The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c23.s4.147

v4.c23.s4.147

Almost contemporary with the building of the fort at Delhi was the construction of the Jāmi' Masjid, which, as already shown, was an essential part of the scheme of Shāh Jahān's new capital. This grand mosque, the largest and most eminent in all India, was begun in A.D. 1644, but was not completed until fourteen years later. In the meantime a somewhat similar congregational mosque was being erected under the emperor's patronage at Āgra, which, although not on the same majestic scale as the Delhi example, was nevertheless a structure of considerable size and importance. Both mosques are planned according to tradition and follow the same broad principles as regards arrangements and general style. But given all these common factors they show in the most marked manner how widely two buildings of the same type may be made to differ in effect. Nothing could be more severely dignified or imperious in appearance than the Jāmi' Masjid at Delhi, or more suitable for its purpose, as it was obviously designed primarily for the ceremonial attendance of the emperor and his retinue, the imposing royal portal on the east with its arcading effectually screening the congregation within from outside observation. An example of the highest type of religious architecture, precise and perfect, it forms a noble pile; the endless flights of steps before each entrance, the lofty white domes and tapering minarets with the broad arch of the façade are admirably disposed. The courtyard, 325 feet side, is in keeping with the great scale of the rest of the building, while the cloisters around the three sides and the symmetrical range of arches comprising the sanctuary are of the same generous proportions. But in spite of its great size, the orderly distribution of its parts and its undeniable grandeur, the building as a whole leaves the aesthetic sense only moderately stirred; it fails to arouse the highest emotions on account of its impersonality and aloofness. The uncompromising rigidity of its long horizontal lines, the harsh black and white inlay of its domes and minarets, its very vastness which necessitates the unending repetition of each detail, all combine to give this otherwise magnificent structure a character which never wholly attracts. On the other hand the mosque at Āgra, owing to its humanist values, makes a definitely intimate appeal. Although it lacks the perfection of the Delhi structure—the low position and timid contours of the domes are obvious defects—its free open frontage bringing everything into view, its rippling succession of kiosks of varying sizes which crown its parapets, the interesting passages of shadow thrown by its *chattris* and turrets, the warm broken colour of its masonry produce an effect of a singularly pleasing kind. It is a mosque evidently built for the benefit of the people; its shady cloisters, informal resting-places and alcoved retreats are an open invitation to all and sundry to spend a quiet hour within its precincts.