SHAH JAHAN

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 favorite 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 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. 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.

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.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
splendor of its materials. Taj Mahal, the great mausoleum of white marble that
reflects hues according to the intensity of sunlight or moonlight stands in the
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 mushtaqs are stacked above and below. This motif of
stacked mushtaqs 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
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 height". 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 column
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 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 screen or jali which borders the cenotaphs is made from eight
marble panels. Each panel has been carved through with intricate piecework.
Since the monument has metaphorical allusions to 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. 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
intended 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. 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 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.1 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.

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 center a reservoir for
ritualistic ablution and is approached by three gateways, one in the middle of each
cloistered side. It has three entrance gates on East, North and South. The Eastern
gate has a column of three arches on either side of the large 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 walls — arcades consisting of
cusped arches with roofed ceilings above — made with red sandstone". Its
impressiveness is due to the vast scale in which it has been designed and
admirable manner in which each part had been disposed of 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." 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 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.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 center. 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 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."

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 splendor 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 corner's. 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-Behisht
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 (Umbrellas).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". 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 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.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 engraved with elegantly carved jalis (latticework) that helped in
ventilation. Here the Emperor would sit and make his decisions here... 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.

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.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.The 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 stones,
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
visualizes 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,
stands below the throne and was used by the prime minister for receiving
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 center 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 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 the chisel of the
stone-cutter on the hard fabric of marble.

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. Shah Jahan's court,
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 Mauk 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-bags joined together by a narrower
terrace, the whole center of which is occupied by an immense raised tank. There are
pavilions on three sides, and in the center 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.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 from below. The highest, and therefore the most private, section is
thought to have been used by the imperial women. 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
is named Faiz Baksh meaning Bestower of Goodness. The lower level terrace is
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 5water
cascades including the great marble cascade and Sawan Bhadoon. The buildings of
the Gardens include: Sawan Bhadun, pavilions, 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.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 who's good government- so it was claimed - had brought
about a new golden age of unending spring.

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.