The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c26.s8.t2: Provincial architectures
The Sultanate of Delhi, 711–1526 A.D. c26.s8.t2
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Provincial architectures
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The rulers of the various provincial dynasties that came into existence on the decline of the Sultanate under the later Tughluqs were also builders of palaces, mosques and tombs. Though in essential features the various provincial styles resemble that of Delhi, they differ from it, and among themselves, in some important details. The Delhi architecture, for example, was more remarkably splendid than that of many a provincial kingdom, the rulers of which could not afford to spend as much money as the Sultans of Delhi. Moreover, the provincial styles of architecture were modified by the local art traditions of pre-Turkish period that still held the field and also by the peculiar conditions that obtained in various provinces.
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***Multan.*** This province, having been for centuries under continuous Muslim rule, possesses several monuments of note. The earliest buildings were two mosques, the first of which was built by Muhammad bin Qasim and the second was erected on the site of the famous temple of Aditya which was demolished by the Karmathians. There are three important shrines in Multan, namely, the shrine of Shah Yusuf-ul-Gardizi (built about 1152), the mausoleum of Bahaul Haqq (built in 1262), and the tomb of Shams-ud-din, popularly known as Shams-i-Tabrizi (built after 1276). There is a fourth shrine, namely, the tomb of Rukn-i-Alam, built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq (between 1320 and 1324). The above three buildings have suffered greatly from the ravages of time and had to be reconstructed. The last shrine is considered as "one of the most splendid memorials ever erected in the honour of the dead." The building is largely Persian in design.
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***Bangal.*** Although Bangal was so rich and her artists possessed of an inborn sense of art and adaptability of character, the local Sultans did not succeed in developing a first-rate style of architecture. Their buildings were largely made of bricks and stone was very sparingly used. The architecture was characterised by "the use of pointed arches on short pillars and the Muslim's adaptation of the traditional Hindu temple style of curvilinear cornices copied from the bamboo structures, and of beautifully carved Hindu symbolic decorative designs like the lotus." The ruins of these buildings are found at Gaur or Lakhanauti, Tribeni and Pandua. The earliest specimens of the Bangal style of architecture are the tomb and mosque of Zafar Khan Ghazi, which were built mostly out of the materials from the Hindu temples. The well-known Adina Masjid was built by Sikandar Shah at Pandua in the second half of the fourteenth century. It was a very huge and ambitious structure, and, though considered in Bangal as one of the wonders of the world, its design, in the opinion of Sir John Marshall, is "far from being worthy of its size." Another beautiful building is the tomb of Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Shah, which is considered to be one of the finest tombs in Bangal. The Dakhil Darwaza at Gaur is "as perfect an example of brick structure as can be found anywhere in the world." The other well-known structures are the Lotan Masjid, the Bara Sona Masjid, the Chhota Sona Masjid and the Qadam Rasul mosque. Of these the Bara Sona Masjid “has the merit of greater simplicity and impressiveness.” The Bangal style is a class by itself and is inferior to most of the other provincial styles in design, execution, finish and decoration.
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*Gujarat.* The Gujarat style was probably the finest and the most beautiful among the provincial architectures. Before the advent of the Turks the province had already a beautiful indigenous style. The Turkish conquerors utilised the local talent and erected beautiful buildings which were characterised by the use of fine wood carving, delicate stone lattice work and profuse ornamentation. The capital city of Ahmadabad, founded by Ahmad Shah, was enriched by a number of lofty buildings which were built largely out of the materials of the old temples and buildings. One of the best examples of the Gujarat style is the well-known Jami Masjid at Ahmadabad erected by Ahmad Shah in 1411. It has fifteen domes which are supported on two hundred pillars. Another equally beautiful building is the tomb of Ahmad Shah. The city of Champaner, also, contains remarkable buildings, including a grand mosque built by Mahmud Begarha and the palaces in the fort. Dr. Burgess lavishes praise on the Gujarat style and says that it combines “all the beauty and finish of the native art with a certain magnificence which is deficient in their own works.”
