Rulers and Buildings

Shalimar Bagh at Lahore and Srinagar, Nishat Bagh in Srinagar, Kabul Bagh in Panipat & the Pinjore Garden in Punjab are the important gardens of Mughal period that have survived till date.

Pirzad Masjid and Sambhal Masjid built by Babar at Delhi and Sambhal respectively. Humayun built a palace named 'Din Panah' at Delhi.

The construction of the Akbar tomb was begun by Akbar himself but was completed by Jahangir. The tomb is located in the centre of a huge garden and is square shaped. It consists of five storeys. It has fresco done on its walls and the holy Quran's versus engraved on stone tiles.

Akbar was the first Mughal Emperor with enough time and resources to undertake construction of massive scale construction like Red Fort (Agra), Fatehpur Sikri etc.

Humayun tomb was built by Humayun's wife Hamida Bano. It was built in Persian method of construction. The use of stone and marble shows Indian influence. Its construction started in 1564 A.D. and it took eight years to be completed.

Akbar had built several buildings and forts, but the most impressive among them is the Agra Fort which was completed in 1571 A.D. Red sand stone was used for the construction and, has many gates named Amar Singh Dwar, Hathi Dwar etc. The Jahangir Mahal, Mariam Mahal etc. are among the places built in Agra Fort. The Agra Fort required 2,000 stone-cutters, 2,000 cement and lime-stone makers and 8,000 labourers.

The crowning achievement of Akbar's reign is considered to be palace-cum-fort complex at Fatehpur Sikri. Akbar wanted a peaceful and pretty place with good natural environment. So he had chosen Fatehpur Sikri for this purpose. He commenced its building in 1572 and completed it in 1580. It is built on a hill with large artificial lake. It has many buildings based on Gujarati and Bengali style, including fanciful kiosk, balconies and deep caves.

Panch Mahal' is the part of Fatehpur Sikri. Panch Mahal was built to enjoy fresh air and has five storey buildings. It has different temples with beautiful pillars in several designs.

The most magnificent buildings of Fatehpur Sikri are the mosque and the gateway. It is called the 'Buland Darwaja' or the 'lofty gate'. It was built to commemorate the victory of Gujarat by Akbar. The arch of Buland Darwaja is about 41 meters. It is a 'half dome portal' style gate.

Jahangir's chief interest was in painting rather than in architecture. Despite this, two buildings constructed during his reign are famous- Akbar's tomb at Sikandra and Itmad-ud-Daulah's tomb at Agra.

Architecture during Shah Jahan's period was at its zenith. Some of the finest examples are- Taj Mahal in Agra, Red fort in Delhi, Jama Masjid in Delhi, Moti Masjid and Masumman Burz in Agra Fort.

The Jama Masjid of Adil Shah at Bijapur, Adil Shah II's tomb, some royal palaces & the Satmanzila buildings are elegant examples of blend of Hindu and Muslim style architecture.

Quli Qutub Shah Tomb is situated at Golconda in Deccan. It is significant because it is the biggest dome in India

Two kinds of structures were built between eight and eighteenth century by the kings and their officers. The first were forts, palaces and tombs. These were safe, protected and grandiose places of rest in this world and the next. The second were structures meant for public activity including temples, mosques, tanks, wells, caravan serais and bazaars. Kings were expected to care for their subjects and by making structures for their use and comfort, rulers hoped to win their praise.

Arcuate' was an architectural style of windows to support the weight of the superstructure etc.

Technological improvements noticeable from twelfth century were arches above doors and windows; use of cement and construction of large structures.

The Islamic architecture represented the order and might of Islam. It was not entirely foreign implant on Indian scene but a mixture of Persian, Timurid, Samarkhand & Bukhara style.

Qutub Minar with a height of 72.5 m is the tallest brick minaret in the world. Qutub-ud-din-aibak laid the foundation of minar in AD 1199. Numerous inscriptions in Arabic and Nagari characters in different places of the minar reveal the history of Qutub-Minar.

As kings very often attacked each other kingdoms; they very often targeted these buildings to destroy the power and wealth of their opponents. They decorated their temples with seized images from defeated kingdoms.

Mausoleum' was 'a building housing an Islamic tomb'. Taj Mahal at Agra and tomb of Shiek Salim Chisti at Fatehpur Sikri are representative examples of Mausoleums built on Persian pattern.