Medieval India Architecture

Medieval Indian Architecture

"Architecture is the art of how to utilise space"

Medieval Indian Architecture is mostly Islamic and Turkish in nature but it also got some influenced to some extent by the indigenous Architecture and thus it is characterized by Indo-Islamic Architecture.

Indo-Islamic Architecture - Indo-Islamic Architecture is the fusion of Indian and Islamic Architecture.

Difference between Ancient Indian Architecture and Medieval Indian Architecture

Ancient Indian Architecture 

• Entrance - Lintels were made (Lintels were the flat shaped roof entrance).
• Topmost structure on the building - Vimana or Shikhar
• Presence of additional tower or minar - No additional tower/minars were made,
• Dominant material used - Stone

Medieval Indian Architecture 

• Entrance - Arch entrances were made.
• Topmost structure on the building - Dome (present on mosque structure and some of the other medieval monuments such as Taj Mahal).
• Presence of additional towers/minars - Yes , Minars were created for the announcement of Azan.
• Dominant material - Brick, Limestone and Mortar

Everything in Ancient Architecture can be clubbed under the name of Trabeate whereas everything in Medieval Islamic Architecture can be clubbed under the name of Arcualate.

Features of Indo-Islamic Architecture 

1. Use of arc and dome method (in buildings).
2. Dominant construction material was brick, limestone and mortar.
3. They also used red sandstone and grey sandstone.
4. Use of Minarets in the mosques.
5. They avoided human representation in their building.
6. Various geometrical designs were used for decoration.
7. They used Arabesque method of decoration. 
• It is a vegetal pattern characterised by continuous running stem and similar identical leafy structures on the both sides of the stem.
8. Quranic verses were written on the buildings by using calligraphy.
• Persian script was angularised to increase its aesthetic beauty. This new font of Persian came to be known as Kufi.
9. They also used Pietra dura technique of decoration (Opus Sectile). 
• It was introduced by Nur Jahan. 
• In this method precious, semi-precious and coloured marbles are pasted on the walls on a particular design.
10. Indo-Islamic buildings were abundant with intricate reticulated fabric or jaliwork. 
• There is a religious importance of jaliwork in Islam. 
• It was created in the religious buildings for sunlight to enter inside the shrine (Dargah). 
• It was also meant as jharokha for women. 
• They were also created for cross ventilation and maintaining thermal comfort inside the building.
11. To further increase the aesthetic beauty of the building, water fountains, small pools and water drains were created.
12. In the last phase of the Indo-Islamic rule, the concept of Chahar Bagh (Char Bagh), i.e., 4 similar identical gardens introduced around the building.

Arabesque Decoration

Pietra Dura Decoration

Medieval Indian Architecture can be classified into two broad categories based on the administration and the dynasty.

1. Delhi Sultanate Architecture
2. Mughal Architecture

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Note - This is my Vision IAS Notes (Vision IAS Class Notes) and Ashutosh Pandey Sir's Public Administration Class notes. I've also added some of the information on my own. 

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