ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE-PROVINCIAL STYLE

GUJARAT
S5- HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE-2020
PROVINCIAL ARCHITECTURE: GUJARAT (1300- 1572)
The Provincial Style of Architecture encompasses the architectural trends and developments
noticed in different provincial capitals in India.

The Gujarat style is the most important of all the provincial styles in India.
❏ Started when Khilji Dynasty established their governors in the
region.
❏ Included Bombay presidency with Ahmedabad towards center.
❏ Two factors are responsible for the remarkable output of
architecture in this region:
1. The egotism of the powerful Ahmed Shahi dynasty who wanted to
surround themselves with architectural evidences of their might.
2. The supply of skilled indigenous workmen.
❏ Architecture was independent until the Ahmad Shahi dynasty
fallen down to Mughals.
❏ Many structures are adaptations or extracts of local Hindu and Jain
temples.
MAJOR PERIODS OF THE STYLE
First period (14th cent.) Second period (15th cent.) Third period (1550- 16th cent.)

❏ Architectural style got more ❏ This is the most magnificent

❏ Transition phase of demolition
refined in this period. aspect of the style.
of temples followed by
❏ Designing of buildings got ❏ Most of the development in
reconversion of building
more directional and assured. this phase happened under
materials.
❏ Also known as Ahmad Shahi Sultan Mahmud Begada or
❏ Buildings don’t have definite
period.
character because of having Mahmud Shah I(1458-1511).
❏ E.g.- Jami Masjid,
formative and experimental ❏ He founded three main cities
Ahmedabad.
appearance. Bitwa, Mehmudabad and
❏ Materials of Hindu and Jain Champaner.
temples were used. ❏ Major ex- Jami Masjid,
❏ Walls were built of original Champaner.
masonry while pillars would ❏

be used as they were.

❏ E.g.- Jami masjid, Bharuch,
Jami masjid,Cambay.
First period (14th cent.)
Jami masjid, Bharuch, 13th Century
JAMI MASJID, BARUCH

1. Largely composed of temple materials, it was planned and

constructed as per mosque principles.
2. Consists of a courtyard with gateways on 3 sides and
sanctuary in the west.
3. The sanctuary is of the open pillared variety i.e. without a
screen of arches put across the front. It is merely an
elaborated verandah.
4. All 48 pillars of the sanctuary are of bracket pattern.
5. They are arranged so as to divide the interior into 3
compartments, each corresponding to the three temple
mandapas from where the pillars were taken.
6. There are 3 mihrabs on the interior of the western wall and
a series of arched windows filled with stone tracery
designed in the indigenous manner.
7. The mihrabs are copies of niches found in Hindu temples Jami masjid, Bharuch
with the Islamic pointed arch introduced under the lintel.
JAMI MASJID, BARUCH
8. The walls surrounding the sanctuary have
been constructed out of stone cut for this
specific purpose and are thus the earliest
example of original masonry work for this
style. The stones were quarried from existing
temples and recut or reconditioned.

9. The sanctuary roof consists of beams

supporting 3 large domes and 10 smaller
ones.

10. Square sunk coffered ceilings are

decarated with cusped and other geometrical
patterns as found in temple roofs.

11. Except for a certain amount of direction

and supervision from Muslim overseers, the
actual production is the handiwork of local
artisans who had probably never seen a
mosque before.
JAMI MASJID, CAMBAY
❏ Built in the year 1325 A.D.
❏ Local artisans were reinforced by a group of artisans
from Delhi to build this structure.
❏ The sanctuary of the mosque has an enclosed facade
with a screen of arches.
❏ The shape and position of the arches, the masonry
consisting of alternate broad and narrow courses.
❏ The overall architectural treatment is reminiscent of the
architectural style of Delhi under the Khilji dynasty.
❏ The arrangement of pillars inside the archways of the
facade borrowed from the Ajmer type of mosque.
❏ The pillars have been enriched by an engrailed arch
similar to one found in temples, a motif which later
figures prominently as the flying arch within the central
openings of mosque facades in Gujarat.
❏ On south side of mosque is burial tomb, square in shape Jami masjid, Cambay
and built of marble
Jami masjid, Cambay

❏ Facade of liwan
composed of blank
screen walls consisting
one large central arch
and two smaller
subsidiary arches.
❏ The eastern gateway in
the middle of eastern
cloisters is re- erected
temple portico with a
dome added on for
Islamic effect.
Interior view of the sanctuary, Jami Masjid Cambay
SECOND PERIOD- (FIRST HALF OF 15TH CENT. A.D. )
JAMI MASJID, AHMEDABAD-

❏ Built by Sultan Ahmad Shah in 1423.

❏ Most of the architectural effect is
concentrated in sanctuary.
❏ Sanctuary consists of around 300 slender
pillars, closely set at an average
intercolumniation of 5'.
❏ The columns are symmetrically arranged to
form 15 bays across the long axis of the hall.
❏ ·Each is surmounted by a dome and connected
to the next through a columned interspace.
❏ Columns are symmetrically arranged to form 15
bays across the long axis of hall.
A.PRAYER ROOM
B.SANCTUARY(300 PILLARS)
C. ZENANA
JAMI MASJID, AHMEDABAD
SANCTUARY EXTERIOR-

❏ Combination of two types of sanctuary

screen of arches and the pillared portico.
❏ The screen is on center and portico on wings.
❏ The juxtaposition of the two elements creates
contrast between the volume and strength of
the wall surface and the depth and airy
lightness of the colonnade.
❏ The large central archway has large moulded
buttresses of minarets on either side.
❏ Two smaller archways are placed on either
side of the central one.
❏ Directly visible through the archway is the
colonnade of the interior with its engrailed
arch springing lightly from its slender
columns.
JAMI MASJID, AHMEDABAD
SANCTUARY INTERIOR-

❏ The sanctuary is a hypostyle hall of 64 m X

30 m.
❏ It consists of 300 slender pillars, closely set
at an average intercolumniation of 1.6m.
❏ The columns are symmetrically arranged to
form 15 bays across the long axis of the
hall, each surmounted by a dome.
❏ The central compartment of the nave rises
up to 3 storeys, the side aisles are 2
storeys and the rest of the hall is single
storeyed.
❏ Nave is composed of two pillared galleries
one above the other.
JAMI MASJID, AHMEDABAD
THIRD PERIOD- (SECOND HALF OF 15TH CENT. A.D. )
JAMI MASJID, CHAMPANER

❏ Built with the Jami Masjid at Ahmedabad as model

except on a smaller scale.
❏ The entire structure is a rectangle of 270' X 180'. A bit
less than half the space is taken up by the sanctuary.
❏ The entire structure is rectangle and the courtyard
is surrounded by a range of arched cloisters, one aisle
deep.
❏ The entrance pavilion projects from the center of each of
the north, south and east cloisters.
❏ Sanctuary facade is of enclosed type containing 5
pointed archways with two slender minarets flanking the
central opening.
❏ The women’s chamber is placed at the northern end of
the transept.
❏ Around the galleries are provided stone seats with
sloping backs.
JAMI MASJID, CHAMPANER

❏ The nave rises to 65' in height through 3

storeys and covered by a dome.
❏ The second floor is restricted to a large
pillared gallery with an octagonal well
(entry hall).
❏ The ornamentation of the minarets is
restricted to their buttress like bases,
with the five stages above left mostly
unadorned.
❏ The level of the first floor is continuous
with the roof of the rest of the building,
forming a wide terrace for
circumambulation among the cupolas
with a square well above the nave.
JAMI MASJID, CHAMPANER