Year / Part: II / II
Lecture #4
History of Eastern Architecture / Islamic Architecture / 2005
Lecture No. 4
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS (Contd…)
Mandu (15th Century)

Provincial style in Malwa, a western region of India consists of two cities
Dhar and Mandu (twin capital cities)

Fortress city at 1000 feet high rocky hill with no planning as such but
dictated by the nature of landscape
HIndola Mahal (The Swinging Mahal), Mandu (1425 AD)

Swinging palace constructed by Alp Khan, later known as Hoshang Shah
who had also built the city wall

Creates illusion of swaying like a swing – use of massive sloping walls –
far more stable than structurally required for this modest building

Severe form diluted by typical Hindu balconies and jharokhas

T – shaped plan with rectangular hall measuring 18.2m X 26 m with rooms
at back in two floors

Served as durbar (audience hall) and royal apartments
Jahaz Mahal, Mandu (1460 AD)

Built by Khalji king Mohammad Khalji

Literally a ship palace – for being located between two lakes

Two storied palace with airy and fanciful kiosks on terrace

East – west oriented structure measuring 110m X 15.2m

Building character: more lively and lighthearted, expression of leisure life

Style towards lightly elegant and fanciful mode – open air baths on terrace
– broad flight of steps adds liveliness

Use of glazed colorful friezes
Tomb of Hoshang Shah, Mandu

A square tomb located behind western wall of Jami Masjid and built
entirely in white marble

Massive dome sited at top seems to be too large for the square base – not
quite successful in proportion
Course Teacher: Ar. Rajjan Man Chitrakar
Architecture Dept. - nec
1
Year / Part: II / II

Lecture #4
History of Eastern Architecture / Islamic Architecture / 2005
Shah Jahan after deciding to Taj Mahal had sent his architects to study
this mausoleum as preliminary research

Probably the idea of placing small domes around the central one in Taj
Mahal was inspired by this tomb
Char MInar, Hyderabad (1591 AD)

A monumental structure erected as a triumphal archway – zenith of
Galconda style

Built by Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah to mark the end of dreaded epidemic
plague

Built on square base of side 30.4m with four 57m high minarets at each
corner and with dome in center

Each of four facades consist of ogee arch of span 11m

Above central arch rises a series of diminishing storey

The first storey consists of arcaded triforium, second has small arches
while the final storey consists of perforated balusters

Entire conception is inventive and spirited
Bijapur (16th and 17th Century)

Patronage by Adil Shahi dynasty

One of the few cities that have the most profuse display of fine buildings in
India
Ibrahim Ka Rauza, Bijapur (1615 AD)

Rauza: a combination of tomb and mosque in India

Built by Ibrahim Adil Shah I, consists of two main buildings, a tomb and a
mosque with other accessories all within a square enclosure
The Tomb

A square tomb structure measuring 35m in side is raised on a plinth and
surrounded by double verandah

Additional minarets are provided at each corner of dome and also around
the roof

Dome has petal like base
Course Teacher: Ar. Rajjan Man Chitrakar
Architecture Dept. - nec
2
Year / Part: II / II

Lecture #4
History of Eastern Architecture / Islamic Architecture / 2005
Use of deep Chajjas, carved brackets and rich horizontal moldings
Gol Gumbaj, Bijapur (1656 - 60 AD)

Tomb of Mohammed Adil Shah, the most remarkable and the largest
building in India – immensity of the size was the major concern

It has simple architectural form, a great cube along with octagonal turrets
at every corner and a large hemispherical dome on top

Each of the mail wall space (except for the northern façade) consist of
three shallow arches, the central being punched to form a gateway

Cornices are projected casting a deep shadow supported over richly
carved brackets

Over the cornice is the arcade with small arches topped by small merlons

The dome exhibits a typical regional character with bud like appearance
enhanced by foliation at base
The Interior

The interior forms the largest uninterrupted floor space in the world with
the largest dome placed above

A well proportioned large chamber with intersecting arches to create an
octagon on which a circular rim has been projected to support the dome –
the concept behind was not architectural but daring structural engineering

The load of the dome is transferred onto the walls by setting its inside well
3m behind the rim

The dome is constructed in horizontal courses of brick with thick mortar in
each course thus forming a mono block of lime concrete with brick
reinforcement

The entire thickness of the shell is about 3m

It appears that no scaffolding had been used as sailing courses of brick
would require no formwork except when the crown of the dome was
constructed
Dimensions

Height of building: 60.9m form GL (20 storey structure of modern time)

