HISTORY

DR. RAM MANOHAR LOHIYA NATIONAL LAW

UNIVERSITY LUCKNOW
ACADEMIC SESSION:
2016 – 2017

SUBJECT- HISTORY
FINAL DRAFT
ON
Shah Jahan’s Golden Period of Architecture

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

Dr. Vandana Singh Aditi Jaiswal

Assistant Professor (History) Semester I, B.A.L.L.B

Dr. RMLNLU, Lucknow Roll no.- 7

 Acknowledgement

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to my history teacher Ms. Vandana Singh for her able

guidance and help;

My seniors who provided me valuable tips;

My parents and my batchmates for their constant support.

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 DECLARATION

I (Aditi Jaiswal) ,hereby declare that this piece of project is entirely original and not copied

from any sources. This project is made by my sheer hard work and determination. The project is

based on Shah Jahan’s Golden Period of Architecture .It focuses on the mughal architecture

which reached its supreme exuberance during the time of Shah Jahan. Although many

magnificent buildings were constructed during his time but the project focuses on the more

notable ones. The project deals with some of the most renowned Mughal structures constructed

during his time.

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 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

The method used for research of the project was entirely doctrinal. The information about the

topic is taken from primary sources like books and magazines to study about the crystallization

of the Mughal architecture during the reign of Shah Jahan. Then, I have taken valid information

from secondary sources like websites regarding the detailed study of the magnificent structures

built by him.

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 Table of Contents

 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………..1

 Taj Mahal……………………………………………………………………………..3

 Jama Masjid…………………………………………………………………………..7

 Diwan-i-khas…………………………………………………………………………10

 Diwan-i-aam………………………………………………………………………….12

 Shalimar Garden……………………………………………………………………...14

 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………16

 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………………..17

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 INTRODUCTION
The reign of Shah Jahan was the golden age of Mughal architecture in India and produced a

series of noble buildings. Percy Brown calls Shah Jahan’s reign “the reign of Marble”. But the

factors which distinguish him are not merely his free use of marble but the innovations he made

and the details he introduced which make him rank as an architect of the first water. The

astronomical sums that were utilised for expenditure on his tombs, palaces, hunting pavilions,

pleasure gardens and entire planned cities, is extraordinary even judging by modern standards!

Just as the literary and painted image of Shah Jahan became increasingly ceremonial and formal,

so did his architecture. The bulk of Mughal architecture under Shah Jahan was meant to serve as

an imperial setting, which had taken on a specific air of formality, unprecedented in earlier

Mughal structures. His buildings appear increasingly refined, establishing a style that became an

Indian'classic'.

The most magnificent of these buildings is the celebrated Taj Mahal at Agra in memory of his

favourite queen Mumtaz-i-Mahal, after whom it was named. Only second in importance is Shah

Jahan’s work in the palace at Agra, carried out between 1638 and 1653 and including the Diwan-

i-Khas, the Diwan-i-Aam and the Moti Masjid.

Whether it is the reconstructed palaces in the Agra Fort, the remaining parts of the Red Fort, the

whole outlay of Shahjahanabad and what remains of the circumvallation and the gates of the

capital, the well-proportioned Jami’ Masjids of Agra and Delhi, Wazir Khan’s mosque at Lahore

and the queer Jami Masjid of Thatta in Sindh which is completely covered with the most

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beautiful encaustic tiles-in spite of great variety of forms, the hands of the Emperor is seen in the

technique and proportion of various parts constituting his buildings.1

Perfect or bilateral symmetry, red sandstone with white marble inlays, later pure white marble

surfaces, geometric ornament, domes which are slightly pointed instead of hemispherical ones

and garden surroundings are the features of Mughal architecture. The substitution of red

sandstone by costly marble was apparently inspired by the desire to impart to the buildings a rich

and exuberant appearance of prettiness and elegance corresponding to the luxurious atmosphere

and temper of the court. The extreme and almost effeminate grace, the sumptuous appearance

and the dearth of structural designs characterize the pretty creations of Shah Jahan. In his court

the Persian character was even more emphasized which made its appearance when Mughal

architecture had entered its baroque phase.

