Art and Architecture of medieval India

The  coming of Muslims to India in the medieval period saw large scale architectural monuments and buildings in India like Qutub Minar,Adhai Din ka Jhonpra,Quwwat ul Islam mosque,Alai Darwaza,Alai minar,Tughlaqabad fort,Lodi Gardens in the Sultanate period and the Taj Mahal,Red fort,Agra fort,Buland Darwaza,Akbar’s tomb,Humayun’s tomb and the Bibi ka Maqbara at Aurangabad,Agra, Delhi and Fatehpur Sikri during the Mughal period.

After the invasion of India by the Turks in the late 12th century the Muslim rulers came in to contact with the Hindus which gradually led to a fusion of Hindu and Islamic elements in architecture which came to be known as the Indo Islamic architecture. Over a period of time this style of architecture was visible in the construction of buildings and monuments during the Sultanate period.

For the sake of convenience the architecture of medieval India can be divided in to two periods –The Sultanate period and the Mughal period. The Sultanate period saw the evolution and beginning of a new type of architecture which was characterized by tall minarets, large domes, calligraphy and use of geometrical shapes. The Muslim rulers built their architectural buildings out of the materials acquired from the demolished temples of the Hindus and used the remains of demolished temples in the construction of their buildings. The factors which were responsible for the fusion of Hindu and Muslim elements in architecture were that the Muslim rulers employed local Indian craftsmen and masons in the construction of their buildings which unconsciously led to the introduction of Hindu architectural designs in their buildings. The Muslim rulers built their architectural buildings according to the Islamic traditions but also had Hindu influences in it.

Of the most influential of the Sultanate architecture the Delhi style of architecture is the most famous. The Delhi style of architecture developed during the reign of Qutubuddin Aibak.The most famous building built by Qutubuddin was the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque at Delhi which was constructed out of the remains of 27 Hindu and Jain shrines which were demolished by the invaders.The major part of this mosque was conceived as a Muslim House of prayer.The other features of this mosque are the Quranic verses inscribed in Islamic calligraphy. The Adhai Din ka Jhonpra at Ajmer was also built by Qutubuddin Aibak in the year 1200AD.It was built out of the remains of demolished temples and it was originally a Sanskrit college with a temple of Saraswati in it. It was converted in to a mosque by Qutubuddin Aibak.

The Qutub Minar at Delhi in the Qutub complex is a tall minaret built by Qutubuddin Aibak and is a UNESCO World heritage site.The Qutub Minar is a tapering tower and is 73 metres tall. It was built to celebrate the Muslim supremacy in Delhi. It has five levels and projecting balconies. The first three levels are made of red sandstone and  the other two of marble and sandstone. The  Alai Darwaza built by Alauddin Khalji of the Khalji dynasty in 1311 is located in the southern gateway of the Qutb complex. It is a domed structure and is built of red sandstone and marble.

The Tughlaqabad fort at Delhi was built in 1321 by the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq. It is a massive walled structure and has walls of 10 to 15 metres height. The Lodi Gardens at Delhi was built during the rule of the Sayyid and the Lodi dynasties. It is a popular tourist spot in Delhi and has tombs from the times of Sikandar Lodi and Muhammad Shah.

With the coming of the Mughals in the 16^th century the architecture in India underwent a significant change with the fusion of Persian and Indian elements. The Mughals were great builders and this was visible in the construction of monuments like Taj Mahal at Agra, Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri, Agra fort, Akbar’s tomb and Red fort at Delhi,  Humayun’s tomb, Bibi ka Maqbara at Aurangabad in Maharashtra and the Badshahi Masjid at Lahore.

The Mughal rulers patronized architectural buildings and their rule produced monuments and buildings of unusual quality and fine craftsmanship. The tomb of Humayun at Delhi built during the reign of Akbar is known for its Persianate architectural influence and layout of gardens in the Charbagh style. Akbar was also a great patron of architecture and he built buildings of red sandstone like the Agra fort and the Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri to commemorate his victory over Gujarat. However it was Shah Jahan in whose reign the Mughal architecture reached its zenith .He built the Taj Mahal at Agra and it was during his reign that marble replaced sandstone as the primary building material. Shah Jahan also built the Red fort at Delhi and the Jama Masjid at Delhi. Mughal architecture witnessed a decline during the rule of Aurangzeb. The only notable buildings of his reign are the Badshahi Masjid at Lahore and the Bibi Ka Maqbara at Aurangabad in Maharashtra.

Hence it can be said that the medieval period in India produced architectural monuments of fine quality. The Sultanate period and the Mughal period contributed significantly to the construction of monuments and buildings which stand today as World Heritage sites in India like the Qutub Minar, Taj Mahal, Agra fort, Red fort and the Buland Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri.