Architecture of Mughal India

386 Pages·2008·40.59 MB·English

The world famous Taj Mahal is but one of the many magnificent buildings
erected by the Mughal emperors who ruled India from the early sixteenth
century through to the middle of the nineteenth. To date scholars have
considered the most splendid of these works built by the rulers, while the
lesser known or remotely situated structures have been ignored altogether. In
this volume, Professor Catherine Asher considers the entire scope of architec-
ture built under the auspices of the imperial Mughals and their subjects.
Professor Asher covers the precedents of Mughal style and traces the archi-
tectural development of each monarchical reign. She shows that the evolution
of imperial Mughal architectural taste and idiom was directly related to
political and cultural ideology. This was the case from the planting of an
ordered and regular garden, symbolic of paradise, and the building of state
mosques, to the construction of an entire planned city, indicative of the
emperor's role as father to his people. Construction outside the center, which
was often carried out by the nobility, was as important as developments within
the major cities. Catherine Asher demonstrates how these agents of the
emperor curried favor with their rulers by building large and permanent
edifices in the imperial Mughal style.
Even though Mughal authority diminished considerably in the eighteenth
and early nineteenth centuries, the imperial Mughal architectural style and
taste served as a model for that in developing splinter states. This book shows
how it represented the cultural and social values of the Mughals, which were
cherished by Muslims living increasingly under western colonial rule.
In Architecture of Mughal India Catherine Asher presents the first compre-
hensive study of Mughal architectural achievements. The work is lavishly
illustrated and will be widely read by students and specialists of South Asian
history and architecture as well as by anyone interested in the magnificent
buildings of the Mughal empire.
Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008
Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008
THE NEW CAMBRIDGE HISTORY
OF INDIA
Architecture of Mughal India
Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008
THE NEW CAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF INDIA
General editor GORDON JOHNSON
Director, Centre of South Asian Studies, University of
Cambridge, and Fellow of Selwyn College
Associate editors C. A. BAYLY
Professor of Modern Indian History, University of
Cambridge, and Fellow of St Catharine's College
and JOHN F. RICHARDS
Professor of History, Duke University
Although the original Cambridge History of India, published between
1922 and 1937, did much to formulate a chronology for Indian history
and describe the administrative structures of government in India, it has
inevitably been overtaken by the mass of new research published over
the last fifty years.
Designed to take full account of recent scholarship and changing con-
ceptions of South Asia's historical development, The New Cambridge
History of India will be published as a series of short, self-contained
volumes, each dealing with a separate theme and written by a single
person, within an overall four-part structure. As before, each will
conclude with a substantial bibliographical essay designed to lead non-
specialists further into the literature.
The four parts are as follows:
I The Mughals and their Contemporaries.
II Indian States and the Transition to Colonialism.
Ill The Indian Empire and the Beginnings of Modern Society.
IV The Evolution of Contemporary South Asia.
A list of individual titles already published and those in preparation will
be found at the end of the volume.
Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008
THE NEW
CAMBRIDGE
HISTORY OF
INDIA
I : 4
Architecture of Mughal India
CATHERINE B. ASHER
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF ART HISTORY,
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
CAMBRIDGE
UNIVERSITY PRESS
Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008
PUBLISHED BY THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS
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© Cambridge University Press 1992
This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception
and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,
no reproduction of any part may take place without
the written permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published 1992
Reprinted 2001, 2003
Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge
A catalogue record for this hook is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data
Asher, Catherine Ella Blanshard.
Architecture of Mughal India / Catherine B. Asher.
p. cm. - (The New Cambridge history of India)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN o 521 26728 5
1. Architecture, Mogul. 2. Architecture, Islamic - India.
1. Title. 11. Series.
DS436.N47 1992
[NA1502]