1
Shiv Gajrani S. Ram, History of medieval Indian Art and Architecture, p.20

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 TAJ MAHAL
The Taj still attracts tourists from all over the world and is perhaps the most admired mausoleum

ever built by man. Human expression fails to convey in words the delicate message of its

exquisite beauty: It has nevertheless been described as ‘A Dream in Marble’, as ‘a summing up

of many forms of beauty.’2

The Taj Mahal, erected in memory of Mumtaz-i-Mahal, distinguished as the finest example of

Mughal Architecture, is a blend of Indian, Persian, and Islamic styles. It is admittedly the

greatest work of the Mughals, but it is a natural growth from the tomb of Humayun and to a

lesser extent from certain others. But it is far superior to any of them in the dignity of its

grouping and disposition, in the masterly contrast between the central dome and the slender

minarets, in the chaste refinement and painstaking craftsmanship of its details, and above all in

the splendour of its materials3 .

Taj Mahal, the great mausoleum of white marble that reflects hues according to the intensity of

sunlight or moonlight stands middle of a wide square platform on the bend of river Jamuna. The

base structure is a large, multi-chambered structure. The base is essentially a cube with

chamfered edges. On the long sides, a massive pishtaq, or vaulted archway, frames the iwan,

with a similar arch-shaped balcony above. These main arches extend above the roof of the

building by use of an integrated facade. To either side of the main arch, additional pishtaqs are

stacked above and below. This motif of stacked pishtaqs is replicated on the chamfered corner

areas. The design is completely uniform and consistent on all sides of the building. Four

minarets, one at each corner of the plinth, facing the chamfered corners, frame the tomb. The

2
Essays on Mogul Art, pp. 56-8.
3
Havell, Ancient and Medieval Architecture

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marble dome that surmounts the tomb is its most spectacular feature. Its height is accentuated

because it sits on a cylindrical "drum". The top of the dome is decorated with a lotus design,

which serves to accentuate its height4. Not only is the domed silhouette of the Taj generally

suggestive of a crown, but it also strongly resembles the typical shape of Islamic thrones, as

depicted in sixteenth and seventeenth-century Persian and Mughal paintings.

The dome is topped by a gilded finial, which mixes traditional Persian and Hindu decorative

elements. The dome shape is emphasized by four smaller domed chattris (kiosks) placed at its

corners. The chattri domes replicate the onion shape of main dome. Their columned bases open

through the roof of the tomb, and provide light to the interior. The chattris also are topped by

gilded finials. The minarets again display the Taj Mahal's basic penchant for symmetrical,

repeated design. The towers are designed as working minarets, a traditional element of mosques,

a place for a muezzin to call the Islamic faithful to prayer. Each minaret is effectively divided

into three equal parts by two working balconies that ring the tower. At the top of the tower is a

final balcony surmounted by a chattri that mirrors the design of those on the tomb. The minaret

chattris share the same finishing touches: a lotus design topped by a gilded finial.

The interior of the mausoleum is organized around an octagonal marble chamber ornamented

with low-relief carvings and semiprecious stones. The inner chamber of the Taj Mahal houses

the cenotaphs of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan. Those false tombs are enclosed by a finely wrought

filigree marble screen. Beneath the tombs, at garden level, lie the true sarcophagi. It is a

masterpiece of artistic craftsmanship, virtually without precedent or equal. The octagonal marble

4
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org

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screen or jali which borders the cenotaphs is made from eight marble panels. Each panel has

been carved through with intricate piecework.5

Since the monument has metaphorical allusions to the Paradise, under the direction of Amānat

Khan al-Shīrāzī, verses from the Quran were inscribed across numerous sections of the Taj

Mahal in calligraphy, central to Islamic artistic tradition. One of the inscriptions in the sandstone

gateway is known as Daybreak and invites the faithful to enter paradise.6

The Taj Mahal and its two gardens thus were originally part of a long vista that flanked the river

on both banks for a considerable distance. The large garden containing the tomb is on the river's

right bank, while the second garden, known as the Bagh-i-Mahtab Padshahi, is on the left bank.

