4/1/2015 IndoIslamicArchitectureIslamicArchitectureIndiaMedievalIndianArchitecture

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IndoIslamicArchitectureThemedievalperiodsawgreatdevelopments in thefieldofarchitecture.With the coming of Muslims to India, many new features came to beintroducedinbuildings.ThedevelopmentofMuslimStyleofArchitectureof this period can be called the IndoIslamic Architecture or the IndianArchitectureinfluencedbyIslamicArt.TheIndoIslamicstylewasneitherstrictlyIslamicnorstrictlyHindu.Thearchitectureofthemedievalperiodcan be divided into two main categories. They are the Delhi or theImperialStyleandtheMughalArchitecture.TheImperialStyledevelopedunderthepatronageoftheSultansofDelhi.TheMughalArchitecturewasa blend of the Islamic Architecture of Central Asia and the HinduArchitectureofIndia.

TheIndoIslamicstyleprovidedspaciousness,massivenessandbreadthtotheHinduarchitecture.Inalmostalltheprominentbuildings,thearch,MinaranddomebegantobeusedandthemosqueorMasjidbecameapartofthe landscape.Thechiefmeansofdecorationwassurfacedecoration through theuseofgeometry,arabesqueandcalligraphy.TheMuslimsborrowedthedesignofkalashonthetopoftheHindutemplebyplacingadomeonthetopoftheirbuildings.

Themost important symbol of IndoIslamic architecture in India is the tomb or themausoleumwhich evolvedfromthebasiccubeandhemisphereoftheearlyphaseintoamoredetailedformduringtheMughalperiod.IntheMughalperiodmultiplechambersweremadeandtombsweresetingardens,knownastheCharBagh.Thetombchamberhouses thecenotaphbelowwhich is thegrave.Themost famousexampleof tomb in India is the TajMahal.

The Mughal Architecture occupies a significant place in the history of Indian Architecture. The Mughalarchitecture developedwith the efforts ofAkbar. Akbar cleverly incorporated foreign influences into indigenousstyle. Some of the basic features of the Mughal Architecture are the round domes, high minarets, mehrabs,pillars, open courtyards etc. A notable feature of theMughal architecture was the use of red sandstone. It isinteresting to note that red sandstone was used for construction of huge buildings and forts. However redsandstone was replaced with white marbles replaced it during the later period when the stress was more onbeautifyingof thebuildingswith theuseofcoloreddesigns,preciousandsemipreciousstones,goldandsilverwatersandminutecarvings.

The outstanding examples of IndoIslamic architecture are the Qutub Minar, Alai Darwaza, QuwwatulIslammosque,TughlaqabadFort,FatehpurSikri,AgraFort,TajMahal,RedFortDelhietc.