ANCIENT INDIAN

HISTORY

Sultanate & Mughal

Architecture
 Temple Architecture Questions
Q.1) The Nagara, the Dravida and the Vesara are the (2012)

(a) three main racial groups of the Indian subcontinent

(b) three main linguistic divisions into which the languages of India can be
classified
(c) three main styles of Indian temple architecture
(d) three main musical gharanas prevalent in India
 Temple Architecture Questions
Q.2) With reference to the cultural history of India, the term ‘Panchayatan’ refers to
(2014)

(a) an assembly of village elders

(b) a religious sect
(c) a style of temple construction
(d) an administrative functionary
 Temple Architecture Questions
Q.3) In which one of the following cities is the Lingaraja Temple located? (2001)

(a) Bhubaneshwar
(b) Bijapur
(c) Kolkata
(d) Shravanabelagola
 Temple Architecture Questions
Q.4) Where is the famous Virupaksha temple located? (2009)

(a) Bhadrachalam
(b) Chidambaram
(c) Hampi
(d) Srikalahasti
 Temple Architecture Questions
Q.5) Where is the famous Vijaya Vittala temple having its 56 carved pillars emitting
musical notes located? (2007)

(a) Belur
(b) Bhadrachalam
(c) Hampi
(d) Srirangam
 Temple Architecture Questions
Q.6) Which one of the following statements is not correct? (2002)

(a) The statue of Gomateshwara at Shravana Belagola represents the last

Tirthankara of Jains
(b) India’s largest Buddhist monastery is in Arunachal Pradesh
(c) Khajuraho temples were built under Chandela kings
(d) Hoysaleswara temple is dedicated to Siva
 SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
PART-1
General Points
● Mainly Islamic but also represents Indo-Islamic cultural synthesis.
● Both religious & secular structure.
● Under the patronage of the court.
● New form of ornamentation & architectural technique is used.
● Large use of stone.
● Use of Headers & Stretchers technique
● Use of high quality lime mortar.
 SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
PART-2
Arcuate style
● It is based on arches & domes.
● It represents the shift from Trabeate style to arcuate style.
○ Pillars & beams replaced by Arches.
○ Corbelling replaced by Arches.
○ Shikhara replaced by Domes
SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
 SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
PART-3
● Types of Arches
 SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE

● The arches curve mainly pointed and horse shoe type.

● The 1st true arch is constructed into the tomb of Balban.
● The true arch became a common feature during Khilji period onwards..
● Alai - Darwaza is a representation example of true arches.
● Around the outline of the arch a band of inscription carved in white marble.
● In the inner side of the arch, intrados are carved and have the shape of lotus
bud & sphere head. (Intrados - inner curve of Arch)
 SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
● Under the Tughlaq a new variant of
the pointed form of arch introduced
which marked by large span,known
as 4 Centred Arch.
● Many buildings of Feroz Shah
Tughlaq has these type of arches.
 SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
PART-4
Domes
● First dome like roof constructed over tomb of Iltutmish.
● The first true dome was constructed over Alai-Darwaza.
● True dome became common feature during Khilji period onwards.
● Principle of true arch applied over the roof is the principle of true dome.
● A new technique was introduced for construction of dome was use of squinches;
squinches were used to convert square plan into polygon.
SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
 SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
● A development of new variety of dome during the period of Tughlaq i.e. pointed
form of dome.
 SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
Evolution of Domes-
● In early phase domes were heavy & low and smaller.
● During the Lodhis development of full domes (semi circle dome).
● Under Sayids & Lodhis bigger & higher domes were constructed & domes were
placed on drums.
● Under the Lodhis, the beginning of the Double dome & first double dome was
constructed over the tomb of Sikandar Lodhi.
● Construction of multiple domes i.e. one big dome at centre and two small domes
beside.Example- Tomb of Bahlol Lodhi.
SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
 SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
PART - 5
Minrates
● Qutub Minar
○ Dedicated to Chisti Sufi Saint Qutubaddin Bakhtiyar Kaki
○ Construction started by Qutubuddin Aibak & completed by Iltutmish.
○ It is an independent minaret.
○ Initially it was having four storeys but due to the lightning during the regin
of Feroz Shah the top storey got damaged.
○ Feroz shah repaired that and added one more storey. So there are now
total 5 storeys in Qutub Minar.
SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
 SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
PART - 6
Ornamentation
● A new form of ornamentation introduced during sultanate period.
● As Islam prohibited of the depiction of living beings & ornamentation followed
this prohibition.
● Use of geometrical designs, use of calligraphy and foliation.
● In calligraphy Arabic scripts and verses of Quran were used. The various Arabic
styles used in Calligraphy mainly: -
○ Tughra
○ Kufi
○ Nasq
 SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
● Use of foliation & very popular design is the main stem with subsidiary stems
having leafs & flowers.
● Another form of ornamentation is Arabesque- the combination of calligraphy,
geometrical designs, and foliation.
● Use of Hindu symbols like bell, lotus, swastik in ornamentation.
● Use of colour sand stones like yellow, red & white marble for ornamentation.
SULTANATE ARCHITECTURE
 MUGHAL
Part - 1
● Basic features continued from sultanate period.