Aligned with the Taj Mahal's garden, it contained an octagonal pool in tended for viewing the

tomb's reflection during a full moon. The tombs in these gardens were often arranged on

variations of the hasht bihisht, that is, the "eight-paradise" plan, an architectural reflection of the

multiple levels associated with the Islamic concept of paradise.7

There are components of the complex, including elements outside the walled garden such as the

bazaar, caravansary, waterworks, and mosques, which comprise the support system for the Taj

Mahal. Perhaps the most compelling discussion involves the subterranean chambers beneath the

plinth and under the towers of the riverfront terrace.

According to Ebba Koch there is an alternative symbolic meaning of the Taj Mahal. She believes

that the Taj Mahal is "a replica here on earth of the paradisiacal house of Mumtaz ". This

meaning is achieved through the use of red and white colored stone, the carving of naturalistic

5
https://www.britannica.com
6
Ibid 6
7 The Complete Taj Mahal and the Riverfront Gardens of Agra by EbbaKoch and Richard André Barraud

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flowers and other flowers depicted in European-style vases, as well as colonnettes bearing

realistic plant motifs, all Mughal symbols of well-being and prosperity. Paradise is also signaled

by naturalistically carved floral motifs. In the tomb's interior central chamber, these flowers are

placed in vases that derive from long-standing Indie concepts of well-being and prosperity. I

In the Taj's allegorical scheme, the four water channels of its chahar-bagh garden are clearly

meant to symbolize the four flowing Rivers of Paradise, mentioned in the Koran and the Hadith

literature; and the raised marble tank in the center of the garden was probably intended as a

replica of the celestial tank of abundance called al-Kawthar, promised to Muhammad and seen

by him at the time of his bodily ascension to Paradise.8

8
Ibid 7

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 JAMA MASJID
The grand Jama Masjid at Delhi, the largest and most well- known in the whole of India, forms

an essential element of the scheme of the city of Shahjahanabad. Begun in 1644, it was

completed in 1653 when Shah Jahan had already ceased to reign. Its outstanding feature is its

commanding position, for it is placed on a higher podium, a most unusual arrangement for a

Mohammedan mosque. Whereas the domes, the minarets, and certain other parts of the building

are Persian, the general effect is hybrid, and the angle pavilions are definitely Indian.

It is of the usual orthodox plan of an open courtyard with ranges of arcades on three sides and the

prayer chamber on the west. The courtyard has in the centre a reservoir for ritualistic ablution

and is approached by three gateways, one in the middle of each cloistered side.9

It has three entrance gated on East, North and South. The Eastern gate has a column of three

arches on either side of the larhe arch at the center while the other two gates have two each. The

Eastern Gate, meant for the Emperor himself, is bigger than the other two gates. And then the

main structure and the three gates are joined by beautifully constructed high wall — arcades

consisting of cusped arches with roofed ceiling above — made with red sandstone10. Its

impressiveness is due to the vast scale in which it has been designed and admirable manner in

which each part had been disposed and adjusted in relation to the other. The entire scheme is

raised over a lofty terraced basement with majestic flights of steps leading to the imposing

gateways that tower above their surroundings.11

9
Supranote 1, p.39
10
https://subratachak.wordpress.com
11
Supranote 1, p.83

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The main structure, the mosque is about 261 feet long and 90 feet wide. It has three magnificent

bulbous domes on top made with alternate stripes of black and white marble (its topmost parts

used to be covered with gold). The structure at the center — which is the main entrance to the

shrine — is taller than the two roofs on its side but less in width and it has a dome. Its facade has

a recessed archway inside a rectangular front. It has two small minarets on its side with white

cupolas on top for decorative purposes. The cupolas are octagonal in shape.