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*Malwa.* The province of Malwa also evolved a distinctive style of its own. There are two remarkable mosques at Dhar, the ancient capital of the kingdom. One of these was originally a Sanskrit college attached to which was a Hindu temple. It is even now known as Bhojashala. It was converted into a mosque. The other mosque also is built out of the materials of old Hindu buildings. Both the mosques betray great Hindu influence. Its pillars and tombs are Hindu in form; but the buildings of Mandu, which was established as a capital by the local Sultans, are peculiarly Muslim in design and execution and bear a close resemblance to those of Delhi. The most notable buildings of Mandu, which is fortified by strong stone walls, are the Jami Masjid, the Hindola Mahal, the Jahaz Mahal, Husang Shah’s tomb and the palaces of Baz Bahadur and Rupmati. The Jami Masjid was planned and begun by Husang Shah, but it was completed by Mahmud Khalji. The Darbar Hall, which is popularly known as Hindola Mahal, was also, probably, erected by Husang Shah. Husang Shah’s is the first great tomb in the country built wholly of white marble. The Jahaz Mahal, with its arched walls, roofed pavilions and beautiful reservoirs, is one of the most conspicuous buildings in Mandu. The palaces of Baz Bahadur and Rupmati are built high up on the plateau overlooking the Narmada. In short, Mandu “is, of all the fortress cities of India, the most magnificent.”
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*Jaunpur.* The Sharqi dynasty of Jaunpur was responsible for great patronage of architecture. The buildings erected by the Sultans are characterised by a synthesis of Hindu and Muslim architectural ideas. The buildings of this style are noted for their “massive sloping walls, square pillars, small galleries and cloisters.” The mosques of Jaunpur, which were built out of the materials of the demolished Hindu temples, have no minarets of the usual Muslim type. One of the brilliant specimens of the Sharqi style is the Atala Devi Masjid which was begun in 1377 and completed in 1408. The next is the Jami Masjid which was built by Husain Shah (1452-78). The third is the Lal Darwaza mosque. The other notable buildings are the broken facade of the Jhanjheeri and the Khalis Mukhlis.
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*Kashmir.* In the remote valley of Kashmir the local Sultans adopted the old Hindu tradition of stone and wooden architecture. They supplemented it with structural forms and decorative *motifs* peculiarly associated with Islam. The result was that in Kashmir, as elsewhere, there was a harmonious blending of the Hindu and Muslim architectural ideas. Some of the important buildings there belong to the reign of Zain-ul-Abidin (1420-1470). The tomb of Mandani, with the adjacent mosque in Srinagar, is considered to be a beautiful specimen of Kashmir art. The Jami Masjid at Srinagar built by Sikandar, the *Butshikan*, and extended by Zain-ul-Abidin “is still an instructive example of the pre-Mughal style.” Another building is the mosque of Shah Hamadan in Srinagar which is built exclusively of timber.
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*Dakhin.* The Bahamani Sultans of the Dakhin were patrons of art. They brought into existence a peculiar style of architecture which was a mixture of a number of elements, such as, Indian, Turkish, Egyptian and Persian. The mosques at Gulbarga and Bidar are beautiful specimens of this art; but the most remarkable Dakhin architecture is found at Bijapur. The magnificent mausoleum of Muhammad Adil Shah, popularly known as Gol Gumbaz, is built after a peculiar style in which the Turkish art ideas have a preponderating influence. There are other equally celebrated buildings, such as, the Jami Masjid at Gulbarga, the Chand Minar at Daultabad and the college of Mahmud Gawan at Bidar. Most of the buildings of the Bahamani Sultans were built on the site, and out of the materials of demolished Hindu temples and, therefore, it was impossible to avoid Hindu influence. According to Sir John Marshall, in the early stages of the evolution of the Bahamanide art the native Dakhin had to struggle hard for its existence; but from about the end of the 15th century it began to reassert itself. The Indian genius, thus, ultimately rose superior to foreign influence.