18arc5.4 Hoa V Notes Module 4
18arc5.4 Hoa V Notes Module 4
18arc5.4 Hoa V Notes Module 4
It was commissioned by Nūr Jahān, the wife of Jahangir, for her father Mirzā Ghiyās Beg, originally a
Persian Amir in exile, who had been given the title of I'timād-ud-Daulah (pillar of the state).
He was also the grandfather of Mumtāz Mahāl (originally named Arjūmand Bāno, daughter of Asaf
Khān), the wife of the emperor Shāh Jahān
Located on the right bank of the Yamuna River, it is set in a large cruciform garden criss-crossed by
water courses and walkways. The tomb itself covers about 21.3m x 21.3m square and is single storey
high.
CARAVAN SERAI
• A Roadside Inn for travellers
• It is a large inn generally built for travellers as well as care takers of a place
• The inn generally has a central courtyard
• It was a place where there was flow of money, trade, information, networking of people on different
trade routes
• The word caravan means a group of traders, pilgrims or travellers engaged in long distance travel
• It was a building with a square or rectangular walled exterior with a single portal wide enough to permit
large or heavily loaded animals to enter. The courtyard was open to sky. The interiors of these walls
consisted of animal bays, niches, chambers etc to accommodate merchants and their servants, animals
and merchandise
• They provided water usually from wells inside the Serai for human and animal consumptions, for washing
and ritual washing before prayers
• Sometimes Serais consisted of elaborate baths. They also included fodder for animals and had shops for
travellers to buy goods
• Some of the famous Serais built during Mughal period include:
• Serai Lashkari Khan at Doraha near Ludhiana
• Akbari Serai at Lahore (At Tomb of Jahangir)
• Mehram ki Serai at Delhi
• The Serai at Doraha is around 168 Sq.m in area and is an enclosure of battlement walls with an octagonal
bastion at each corner.
• Imposing gateways are located at the centre of Northern and Southern sides
• It consisted of 20 rooms on each of the Northern and Southern wings while 30 rooms were located on the
Eastern and Western sides
• Some of these rooms could have been used as Hammams and is considered to have inclined ventilators
• A mosque is located on the western wall. It was enclosed by a large compounded wall
• The centre of the Serai consisted of a suite with 3 rooms
• The Akbari Serai ("Palace of Akbar“) is a large caravan inn located in Shahdara Bagh at Lahore, Pakistan
• The Serai was originally built around 1637 for travellers, as well as for caretakers of the Tomb of Jahangir
• It is most notable for being the best-preserved example in Pakistan, as well as for its large gateway that is
richly filled with pietra dura that serves as a portal to the tomb of Jahangir
• A court historian to the Emperor Shah Jahan, mentioned the building by the name Jilu Khana-e-Rauza,
which means "attached court of the tomb“
• The Serai quadrangle is situated in the middle of the complex with Tomb of Jahangir to the east and
tomb of Asif Khan to the west
• It is considered that the construction of Akbari Serai began during the reign of Islam Shah Suri in the mid
1550s, and not during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar
• The mosque at the Serai dates from the Suri period, though the cells which line the complex, and its
gateways, date from the Shah Jahan period in the mid 1600s.
• The Serai has two large gateways in the Mughal style, located to the north and to the south that were
built to be visible from a distance. The gateway is two stories high
• The main arch serving as a portal to the tomb of Jahangir features a large double storied Iwan, flanked
by 4 other smaller arched niches featuring Ghalib Kari, or a network of ribs in stucco and plaster applied
to curved surfaces in each archway
• The central Iwan is decorated with muqarnas
• The façade of the gateway is richly decorated with Pietra Dura
• To the west in the middle of the cell rows is a mosque with three domes.
• It is clad in red sandstone with decorations. The interior of the mosque was probably once embellished
with frescoes and ghalib kari as well
• Khas mahal was the emperor’s apartment connected to an octagonal tower for the king to appear
before people
• Diwan-i-Khas (Private audience hall) was constructed in white marble and inlaid with precious stones
with the peacock throne being housed there in 17th cent
• Other structures included hammans, Jalau khana, Moti masjid, Hira mahal, Shahi mahal(Emperor study)
etc
• A baoli is located within the fort and is considered to be Pre-red fort era
• Most of the structures were destroyed during the sepoy mutiny in 1857
• The Red fort (Lal Qila) at Agra is located 2.5km NW of Taj mahal
• The fort walls were built during the reign of Akbar in 1573 with bricks in the inner core and red sandstone
exterior
• It was built for military strategic point as well as royal residence
• Only the fort walls and Jahangiri mahal is from Akbar’s era, while the others were from Jahangir and
Shah jahan’s era.
• The Fort uses a double moat system, with one water moat (reputedly filled with crocodiles) and a dry
moat (populated with man-eating tigers)
Jahangiri Mahal: Palace of Jahangir was 79.5m x 87.7m with a courtyard in the front. The entrance to the
palace is from a portal and consists of complex arrangement of rooms, halls, corridors, galleries and
verandas. It has a central court 22m x 22m and open to sky. It is a trabeated structure with red sandstone
with carved brackets and inlaid with white marble. It was considered to be the Zenana mahal for Akbar.