It is flanked by two long structures each having five arched openings and a dome on its roof. The

roof and the dome above is supported by a series of domes. There is a rectangular area between

the roof and the top of the arches that is divided into many small frames with red borders each of

which contain inscriptions. Two lofty minarets, longitudinally striped with white marble and red

sandstone, flank the main structure on either side. They are octagonal, not circular. Inside,

it contains 130 steps to stand inside the beautiful white cupola to have a magnificent view of

Delhi. The tower of the mosque was made up of five storeys, each with a balcony jutting out of

it. While the first three storeys were made of red sandstone, the rest were built out of sandstone.12

The south minaret, which is 1076 square feet wide so that people could assemble there to pray.

The west-facing mosque is covered with open arched colonnades each with a tower-like gateway

in the centre.13

In the interior the immense quadrangle surrounded by arcaded cloisters, each interrupted in the

middle by the rear face of the gateway, and the superb sanctuary with its with its varied

elevations create an effect of spaciousness combined with its various elevations create an effect

of spaciousness combined with a rich variety in composition in which all the parts are found to

12
Supranote 10
13
http://www.indiaprofile.com

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be pleasingly coordinated to one another so as to produce a unified and impressive design. At the

same time it has a severe and imperious aspect, and “the uncompromising rigidity of its

horizontal lines, the harsh black and white inlay of its domes and minarets, its very vastness

which necessitates the unending repetition of each detail, all combine to give this magnificent

structure a character that which never wholly attracts.”14

14
Supranote1, p.83

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 DIWAN-I-KHAS
One of the most resplendent and unique buildings that was constructed in Shah Jahan’s reign is

the Diwan-i-Khas (hall of private audience) which is an indispensable feature of Mughal court

life and etiquette. In this hall of audience, conferences of a special and ceremonial character were

held. It has lavish ornamentation and costly splendour strewn over all the interior surfaces with

an almost overbearing effect. Fergusson considered it to be “if not the most beautiful, certainly

the most highly ornamented of all Shahjahan’s buildings.”

The Diwan-i-Khas, also known as the Shah Mahal, is an open colonnaded hall of one storey

enclosed at the back by marble trellises. The front consists of a fine arcade of five foliated arches

springing from massive piers, with similar arches, but of varying sizes, on the two sides. The

interior is divided into bays and aisles by massive piers carrying foliated arches that support the

fiat proof. At the top may be seen a beautiful kiosk at the corner15. It contains a rectangular

central chamber surrounded by aisles of arches rising from the piers. The lower parts of the pier

are inlaid with floral designs while the upper portion is gilded. Through the center Nahr-i-Bihisht

flowed. It used to have a silver ceiling, which the Marathas removed in 1760. The four corners of

its roof are surrounded by pillared Chattris (Umberellas).Over the corner arches of the northern

and southern wall is inscribed the famous verse of Poet Amir Khusraw which meant, “If there is

a paradise on earth,It is this, it is this, it is this”.16

The building is entirely in white marble; but the chaste and elegant appearance of the façade is

lost in the interior by a bewildering maze of rich and lavish ornamentation distributed over every

15
Id., p.81
16
https://thecreativityengine.wordpress.com/

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available space in brilliant colour, lustrous and gold and costly pietra dura. The ceiling also was

plated with gold, patterned with arabesques and flowers; but this has since disappeared.17

The sovereign also held a court of justice. It was therefore necessary to have a proper seat or

Throne of Solomon(Takht-e-Sulaiman) to underscore the position of the just king. So, Diwan-i-

Khaas has the very special peacock throne which was a very proud souvenir of the city.

