The Cambridge History of India, Vol. IV: The Mughul Period v4.c23.s4.168.2

v4.c23.s4.168.2

Compared also with the cities of the Mughuls bright with red sandstone and white marble, the capital of the ‘Ādil Shāhs, constructed almost entirely of a local trap, dark brown in colour, presents in spite of its many fine monuments a somewhat monotonous and sombre effect. Attributing to themselves a Turkish origin denoted by the crescent-finial surmounting several of the state buildings, the ‘Ādil Shāhs brought into the style of these structures a new and vigorous infusion, with remarkable results. This is shown in the wide range of their types of building, combined with a knowledge of construction which equals, if it does not exceed, that of the master-masons of the Mughuls. As an instance of the versatility of the Bījāpur workmen, the contrast between the majestic proportions and breadth of treatment of the Gol Gumbaz, Muḥammad ‘Ādil Shāh’s tomb, and the exquisite detail of the miniature Mihtar Maḥall, is noteworthy. The former building is a *tour de force*, as its dome, in some of its dimensions, is one of the largest of its kind, the total area that it covers being over eighteen thousand square feet. Under Muḥammad (1627–56), the ‘Ādil Shāh dynasty reached the height of its power, a circumstance which is marked by this immense mausoleum, unquestionably the most striking monument in Bījāpur, and one of the most impressive in the whole of India.