The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c23.s4.108

v4.c23.s4.108

Although Lahore was regarded as only the secondary capital of the empire, the fort that Akbar constructed there almost at the same time as that at Āgra was conceived and carried out on practically the same grand scale. It may be remarked, however, that its lay-out generally indicates an advance on that of the more southerly capital, as it is rectangular in plan and the interior arrangements are more regularly aligned. It was, however, altered even to a greater extent by Shāh Jahān, and subsequent rulers, including the Sikhs, have also changed its appearance. What is left of the palace buildings, dated from the time of Akbar, and possibly Jahāngīr, show that the style of these was similar in most respects to the Jahāngīrī Mahall at Āgra, except that the carved decoration was, if anything, more vigorous and unrestrained. Elephants and lions figure in the brackets and peacocks on the friezes, from which it may be inferred that Hindu craftsmen predominated, and that the supervision of the Mughul overseers was of a very tolerant order. One other fort of the first rank was built by Akbar some twenty years later at Allahābād, which still shows remains of considerable architectural merit, but its outer walls have been partly dismantled, and its interior structures have been very roughly treated, so that little is left of its original appearance. It is of the same irregular plan as the fort at Āgra, but this again may have been partly due to its position at the junction of the Jumna and Ganges. One noble pavilion, however, still remains intact, the Zanāna Palace, from which the character of the whole may be surmised. The pillars enclosing the verandah of this structure are in pairs, with two groups of four at each corner, a columniation of an unusually rich kind. Above, the pillars branch out into bracket-capitals forming elaborate clusters of forms which break up the deep shadow of the eaves that they support. For its effect it depends very largely on the number and distribution of its pillars with their superstructures, and records of other buildings in this fort indicate that a peristylar arrangement was much favoured by its architect.