Shah Jahan period architecture

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The Taj Mahal in Agra
Shah Jahan Mosque, Thatta, Pakistan

Shah Jahan period architecture is an architectural period of

Persian architecture
.

Background

Shah Jahan reigned over the Mughal Empire from 1628 – following the death of Shah Jahan's father,

gardens and buildings prior to his rule. These include; the Shalimar garden in Kashmir (northern region of India) in 1608 and a hunting resort in the Burhanpur region around 1613, where he showed interest in the organisation and planning of imperial buildings and cities.[2]

It wasn't until the death of Shah Jahan's father and Shah Jahan's subsequent

bilateral symmetry, features that can be seen in the Taj Mahal, the most noteworthy structure of Shah Jahan period architecture.[3] Throughout his reign, Shah Jahan is suspected to have built thirty-five palaces and gardens, with twenty-four still in existence.[4] Due to the scale of construction, Shah Jahan period architecture is a valuable source for understanding the development of Islamic architecture throughout the 17th century
.

Early Shah Jahan period architecture

More notable projects in the early part of Shah Jahan's reign include the Agra and Lahore forts.[5] These were part of reconstruction projects which built upon previous Mughal constructions and architectural practices. These broader Mughal architectural practices involved the organising and placement of imperial buildings which overlooked rivers and artificial lakes.[5] The imperial buildings were mostly constructed using white marble, whilst the public spaces, built away from water sources tended to use red sandstone.[5] The reconstruction of the Lahore Fort took place over 17 years, beginning in 1628. Shah Jahan ordered the immediate construction of a Public Audience Hall known as a Chehil Sutun.[5] This building was a 40-pillar structure which was often used as a space for royal advisors and members of the public to gather and show respect to the Shah. The reconstruction project of the Agra Fort is understood as an expression of the consolidation of Shah Jahan's power.[5] The reconstruction saw the dismantling of structures built by previous Mughal Emperors, Akbar and Jahangir and the replacement of these structures with distinctive Shah Jahan period architecture features.

Late Shah Jahan period architecture

Late Shah Jahan period architecture is characterized by the consolidation of distinctive features; floral symbols, embellishing features in archways, and a vast increase in the scale of projects.

Shahjahanabad – which was to become the new capital of the Mughal Empire. Shahjahanabad became the Mughal capital during Shah Jahan's rule with construction beginning in 1639 after Shah Jahan expressed displeasure over the Agra and Lahore Forts.[6] Shahjahanabad is a walled city now known as Delhi's Red Fort and is located in Old Delhi. The location is significant as it was built in the same region as early Mughal capitals.[7] Much of the city still stands today and the notable buildings include; the Public Audience Hall, the Lahore gate, and the city's wall which extends over 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) in circumference.[8] The wall surrounds around 125 acres of land and also includes buildings from high-ranking officials which were not built by Shah Jahan but resembled the distinctive style of the official palace buildings.[8]
The construction of Shahjahanabad received much attention from Shah Jahan with his chronicler describing an active involvement in the designing process. This involvement and unity in the design highlight the influence and prominence of Shah Jahan period architecture in the Mughal Empire.

Features of Shah Jahan period architecture

Shah Jahan period architecture saw the refining of many structural elements from previous Mughal periods.

columns and archways. This period of architecture also saw an increase in Islamic symbolism and heralded a return to orthodox approaches to design.[9]
The key features of Shah Jahan period architecture include; symmetry, the Shahjahan column, and the extensive embellishment of buildings through ornamental features.

Symmetry

Amir Khusraw.[11] The palace gardens were envisioned by Khusraw as indicating the contemporary prosperity of the Mughal Empire through being a paradise on earth.[11]
The symmetry of the gardens and buildings represents the harmony, unity, and balance between all parts of a garden or structure.

Shahjahani Column

Shah Jahan period architecture saw the consolidation of architectural forms. This was seen in the widespread use of what was to become known as the Shahjahani column.[12] The column consisted of a “multi-faceted capital and a cusped-arch base,” and was combined with an ornamental “voluted bracket.”[12] This style of column emerged in Akbar and Jahangir's reign, however, it was not used to the same extent as was in Shah Jahan's reign. The column was originally unique to distinguished imperial buildings, however, in the late period of Shah Jahan architecture, it became widely used in public spaces.[10] The column was also developed with a multi-foil arch, an archway with leaf-shaped arches, which is a key feature in the Taj Mahal complex.

Ornamental Feature

paintings, carved marble works, or “inlays of hard (precious) stones.”[10]
Similar to the use of symmetry, ornamental features were initially reserved for imperial buildings and were later extended to public spaces.