Part-2
● Arches
○ True Arch
○ 4 Centred Arch
○ During Shahjahan period a new type of arch was developed known as
Engrailed Arch.
MUGHAL
MUGHAL
MUGHAL
 MUGHAL
Part-3

Dome
● True dome
● Double dome
● Bigger & higher dome
● During the time of Shahjahan a new development in dome i.e. Bulbous dome
MUGHAL
 MUGHAL
● Double dome, e.g. : Humayun Tomb, Taj Mahal,Jama Masjid etc.
● Construction of series of domes. Jama masjid of Delhi, Moti Masjid (Lal Qila),
● During Mughal period at the top of dome, use of Lotus of crescent.
MUGHAL
 MUGHAL
Part-4
Minrates
● There are two types of Minarets-
○ Independent Minarets- For example- Taj Mahal.
○ Attached Minarets - Known as Turrets. For example- Tomb of
Itimad-ud-daulah.
MUGHAL
 MUGHAL
● There are different shapes of Minarets-
○ Circular - Taj mahal
○ Octogonal - Jama Masjid
○ Slender- Humayun Tomb
■ It shows the influence of regional style of architecture over Mughal
architecture
MUGHAL
 MUGHAL
Part-5
Charbagh
4 Gardens
 MUGHAL
● This concept introduced by Babur in India.
● In Charbagh land is divided into 4 gardens and in between this garden channel
of water is flowing.
● Examples:
○ Aram Bagh,Agra.
○ Shalimar Bagh (Kashmir)
○ Taj Mahal
○ Humayun Tomb
MUGHAL
 MUGHAL
Part - 6

Ornamentation
● Basic feature of ornamentation continued except use of marble & coloured sand
stone.
● Opus sectile - use of colour marbles for decoration.
MUGHAL
 MUGHAL
● A new form of ornamentation introduced during Mughal period known as Pietra
dura i.e. use of precious and semi precious stone like Jaspar, Topaz etc.
embedded in a marble in graceful foliation.
○ First use of Pietra Dura in the tomb of Itmad-ud-daula,Agra during the
reign of Jahangir by Nurjahan in the memory of her father.
○ Shahjahan period onwards Pietra Dura became common feature.
MUGHAL
 MUGHAL

● Use of glaze tiles.

○ Turkish Sultana palace Fatehpur Sikri.
○ Jodhabai palace, Fatehpur Sikri.
● Jali Work.
MUGHAL
MUGHAL
 MUGHAL

● Details of Taj Mahal-

○ It was constructed by Shahjahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaj Mahal during the
period of 1632 CE to 1648 CE,on the bank of river Yamuna.
○ Architect- Ustad Ahmad Lahori.
○ Taj Mahal is inspired by the 3 structures- Humayun Tomb,Tomb of Itimad-ud-Dula
and Tomb of Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan.
MUGHAL
 MUGHAL
● It is representative of the Indo-Islamic cultural synthesis.
● Architectural details-
○ Char Bagh
○ Raised on a high platform.
○ Built in White Marble.
○ Octagonal shaped tomb.
● Arches- True arch,Engriled arch.
● Domes- True dome,Cupola,Double dome and Bulbous dome.
 MUGHAL
● Minarets-
○ 4 Circular and Independent Minarets.
○ Slender Minarets.
● Ornamentation- Pietra Dura, Calligraphy,Lotus and Crescent.
● Jali work.
 MUGHAL
Architecture during Akbar -
● Humayun Tomb,Delhi.(Built by Hamida Banu Begum)
● Red Fort,Agra.
● Fatehpur Sikri Fort.Most famous monument- Buland Darwaza.
● Tomb of Akbar,Sikandra.
Architecture during Jahangir-
● Tomb of Itimad-ud-daulah,Agra.
● Tomb of Jahangir,Lahore.
 MUGHAL
Architecture during Shahjahan-
● Red Fort Delhi.
● Jama Masjid Delhi.
● Taj Mahal.
Architecture during Aurangzeb-
● Bibi ka Maqbara,Aurangabad.
● Tomb of Aurangzeb,Khuldabad.
 Architecture during Sher Shah
● Two distinct periods
○ First phase -starting from the capital of Sher Shah Suri at Sasaram(Bihar), in
between 1530 and 1540.
○ Second phase was at Delhi in between 1540 and 1545,when he became King of
Hindostan..
Architecture during Sher Shah
 Architecture during Sher Shah
● In the first phase, Aliwal Khan built 5 tombs at Sasaram,including the tomb Sher Shah.
● In the second phase,Sher Shah Sur erected the Purana Qila or Old Fort; a defensive
citadel meant to provide the focus of his sixth city of Delhi, Shergarh. Qila-i-Kuhna
Masjid, royal mosque constructed during 1542.
Architecture during Sher Shah
Architecture during Sher Shah
 Sultanate & Mughal Questions
Q.1) Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as
Reason (R).
Assertion (A): The Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri was built by Akbar in 1602.
Reason (R): He wanted to commemorate his conquest of Gujarat.
Select the correct answer from the code given below :
(a) A is true but R is false
(b) A is false but R is true
(c) Both A and R are true but R is not a correct explanation of A
(d) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
 Sultanate & Mughal Questions
Q.2) What is Pietra Dura?

(a) Combination of Indian and Persian Art

(b) Building buildings with glazed tiles and marble
(c) Decorating the ceilings with miniature paintings
(d) Flowers adorn the walls with precious stones.
 Sultanate & Mughal Questions
Q.3) The method of decoration called pietra dura came to be used in Mughal
buildings during the reign of which of the following rulers?

(a) Jahangir
(b) Akbar
(c) Humayun
(d) Shah Jahan.
 Sultanate & Mughal Questions
Q.4) Which of the following structures is NOT built in the Delhi Sultanate period?

(a) Moth Ki Masjid

(b) Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque
(c) Alai Darwaza
(d) Bibi Ka Maqbara.
 Sultanate & Mughal Questions
Q.5) Sikandra in Agra houses the mausoleum of:

(a) Akbar
(b) Humayun
(c) Aurangzeb
(d) Jahangir