Eternal India Encyclopedia

ARCHITECTURE

Eternal India

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SHAH JAHAN

With the reign of the emperor Shah Jahan, the golden era of

Mughal domination was attained, a period which was exceptional in

architecture. It was the age of marble, obtained from the quarries of

Markan in Jodhpur State. His style can be seen in the alteration in

the character of the arch, the curves of which are now foliated by

cusps. The dome is the Persian type, bulbous in its outlines and

constricted at its neck. Pillars were introduced with tapering shafts,

bracket capitals and foliated bases. Shah Jahan built the Diwan-i-

Am and Diwani-i-Khas in Delhi and the Moti Masjid (Pearl

Mosque) at Agra. The last constructed of white marble is a match-

less example of his exquisite style, with proportional arcades in the

facade, the disposition of the kiosks over the parapet and the subtle

effect produced by raising the central dome on its drum and the

nature of its material.

However, among the-fine numerous buildings, (such as the

Jami Masjid at Delhi, and one at Agra) the Taj Mahal marks the

"perfect monument" in the evolution of architecture during the

Mughal period. This buildihg which is on the river Jumna at Agra is

the mausoleum of the emperor Shah Jahan, and his well beloved

consort, the empress Arjumand Banu Begum, whose title Mumtaz

Mahal (Chosen of the Palace) and Taj Mahal (Crown of the Palace)

have been abbreviated into the Taj. The broad conception of the

unique memorial can only be attributed to the imaginative mind of

Shah Jahan. It was however the logical evolution of the building art

as practised by the Mughals, true to tradition. The plan of the con-

ception is vast, 1900 feet by 1000 feet, with the central area divided

off into a square garden. The ornamental garden was so planned as

to prepare the spectator for the exquisite appearance and lovely

dignity of the central structure. The structures on the terrace occu-

pying the northern end of the enclosure consist of the tomb building

in the centre and two detached subsidiary edifices, one on each

side. Of the two latter, that on the west is a mosque, that on the

east is a replica of the mosque but without its religious purport, to

blend into the composition for the sake of symmetry. In the middle

of the terrace, is a white marble tomb structure, the focal point of

the entire scheme. The mausoleum is elevated on a plinth 22 ft.

high, is square in plan and 186 feet at the side, the building 108 feet,

with a marble cupola above each corner,, while over the centre,

towering to a complete height of 187 feet, is the great bulbous

dome. The design is not complex, the proportions are simple as is

the shape. The entire width is equal to the height and the height of

the facade in the centre is the same height as the dome. But the

crowning glory of its elevation lies in the shape and volume of the

dome. The arrangement of the compartments in the interior of the

Taj was copied from that in Humayun's tomb at Delhi, with the

same octagonal shape, with subsidiary chambers in the angles and

all are connected by radiating passages. The main hall is in two

stories of arcades, over which is a semicircular vault forming the

inner shell of the double dome. As to the decoration applied to the

architecture of this monument, there is exquisite treatment of the

perforated screen enclosing the cenotaphs, inlaid patterns on the

flat surfaces. The chief beauty of the building lies in the complete

lucidity and coherence of its external architectural effect, as ex-

plained in its perfection, in its proportion, simplicity, superb fluidity

of its parts, but also by the quality and texture of the material used,

and the inlaid work and design. Shah Jahan intended to duplicate the

scheme of the Taj by the erection of another mausoleum in black

marble to enshrine his own remains, on the opposite bank of the

Jumna but the war with his son interrupted it.

The art of Mughal building is not complete without reference

to landscape architecture, especially the Mughal garden, such as

the Shalimar Bagh near Lahore built by Shah Jahan in 1637, formed

by terraces in descending levels for the maintenance of continuous

flow of water. Masonry pavilions, paved pathways, water channels

all add to its beauty. With the coming of Aurangzeb, there was a

decline in building activity. Whatever the causes for the deteriora-

tion in style, whether personal, political or both, the architectural

production of the Mughals during the later half of the 17th century

were less numerous and of a lower standard than those executed

under Shah Jahan. Illustrative of his style there is the mausoleum of

Aurangzeb's wife, Rabi Daurni, whose son caused it to be erected

and finished in 1678. Its design was inspired by the Taj, but it is a

very poor imitation and nothing could depict more graphically the

decline in architectural ideals.

The last phase of Mughal style was that which prevailed

under the Nawabs of Oudh, during the later half of the eighteenth

and the first half of the nineteenth centuries. Seen in Lucknow, the

style seems stagnated. The building material was brick and rubble

foundation faced with stucco, by which means they produced archi-

tectural projects of great size and imposing appearance at less cost,

and time. Although they showed considerable technical skill in

mouldings, it was decadent in style. Some examples are those of

the Great Immambara of Nawab Asaj-Uj-daula at Lucknow, the

Rumi Darwaza or Turkish doorway at Lucknow.

There developed another later form of the Mughal style under

the Sikh confederacy in Punjab during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Among its typical features are the multiplicity of chatris or kiosks

which ornament the parapets, the use of the fluted dome covered

with brass or copper and arches enriched by foliations. The cele-

brated Golden Temple at Amritsar, dates from 1764, although the

greater part of it was added at the beginning of the 19th century. The

idea of placing a monument in the middle of a sheet of water is not

uncommon in India, as in the case of Hindu temples. The Durbar

Sahib or Harmandir is in the middle of the Pool of Nectar. In course

of time, the temple became the focus of a complex of buildings. The

shrine is a two-storied composition on which rises a low fluted

dome in gilt metal, while there are kiosks also with fluted metal

cupolas at each corner. The building is richly decorated with floral

designs, either painted in tempera or embossed in metal.

(N.R.)