954 s — dc20
[72O'.95] 91-31572 CIP
4
ISBN 0521 26728 5 hardback
Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008
CONTENTS
List of plates page viii
General editor's preface xvii
Preface xix
List of abbreviations
XXlll
Glossary
XXV
Map of major pre-Mughal and Mughal
sites xxx
1 Precedents for Mughal architecture i
2 The beginnings of Mughal
architecture 19
3 The age of Akbar 39
4 Jahangir: an age of transition 99
5 Shah Jahan and the crystallization of
Mughal style 169
6 Aurangzeb and the Islamization of
the Mughal style 252
7 Architecture and the struggle for
authority under the later Mughals
and their successor states 292
Bibliographical essays 335
Index 357
Vll
Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008
PLATES
1 Plan of Aibek's Jamic mosque (the Quwwat al-Islam
mosque), Delhi. After J. A. Page PaSe 3
2 Screen of Aibek's Jamic mosque 5
3 cAlai Darwaza, Quwwat al-Islam mosque, Delhi 7
4 Plan of Jamic mosque, Lodi Gardens, Delhi 12
5 Qalca-i Kuhna mosque, Delhi 13
6 Pool, Bagh-i Nilufar (Lotus garden), Dholpur 23
7 Plan of Babur's mosque (Kabuli Bagh mosque), Panipat 26
8 Babur's mosque, Panipat 27
9 Mir Hindu Beg's mosque, Sambhal 29
10 Mir Baqi's mosque (the Baburi mosque), Ayodhya 31
11 Sher Mandal, Delhi 33
12 Humayun's mosque (the Kachpura mosque), Agra 35
13 Mihrab on screen around Amir Khusrau's tomb, Delhi 36
14 Humayuni mosque, Fatehabad 37
15 Gate, Khair al-Manazil mosque, Delhi 42
16 Partial facade, tomb of Ataga Khan, Delhi 43
17 Tomb of Adham Khan, Delhi 44
18 Humayun's tomb, Delhi 45
19 Plan of Humayun's tomb. After A. Volwahsen 47
20 Akbar's palace, Ajmer 48
21 Jahangiri Mahal, Agra fort, Agra 49
22 Plan of major structures at Akbar's palace, Fatehpur Sikri.
After Attilio Petruccioli 5 3
23 Buland Darwaza, Fatehpur Sikri. American Institute of
Indian Studies, Center for Art and Archaeology 54
24 Plan of the Jamic mosque, Fatehpur Sikri 5 5
vin
Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008
LIST OF PLATES
25 Jamic mosque, Fatehpur Sikri. American Institute of Indian
Studies, Center for Art and Archaeology 5 6
26 Tomb of Shaikh Salim Chishti, Fatehpur Sikri 57
27 Hiran Minar, Fatehpur Sikri. American Institute of Indian
Studies, Center for Art and Archaeology 59
28 Akbar's throne, Public Audience Hall, Fatehpur Sikri. American
Institute of Indian Studies, Center for Art and Archaeology 60
29 Carved panel, Turkish Sultana's House, Fatehpur Sikri.
American Institute of Indian Studies, Center for Art and
Archaeology 61
30 Akbar's jharoka, exterior facade, Daftar Khana, Fatehpur
Sikri. American Institute of Indian Studies, Center for Art
and Archaeology 62
31 Diwan-i Khass, Fatehpur Sikri. American Institute of
Indian Studies, Center for Art and Archaeology 63
32 Interior pillar, Diwan-i Khass, Fatehpur Sikri. American
Institute of Indian Studies, Center for Art and Archaeology 64
33 Panch Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri 65
34 Govind Deva temple, Brindavan 69
3 5 Jagat Shiromani temple, Amber 70
36 Jharoka, Rohtas palace, Rohtas 71
37 Jamic mosque, Rajmahal 73
38 Plan of the Jamic mosque, Rajmahal 75
39 Minbar, Jamic mosque, Nagaur yj
40 Akbari mosque, Ajmer 78
41 Gate, dargah of Sayyid Husain Khing Sawar, Taragarh, Ajmer j<)
42 Tomb of Muhammad Ghaus, Gwalior 82
43 Tomb of Shah Quli Khan, Narnaul 83
44 Shah Quli Khan's pavilion (the Jal Mahal), Narnaul 85
45 Tomb of Saqi Sultan, Rohtas 86
46 Muncim Khan's bridge, Jaunpur 87
47 Hammam, Jaunpur 89
48 Gate, Chunar fort, Chunar 90
49 Mosque of Habash Khan, Rohtas 91
IX
Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008
LIST OF PLATES
50 Interior, Makhsus Khan's mosque (the Jamic mosque), Hajipur 93
51 Murad Khan QaqshaPs mosque (the Kherua mosque), Sherpur 95
52 Jamic mosque, Malda 96
53 Nim Serai Minar, Malda 97
54 Jahangir's throne, now in the Agra fort 103
55 Shah Begum's tomb, Allahabad 105
56 Akbar's tomb, Sikandra. American Institute of Indian Studies,
Center for Art and Archaeology 107
57 Interior top story, Akbar's tomb, Sikandra 109
58 Gate, Akbar's tomb, Sikandra. American Institute of Indian
Studies, Center for Art and Archaeology 111
59 Detail, pavilion, Jahangiri Quadrangle, Lahore fort, Lahore 114
60 Interior dome, Kala Burj, Lahore fort. Ebba M. Koch 115
61 Tiles, exterior walls, Lahore fort, Lahore 116
62 Interior dome, Maryam al-Zamani's mosque (the Begum Shahi
mosque), Lahore 117
63 Hunting pavilion, Pushkar 120
64 Pavilion, upper terrace, Chesma-i Nur, Ajmer 121
65 Pavilion, lower terrace, Chesma-i Nur, Ajmer 123
66 Garden, Achiba\. Jonathan M. Fishman 125
6j Pool, Vernag 126
68 Tower, Sheikhupura 127
69 Serai Nur Mahal, Serai Nur Mahal. Ebba M. Koch 129
70 Pavilion, Bagh-i Nur Afshan (the Ram Bagh), Agra 130
71 Tomb of Ictimad al-Daula, Agra. American Institute of Indian
Studies, Center for Art and Archaeology 131
72 Detail of inlay, Ictimad al-Daula's tomb, Agra 133
73 Interior top story, Ictimad al-Daula's tomb, Agra. Linda Connor 135
74 Plan of Shahi Bagh (the Moti Bagh), Ahmadabad. American
Institute of Indian Studies, Center for Art and Archaeology 136
75 Shahi Bagh, Ahmadabad. American Institute of Indian Studies,
Center for Art and Archaeology 137
y6 Tomb of Shaikh Wauh al-Din, Ahmadabad. American Institute
of Indian Studies, Center for Art and Archaeology 138
Cambridge Histories Online © Cambridge University Press, 2008