The corners area marked by chatris and consists of Hindu and Islamic motifs. A variety of arcuate ceiling
designs can be found in these interior spaces, including the use of arch netting, ribbed domes, pyramidal
vaults and covered ceilings.
Diwan-I-Khas : It is located on a plinth, about 1m high, and is entered from the Throne Terrace (two marble
thrones are placed in front of each other). Itwas constructed in 1635 A.D. This double-chambered structure
is open on three sides and is entered through five arched openings supported on double columns. These
double columns not only strengthen the structure but also add to its aesthetic effect. The inner hall which is
about 12.2m x 6m and the outer hall is about 22.2m x 10m are connected to each other by three archways.
The interior hall was known as Tambi khana and featured a wooden flat ceiling which was covered with
silver leaves in relief. This room was used by the emperor for reception of kings, ambassadors and nobles in
private and for dealing with important affairs of state.
• Sheesh Mahal: 'Glass Palace’ - royal dressing room adorned by tiny mirror-like glass-mosaic decorations
on the walls
• Nagina Masjid: 'Gem Mosque’ : designed exclusively for the ladies
• Anguri Bagh: houses 85 square, geometrically arranged lush garden
• Khas Mahal: A white marble palace: Built for Shah jahan’s daughters with Anguri bagh in the front. It’s a
white marble structure.
• Mina Masjid: 'Heavenly Mosque’ - mosque
• Muthamman Burj: A large, octagonal tower with a balcony facing the Taj Mahal built in white marble
and gilded copper on top. Similar to the Bengal roof with cusped arches and inlaid with precious stones.
The fair was closed for the public, while the women of the harem, Rajput ladies and the wives and
daughters of the noblemen in the court, set up their own stalls to sell cloth, jewellery, handicrafts etc.
Only the emperor, princes and some nobles were allowed to enter the bazaar to purchase the goods,
which were sold at high prices. The earnings were given for charity.
Mumtaz mahal and Shah Jahan’s Relationship apparently started during one such fair held at Meena
bazaar
EUROPEAN’S INFLUENCE
European Colonists brought to India concepts of their world view and a whole lot of concepts from
European architecture which included:
- Neo-Classical
- Romanesque
- Gothic
- Renaissance
The initial structures were Utilitarian Warehouses and walled trading posts giving way to Fortified Towns along
the coastline. Later structures like Bungalows, Town halls, Courts etc were constructed. Establishment of
Christianity as a religion became means of colonization to some and hence need for Construction of
Churches was prominent. The country from which the colonists came from influenced the style of
architecture followed.
FORTS:
Initially they came as traders and building were warehouses. But as they progressed, they needed to
fortify and protected garrisons emerged to protect the warehouses, residences, official quarters,
churches, banks, theatres etc.
Fort William: The fort William was built to house the entire European community. It was modelled on
state-of-art European forts with ramparts, redoubts, ditches and earthworks
Fort at Daman: Portuguese introduced the Star-shaped plan of the fort at Daman. Later the British and
French used regular polygonal geometry with triangular bastions at each angle thus maximizing all
round cover and protected the curtain walls.
Forts at Bombay, Madras and Calcutta consisted of double walls and angular bastions built low for
artillery to command the level approach
Fort St. George, Madras: Built in mid-17th cent. It is the oldest fort to be built by the East India Company.
Within its stellar fortifications, this separated the natives from the European settlements
Neo Classical : Town Hall Bombay, Neo-Gothic : High Court Building, Bombay
NEO- GOTHIC
Characteristics:
Derived from churches during medieval period in Western Europe.
Featured high pitched roofs, pointed arches and splendid decoration.
Example: Victoria Terminus.
Victoria terminus designed by the architect Frederick William Stevens modeled on the St. Pancras station
is finest example of Gothic architecture with a subtle Indo-sarcenic motifs (Use of Polychromatic stones,
Decorated Tile marble, Stained glass)
Idea behind
This architectural style was revived in nineteenth century for churches. The probable reason is religious
ideals and to assert their monarchy.
GOTHIC STYLE
The ribbed vault; flying buttress and pointed arches are features of gothic style in most of the churches
in Mumbai. Mumbai high court; St john church; Victoria terminus etc. are some examples.
Inspiration was drawn from European church with pointed and long arch resembling the long physique
of pope assimilating sense of piety.
INDO- SARCENIC
Idea behind:
To assert their rightful authority in India.
VICTORIAN STYLE
Considerable height; mixing of different architecture styles; decoration are features of this style. Victoria
terminus; town hall are Victorian style combined with roman; Indian and Gothic style.
Inspiration was taken from large decorative buildings of Victorian era to show the magnanimity of British
rule in India. But only interior of most of the buildings in Mumbai shows Victorian decoration while exterior
remains Indian
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