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MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE
Mughal architecture owes its origins to its religion, Islam, as a
showpiece of prestige and power, for pleasure, and for death.
These concepts are reflected in great mosques, forts, durbars
and palaces, gardens and pools, and finally, tombs. Formally
and artistically,
Mughal architecture owes as much to its genealogical origins
among the Safavids and Timurids, as it does to the passion of its
patrons, notably Akbar and Shah Jahan.
It is thus that impeccable Charbagh plans combine with
indigenous detailing as in the tombs of Humayun and Akbar, and
the forts at Agra, Delhi and Lahore.
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BUILDING TYPES
1. Forts

2. Palace and garden,

3. Mosque and

4. Tomb.
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FORT
The function of a fort is to command large swathes of
territory,
To control the trade routes that pass therein,
To inspire awe and loyalty amongst the populace, and
finally to be a refuge if attacked.
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AKBAR : FORTS
Agra (from 1564),
Ajmer (from 1570),
Lahore (from 1580) and
Allahabad (from 1583).
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AGRA FORT
in the form of an irregular
semicircle,
has its back to the river
Yamuna which thus protects its
eastern side.
The riverside walls are
punctuated nevertheless by
defensive bastions of which
the main one controls an
access from the river and
numerous underground
passages.
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FORT
On the town side the bastions are regularly
spaced and the height of the walls is 30m.

The western wall is dominated by the massive
main entrance the so-called Delhi Gate- and
the Hathi Pol. This gate is approached by a
tortuous access ramp.
More to the south, the Amar Singh gate is defended by two towers
which flank the entrance.

A remarkable feature in this fort is a hybrid beast, part horse, part lion
and part elephant sculpted on a panel. This monster evokes Assyrian
men-beasts but also resembles the monsters of Hindu mythology.

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FORT
most of Akbars work within the fort walls was demolished
or modified by Shah Jahans rebuilding and
transformation later.
One specimen that does survive is the Jahangiri
Mahal. This structure built for the emperors wives and
family is similar in character to the Man Mandir at
Gwalior.
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FORT
Shah Jahans additions,

the Anguri Bagh (Garden
of grapes)

palace and

the white marble Moti
Masjid.

Anguri Bagh
Moti Masjid.
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Tombs I
the first great Mughal
construction, Humayuns tomb
near Nizam-ud-din in Delhi
This was the first mosque built
on the lines of the Charbagh,
gardens with fountains built on
the Islamic concept of paradise
being gardens in which flow
torrents of water.
Its construction was
undertaken by the late
emperors widow, the Hamida
Bano Begum, in the reign of
Akbar.
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The tomb is entered by a long axial processional path, which has on
its way great gateways offering teasing views to the superstructure.

The tomb itself is raised on an arcaded platform, under which can be
found numerous lesser graves, which are ascribed to various nobles
and workers who served Humayun.

A great central chamber has four offshoots, double storeyed in
height and arcaded on their facades. The central room contains the
epitaphs of the emperor Humayun and his queen, and is crowned by
great double dome.

On the exterior, the tomb is clad in red sandstone with marble being
used for detail work and inscriptions. Also continued here is the jali
work along the facades, rich in detail, which keeps the interiors cool
and breezy.
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Tombs I
the first great Mughal
construction, Humayuns tomb
near Nizam-ud-din in Delhi
This was the first mosque built
on the lines of the Charbagh,
gardens with fountains built on
the Islamic concept of paradise
being gardens in which flow
torrents of water.
Its construction was
undertaken by the late
emperors widow, the Hamida
Bano Begum, in the reign of
Akbar.
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Akbars Tomb, Sikandra
built by his son Jahangir
continuing the charbagh
formula, is set in the midst of
gardens with fountains and
canals, and
like Humayuns tomb, is also
raised on a superstructure.

