jaunpuri architecture.
• Inside the sanctuary is stone mihrab niche with a ribbed semi-dome, flanked by the stone
minbar.
• The entire construction of the mosque is in gray
sandstone and granite.
Interior view of the
prayer hall: main
sanctuary with
mihrab and minbar

View of mihrab

Side Pishtaq View of Central & Side Pishtaq

JAMA MASJID/JAUNPUR
● A:East gate -facade
● B:Prayer room -exterior- and west
side of the south corridor
● C:South gate and east side of the
south corridor
● D,D ': Central iwan
● E:Domed chamber -interior
● F:North wing of the prayer room
● G:Corridors
● H:South wing of the prayer room

• The Jami Masjid is the largest and the most ambitious of the Jaunpur mosques. It was built in
1470 by Husayn Shah (1458-1483), the last ruler of the Sharqi dynasty.
• Built on a six meter high plinth, the mosque is accessed by an imposing flight of steps.
• Its plan, similar to previous Sharqi mosques, consists of a long rectangular prayer hall
occupying the western side of a colonnaded courtyard.
View of the western side of the courtyard, showing
prayer hall and its portal
• The prayer hall is centered around a square
sanctuary, covered by a dome that measures 11.4 m
in diameter. Large vaulted room at the mosque side wing
• Windows pierced into the dome's drum illuminate
the interior.
• On either side of the sanctuary are barrel-vaulted galleries that are accessed from three
arched openings along the courtyard facade.
• The focal point of the façade is the main portal, which measures 25.7 meters in height and
23.42 meters in width at the base. Imposing portals such as this one were central to Sharqi
style mosques.
Interior view of prayer hall sanctuary, showing Street view of the eastern courtyard portal
mihrab and minbar and the transition to dome
Courtyard
• The courtyard is a square of 210' side.
• Surrounded by cloisters on three sides and sanctuary on the west.
Cloisters
• Cloisters are two storeys high.
• They are two aisles in width as opposed to the more spacious 5 aisles in Atala Masjid.
• In the centre of each cloister is an entrance hall covered by a dome.
Sanctuary
• In the centre of the sanctuary facade is a pylon 85' high and 77' wide at the base.
• The arcaded wings of the side aisles are seen on both sides of the pylon with the roofs of the
two halls which form the transepts above them.
• The interior consists of the nave of 38' side.
• The clerestory arcade is open to light the interior of the dome.
• On both sides of the nave are pillared side aisles with an upper storey. This has its openings
filled in with stone jalis to provide a private area for the royal ladies.
• Beyond the side aisles on both sides are two great vaulted halls, each 50' long, 40' wide and
45' high.
• The interior of these halls have 3 mihrabs each on the western wall, opposite which are the
archways which open into the courtyard.
• To achieve such a large columnless space, the builders first threw across the 40' space a
framework of two transverse ribs at wide intervals in the middle and two wall ribs or
'formerets' at each end. On this permanent centering were laid the infilling or 'severies' of flat
stones fitting on the backs of the ribs.
• To counteract the thrust of such a large vault, the side walls, from the haunches of the ribs
to the foundation were made upto 10' thick.
• Such a large columnless space is a rare occurance in Indian architecture.
LAL DARWAZA MOSQUE/JAUNPUR

Lal Darwaza Mosque

Plan
A Central entrance
B South gate
C West facade
D From courtyard
E,F,G Prayer room -inside
East Gate
 1. Built by Bibi Raja in A.D.
1450.
2. Built as almost a replica of the
Atala Masjid, except about
2/3rd in size and the location
of the zenana chamber is
placed at the centre adjoining
the nave, instead of to the ends
South gate West facade
of the transepts.
3. The courtyard is a square 132'
side.
4. Due to the smaller size, only
the central pylon in the
sanctuary facade is built, the
smaller side pylon being
omitted.
5. The gateways follow the
design of the sanctuary
entrance.
6. The mosque gets its name
from the high gate painted
with vermilion through which
it was approached from the
Viewing prayer room from Prayer room, central part palace it was attached to.
courtyard