Notable buildings

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is located outside of Agra and is the centre feature of a broader complex of buildings.[4] The Taj is a mausoleum for Shah Jahan's favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The broader complex includes the residential garden, the mosque, Mihman Khana (assembly hall), the wall towers, pool and garden wall pavilions.[14] Construction began in 1632 following the death of Mumtaz Mahal and took eleven years to build. The extensive use of white marble in the mausoleum, the high-vaulted domes and its grandeur make it an iconic piece of global architecture.[15] It has reached global significance both as a piece of architecture and as a symbol of love and dedication to Mumtaz Mahal.[16]

Significance and legacy of Shah Jahn period architecture

In itself, Mughal architecture has a profound legacy, and as Asher notes, “the symbolic content of Mughal architecture peaks under Shah Jahan.”[17] This highlights the prominence of this period of architecture throughout not only India, but neighbouring Pakistan, where the Lahore temple is located. The contemporary sources, from historians, poets and chroniclers also suggest the unprecedented involvement of Shah Jahan in the architectural projects.[4] This involvement had an immediate legacy, seen by the participation of people of high-status in later choosing to embellishing cities. Shah Jahan also made unprecedented financial contributions to the architectural development.[18] The continued cultural legacy is highlighted by the prominence of structures built in the Shah Jahan period, both within Indian and global culture. No structure better represents the legacy of Shah Jahan period architecture than the Taj Mahal, which not only has significance in India but global significance. This was highlighted by its inclusion in the New Seven Wonders of the World. Further, the Taj Mahal receives up to 8 million visitors per year and continues to be a valuable source of tourism revenue throughout India.[18] There is contention as to the validity of the lasting legacy of violence and cruelty linked to the construction of Shah Jahan's buildings.[18][19] In particular, the repeated story that following the construction of the Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan cut off his workers’ hands so they could not build another structure has received much attention from Western and non-Western sources.[18][19] In Fergus Nicoll's monograph Shah Jahan, he highlights that it is unlikely Shah Jahan ordered the cutting off of hands, however argued that building processes were riddled with cruelty.[20] This leads Nicoll to characterise Shah Jahan's reign, not as the regularly touted golden era of the Mughal Empire, but one marred by cruelty. Other sources from non-Western scholars suggest the violence associated with the construction process, but the lasting legacy of Shah Jahan is overwhelmed by the depiction as a golden-era of Mughal architecture.[18][19]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Richards (2012), p. 116
  2. ^ Asher (1992), p. 171
  3. ^ a b c d Asher (1992), p. 172
  4. ^ a b c Koch (2005), p. 128
  5. ^ a b c d e Asher (1992), p. 174
  6. ^ a b Asher (1992), p. 179
  7. ^ Richards (2012), p. 132
  8. ^ a b Asher (1992), p. 191
  9. ^ a b Koch (1991), pp. 92-93
  10. ^ a b c d e Koch (1991), p. 93
  11. ^ a b Koch (1991), p. 143
  12. ^ a b Koch (1991), p. 92
  13. ^ Koch (1991), p. 95
  14. ^ Koch (2005), p. 132
  15. ^ Mishra (2019), p. 46
  16. ^ Nicoll (2009), p. 9
  17. ^ Asher (1992), p. 250
  18. ^ a b c d e D’Souza (2022)
  19. ^ a b c Beg (2022)
  20. ^ Nicoll (2009), p. 10

Sources

  • Encyclopædia Britannica, 1988, volume 10, p. 687
  • Asher, C. “Architecture of Mughal India”. In The New Cambridge History of India, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992).
  • Beg, Saleem. “Debunking an urban myth about Taj Mahal.” The Hindu, March 9, 2022. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/debunking-an-urban-myth-about-taj-mahal/article65205195.ece
  • D’Souza, Roshni. “Shah Jahan's Reign: The Golden Era of Mughal Architecture”. Madras Courier, January 5, 2022. https://madrascourier.com/biography/shah-jahans-reign-the-golden-era-of-mughal-architecture/
  • Koch, Ebba. Mughal architecture: an outline of its history and development (1526-1858) (Germany, Prestel-verlag. Munich 1991)
  • Koch, Ebba. “The Taj Mahal: Architecture, Symbolism, and Urban Significance.” Muqarnas 22 (2005): 128–149.
  • Mishra, K. Vandana. “Development of Architecture During the Mughal Period in India.” Jamshedpur 1, 32 (2019): 43-47
  • Nicoll, Fergus. Shah Jahan. Penguin Books India, 2009.
  • Richards, John F. The Mughal Empire. Vol. I. (Cambridge University Press, 2012).
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