Here, however, the similarities
lessen, because in plan and
detail, Akbars tomb takes
much from the indigenious
Rajput and Gujarati traditions.
The pavillions inside are decorated with motifs ranging from elephants,
swans, lotus, swastika and chakras, along with the more conservative
arabesques and calligraphy
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Badshahi Masjid, Fatehpur Sikri
The Badshahi Masjid is the largest and most
impressive mosque built during Akbars reign, and its
central court is dominated to the south by the Buland
Darwaza,

The materials used are the same which dominated
much of Akbars reign, a preponderance of sandstone
with marble filigree and detailing. The prayer hall to
the west is a departure from the free-standing Afghan
mosque halls like Jamali-Kamali near the Qutb, or the
Qila-i-Kuhna at the Purana Qila, and is instead
integrated into the pillared cloisters.
Added later during Jahangirs reign, the dargah of the Sufi saint Salim
Chisti was designed in sandstone during Akbars reign, but was
eventually executed wholly in marble.
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several lesser known structures built during the same
period.
Jahangirs tomb at Shahdara near Lahore which
reflects the influence of Sikandra,
Itmad-ud-Daulas (Jahangirs father-in-law) tomb at
Agra,
mosques at Tatta and Ajmer,
the Begam Shahi Masjid of Akbars widow at Lahore,
and
the Patthar Masjid of Srinagar. This last is one of the
few notable mosques built during Jahangirs reign.
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Jahangirs tomb. shahdara Lahore.
Itmad ud daulahs (Ghiyas beg0 Tomb Agra.
Both build by his wife Nurjahan (Nur Mahal Begum)


Jahangirs tomb
Square structure.
30.5 m high minarets at each corner.
Entire structure of brick withcoloreddecoration distributed all over the surface
In the interior fresco paintings used inlay colored works on pavements sides of
minarets colored glazed tiles on dados in corridors
White marble cenotoph.
Not a great work of architecture but a display of works minarets though
graceful appear out of proportion due to flat central mass.
Set in hugh garden divided into 16 equal squres with fountain and pool at
intersection.
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Jahangir.
Great patron of building arts rather than architecture

Gardens in Kashmir.
Expression of the familiar theme of Mughal architecture.
Undulating topography and endless supply of water - result - Cascade and
flowing channels and garden pavilions on ascending levels
Flagged walkways divide flat rectangular garden areas into formal square
spaces with chinar trees and flower bedsplanted in linear patterns along
challened paths.
At change of levels stone pavilions sometimes in blac k erected.
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The reign of Shah Jahan
The Mughal empire now stretched across
almost the whole subcontinent, and the imperial
court was amongst the richest in the world.

a patron of the arts and architecture. As most
rulers did, one of his first acts was to found a
new city, Shahjahanabad, the Jama Masjid at
Shahjahanabad, Agra and Agra fort.
The Jama Masjid at Shahjahanabad is raised on a platform surrounded by
arches, and is built on an exceptionally grand scale. In fact, one of the
requirements for the Viceroys house built by the British (and now Rashtrapati
Bhavan) was that its dome should be higher than that of the Jama Masjid, as a
symbol of the supremacy of British power over the previous emperor.
The great central arch of the frontispiece of the qibla qubba masks the dome
behind, and chattris set off the entrance pavilions. The Jama Masjid is accessed
by monumental gates and steps from the bazaar below.
Jama Masjid at Delhi
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Mosques at Agra, Lahore
Moti Masjid is in the precincts
of Agra fort.

This mosque entirely clad in
white marble has calligraphy
in black marble, and

perhaps served as an
experiment in completely
decking a building in this
material before the Taj Mahal.
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The Badshahi masjid in Lahore
is comparable to the one at
Delhi in size and importance,
(Aurangzeb)
but its splendid free standing
prayer hall has a minar at each
corner, as does the courtyard.

The squatness of the corner
minars, however, does no
good to the proportions of the
mosque, and the decoration in
terms of patterned panels on
the sandstone clad surface is
more effete than a strong
statement.
BADSHAHI MASJID
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Shahjahen.