Inside central height: 53.9m

Inside side height: 40.9m
Course Teacher: Ar. Rajjan Man Chitrakar
Architecture Dept. - nec
3
Year / Part: II / II
Lecture #4
History of Eastern Architecture / Islamic Architecture / 2005

Side of the base: 62.5m (outside)

Springing height of dome: 33.3m

Dia. of dome: 44m (outside), 38m (inside)

Total area of hall: 1672.80 sq. m. (larger than that of Roman Pantheon
having floor area of 1453.90 sq. m.)
Geometry

Little of architectural excellence

Outer surface lacks pleasing architectural composition

Octagonal turrets contribute little to the elegance of elevation
Course Teacher: Ar. Rajjan Man Chitrakar
Architecture Dept. - nec
4
Year / Part: II / II
Lecture #4
History of Eastern Architecture / Islamic Architecture / 2005
THE MUGHAL PERIOD (1526 – 1837 AD)

Founded by Babur in 1526 AD after defeating the Lodi king Sultan
Ibrahim
(Sher Shah Sur takes over Delhi between 1540 to 15 55 AD and
Humayun, son of Babur is exiled to Persia; later Akbar takes capital to
Agra)

Patronage of arts in general and architecture in particular

Characterized by refined architectural style and advanced structural
approaches

Reasons behind developments
 Imperial wealth and power
 Political stability
 Royal patronage
 Forthright relation with craftsmen
Important rulers and phases of developments

Babur
 Emphasis over formal gardens, strict geometry and symmetrical
patterns
 Not much architectural works but ornamental gardens
 Trend setter of thoughts with intellectual contributions

Humayun
 Exile to Persia brings Persian ideas and features in Mughal
architecture

Akbar
 Red sandstone phase of Mughal architecture

Jahangir
 No great patronage of building arts as his interest lay elsewhere
 Concentration on miniature paintings than in buildings

Shah Jahan
 White marble phase, hallmark of Mughal architecture
Course Teacher: Ar. Rajjan Man Chitrakar
Architecture Dept. - nec
5
Year / Part: II / II
Lecture #4
History of Eastern Architecture / Islamic Architecture / 2005
Early Mughal Architecture
Tomb of Humayun, Delhi (1565 AD)

Built under the patronage of Humayun’s wife Hazi Begum and eight years
after his death, this tomb building provides inspiration to general
development of Mughal architecture and more specifically to Taj Mahal

The chief architect was MIrak Mirza Ghiaz

Humayun’s tomb marks the beginning of Mughal tomb architecture in India
Mughal Tomb Architecture in India

The most striking element of Mughal tomb is not the building itself
but rather the layout of the entire complex

The tomb does not stand alone in wilderness but it is conceived as
the heart of symmetrically arranged formal Char Bagh (Four
Gardens)

The idea of planting the garden around tomb was most probably
the homage to nature loving vision of Babur by later Mughal kings

Organization of natural forms within the confinement of man made
frame work of geometrical patterns

Plantation of trees at strategic points with rigid water channels
running along the cardinal axes served with fountains at regular
intervals


The grass quadrangles are also bordered with rows of flower beds
Persian influence is apparently seen in dome shape and construction,
arched alcove entrance façade and in internal planning (Perfect blend of
indigenous architecture with Persian inspirations)

Indian indigenous character in cupola kiosks, workmanship in stone and
marble

Whole complex is arranged in park like enclosure with the tomb in the
center of a formal garden – Lodi influence

The tomb is approached from all four sides while the main entry gateway
is at west side
Course Teacher: Ar. Rajjan Man Chitrakar
Architecture Dept. - nec
6
Year / Part: II / II

Lecture #4
History of Eastern Architecture / Islamic Architecture / 2005
The division of garden is made with rectangular compartments of flagged
pathways

The tomb exhibits a perfect composition with proper proportions,
relationship of masses and their distributions

The 42.4m high tomb is raised on a high plinth having arched alcove
called stylobate provides a suitable base for the huge cubical mass above

The façade consists of a central rectangular fronton flanked on each side
by chamfered cubic mass – Persian character

The arched alcove on central rectangular fronton is splayed for better
diffusion of light to the interior which also plays a three dimensional effects
on the façade

Surface treatment of red sandstone with white marble linings is significant

The true double dome is used for the first time as inner dome makes the
ceiling

Cluster of pillared cupola kiosks around the dome are present

Octagonal central cenotaph with octagonal corner rooms makes the
internal division of space along with clerestory screed windows for lighting
Course Teacher: Ar. Rajjan Man Chitrakar
Architecture Dept. - nec
7