It was placed on that side of the wall which faced river Yamuna and was engrailed with

elegantly carved jalis (latticework) that helped in ventilation. Here the Emperor would sit and

make his decisions here.18. Just like Solomon's throne, the Peacock Throne was to be covered in

gold and jeweled, with steps leading up to it, with the ruler floating above ground and closer to

heaven. Large amounts of solid gold, precious stones and pearls were used, creating a masterful

piece of Mughal workmanship that was unsurpassed before or after its creation. It was an opulent

indulgence that could only be seen by a small minority of courtiers, aristocrats and visiting

dignitaries.19

17
Id., p.81
18
www.redfortdelhi.co.in/diwan-i-khas.htm
19
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peacock_Throne

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 DIWAN-i-AAM
The Diwan-i-aam is a striking, beautifully symmetrical palace with open sides and front, made of

sandstone. The hall was originally covered with polished white shell lime plaster, with gilded

ceiling and columns, and railings of gold and silver separating the rank and file from nobility.20

This hall of public audience has been designed in a stately manner to suit the solemn functions

for which it was intended. The spacious court in front was once surrounded by colonnades that

imparted an impressive grandeur to the entire setting. It is built of sandstone, but was originally

covered with shell plaster polished to the smoothness and whiteness of ivory to fit in with the

white marble structures that stand around. It is a colonnades hall, open on three sides and

enclosed at the back, the façade showing an arcade of nine foliated arches springing from double

columns in the middle and from four at the corners21. The hall proper, three bays in depth,

originally ornamented with gilded stucco work and hung with heavy curtains, is raised on arches

springing from pillars and has an impressive façade of nine openings of engrailed arches.22The

interiors corresponds to the facades in having similar arcades in three aisles while set in an

alcove near the back wall is the canopied platform in white marble, richly inlaid with precious

stone, intended from the imperial throne. The superb magnificence of this throne platform,

known as Nashihmam-Zill-i-Ilahi (seat of the shadow of the god), at once visualises the splendid

pageant of the grand Mughals in days of their supreme brilliance. The recess behind the platform

is covered by panels of pietra dura work, attributed to one Austin de Bordeaux, which, although

rich and fine in execution in design and appearance. A marble dais, inlaid with precious stones,

20
https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute
21
Supranote1, p.80
22
http://asi.nic.in

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stands below the throne and was used by the prime minister for receiving the complaints and

petitions.

On either side of this hall and at the back along eastern rampart wall overlooking the river, the

whole area is laid out in buildings, courts and gardens. The space to the south was possibly

occupied by the private apartments of the zenana and that to the north by halls, pavilions,

gardens and courts, with the magnificent Rang Mahal in the centre connecting the two blocks.

The halls and pavilions in both the blocks are lined along the rampart wall in the east and face

the courts and and gardens on the west. The intricate tracery of the screen bearing the ‘Scales of

Justice’ shows in the fineness of its design and the flawless accuracy of its execution the fine

needlework of an embroidery transferred by chisel of the stone-cutter on the hard fabric of

marble.23

23
Supranote1, p.80

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 SHALIMAR GARDEN
Comprising nearly forty acres on three broad terraces, its majesty brings to life the Mughal

genius for landscape architecture like no other monument in Lahore. The origins of Shalamar

Garden are directly attributable to another garden of the same name built by Jahangir in Kashmir.

The project management was carried out under the superintendence of Khalilullah Khan, a noble

of Shah Jahan's court, in cooperation with Ali Mardan Khan and Mulla Alaul Maulk Tuni.

Shalimar Gardens draws inspiration from Central Asia, Kashmir, Punjab, Persia and the Delhi

Sultanate.

The Shalimar Gardens are laid out in the form of an oblong parallelogram, surrounded by a high

brick wall, which is famous for its intricate fretwork. It consists of two char-baghs joined

together by a narrower terrace, the whole centre of which is occupied by an immense raised tank.

