Mughal Court Culture

Mughal Court Culture

Architecture

• The main features were
• Combination of the Persian elements of grandeur and grace and decoration of Indian or Hindu.
• Architecture. 
• Uniformity in the architectural character and structural principles all over the empire.
• Construction of mausoleums in the centre of large park-like enclosures and on high platforms. Construction of a double dome – the outer and the inner one.

Development Of Mughal Culture

Fort-building

The first to undertake construction on a largescale was Akbar, who constructed a series of forts, the most important being the Agra fort, built-in red sandstone. His other forts are at Lahore and Allahabad. The reign of Shah Jahan saw the climax of fort-building as seen in the Red Fort at Delhi, which had within it Rang Mahal, Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas. –

 Palace-building

During Akbar’s reign, a palace-cum-fort was built at Fatehpur Sikri. Here many of the buildings were in the style of Gujarat and Bengal. The most magnificent building in it is the mosque (Jami Masjid) and its gateway (Buland Darwaza) which stands 176 feet in height. 

Other important buildings at Fatehpur Sikri are

Jodha Bai’s palace (influence of Hindu style), palaces of Mariam and Sultana, Birbal’s house, Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas, and Panch Mahal. 

Building of Mausoleums

During Akbar’s reign, Humayun,s tomb at Delhi was the first Mughal tomb to be placed in the centre of a large park-like enclosure and it also marked the beginning of the use of white marble by the Mughals. The tomb of Salim Chisti at Fatehpur Sikri was also built during Akbar’s reign. Akbar’s tomb at Sikandra near Agra was another good example.

The tomb of Itimad-ud-daula at Agra, built by Nur Jahan for her father, was constructed wholly of white marble with pietra-dura. It marks the beginning of the practice of putting up buildings entirely of marble, and a new method of decoration, viz., pietradura (decoration of walls with floral designs made of semi-precious stones).

During Shah Jahan’s reign, large-scale use was made of pietra-dura in his buildings, especially in the magnificent Taj Mahal which was built at the cost of Rs.50 lakhs at that time, supposedly by Ustad Isa.

Building of Masjids

During Babur’s reign four mosques, one each at Sambhal, Panipat (in Kabul Bagh), Agra (old fort) and Ayodhya was built. Jami Masjid at Fatehpur Sikri built during Akbar’s reign is one of the most magnificent buildings. Shah Jahan’s reign saw the climax as seen in Moti Masjid at Agra (built entirely in white marble) and Jama Masjid at Delhi (built-in red sand stone). Their influence in provincial and regional kingdoms is clearly visible. Many features of Mughal tradition can be seen in the Golden Temple at Amritsar.