There are pavilions on three sides, and in the centre is a small chabutra reached by two stone

causeways. The scale of the tank is so large that it admits of double paths and a flower parterre

running all round the water. The pattern is based on a succession of octagons and resembles the

star parterres of the Taj gardens. In both cases the design was formerly filled in with flowers and

the oblong beds were also planted with two small trees in each smaller bed.24

The enclosure contains 2 gardens, with a narrow rectangular terrace in between them. Each

garden is divided by canals and flowerbeds, following the Persian tradition of the charbagh, or

fourfold garden. The gardens contain white marble buildings in typical Shah Jahani style. They

are enclosed by a red sandstone wall interrupted by small decorative kiosks. (Each of the 3 parts

is on a different level, so that the upper parts are concealed from the view of people entering

24
http://www.gardenvisit.com/book

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from below. The highest, and therefore the most private, section is thought to have been used by

the imperial women. 25. The respective names of the three terraces have been listed as follows:

The upper level or the third terrace named Farah Baksh meaning Bestower of Pleasure. The

middle level or the second terrace named Faiz Baksh meaning Bestower of Goodness. The lower

level terrace named Hayat Baksh meaning Bestower of Life. From this basin, and from the canal,

rise 410 fountains, which discharge into wide marble pools. It is a credit to the creativity of

Mughal engineers that even today scientists are unable to fully comprehend the water systems

and thermal engineering from architectural blueprints. The surrounding area is rendered cooler

by the flowing of the fountains. The distribution of the fountains is as follows:

The upper level terrace has 105 fountains. The middle level terrace has 152 fountains. The lower

level terrace has 153 fountains. All combined, the Gardens has 410 fountains. The Gardens have

5 water cascades including the great marble cascade and Sawan Bhadoon.

The buildings of the Gardens include:

Sawan Bhadun, pavillions, Naqar Khana and its buildings, Khwabgah or Sleeping chambers,

Hammam or Royal bath, The Aiwan or Grand hall, Aramgah or Resting place, Khawabgah of

Begum Sahib(Dream place of the emperor's wife),Baradaries or summer pavilions, Diwan-e-

Khas-o-Aam, two gateways and minarets in the corners of the Gardens.26

Considering all this, one can only conclude that Shah Jahan's ever-blooming palace gardens had

a definite political significance: they were intended as an image of his reign and empire, as

garden paradises of the ideal king whose good government- so it was claimed - had brought

about a new golden age of unending spring.

25
http://archnet.org
26
https://en.wikipedia.org

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 CONCLUSION
Thus it can be observed that during the period of Shah Jahan, efforts were concentrated on the

production of pretty structures, refined in appearance and ornament, than on new experiments,

either in structural conception or in design. Due to his love for pomp and luxury and display of

splendor, Shah Jahan chose marble as the chief medium for all his architectural undertakings and

gave it new shapes in such a way that it is difficult to know where the Persian style ended and the

Hindu began. It was a case of perfect assimilation of two or more styles, which perhaps led to the

innate beauty of his structures. It can also be noted that the architectural elements also registered

significant changes during the reign of Shah Jahan. There is a preference for curved lines, in

place of the rectangular aspect of the buildings which are reflected by the bulbous domes and

arches. He undertook many projects and that too which were very vast and extensive. In Agra

and Lahore forts, he planned to replace the sandstone buildings of the previous period by palaces

and pavilions in marble, and this he carried out in a very large measure involving the

construction of many new structures. Not only that, he projected a new capital city at Delhi

named Shahjahanabad and erected within it splendid palaces, office buildings and other

structures. At Agra and Delhi, he built two grand mosques. To enshrine the remains of his

beloved he raised up at Agra that grand mausoleum building, the far-famed Taj Mahal. It can

thus be concluded that under Shah Jahan, mughal architecture reaped a rich harvest and reached

its supreme exuberance.

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16
 Bibliography

Primary Sources:-
 Shiv Gajrani S. Ram, History of medieval Indian Art and Architecture
 Essays on Mogul Art
 Havell, Ancient and Medieval Architecture
 The Complete Taj Mahal and the Riverfront Gardens of Agra by Ebba Koch and Richard
André Barraud

Secondary Sources:-
 http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org
 https://www.britannica.com
 https://subratachak.wordpress.com
 http://www.indiaprofile.com
 https://thecreativityengine.wordpress.com
 www.redfortdelhi.co.in/diwan-i-khas.htm
 http://asi.nic.in
 https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute
 http://www.gardenvisit.com/book
 http://archnet.org

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