🖍 ARCHITECTURE DURING SHAH JAHAN
♦️Under Shah Jahan, Mughal architecture reached its climax. Some of his principal works are described below:
📍 TAJ MAHAL
♦️Taj Mahal is the finest specimen of Mughal architecture, exhibiting the full range of grandeur and opulence.
♦️It was constructed in the memory of his wife Arjumand Banu Begum or Mumtaz Mahal. It had all the features of Mughal architecture including the use of calligraphy, pietra-dura works, foreshortening technique, Charbagh style gardens and the use of water in thepremises for decoration.
Apart from this, some of the unique features of Taj Mahal are:
♦️ The jaali work in Taj Mahal is lace like and is extremely fine.
♦️The carvings on the marble were low relief.
Apart from Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan constructed a number of other
monuments, gardens and buildings such as:
♦️ Red Fort in Delhi
♦️Jama Masjid in Delhi
♦️Shalimar Bagh in Lahore
♦️ City of Shahjahanabad.
ARCHITECTURE DURING JAHANGIR
♦️During the reign of Jahangir, architecture took a back seat as he focused more on paintings and other forms of art. However, he oversaw the
construction of some noteworthy monuments including Akbar’s tomb in
Sikandra.
♦️Further, he developed a number of gardens during his reign, e.g. the Shalimar Bagh in Kashmir. He also built the Moti Masjid at Lahore.During the reign of Jahangir, his wife Noor Jahan also undertook some major construction projects like the tomb of Itmad-ud-daulah (father of Noor
Jahan) being an excellent example. It was during this time that white marble became the chief building material, replacing red sandstone which had been used till now.
♦️The tomb of Itmad-ud-daulah was the first Mughal work made completely of white marble. It also has some of the finest pietra-dura works.Tomb of Jahangir was constructed by his son Shah Jahan at Lahore.
🔖HARAPPAN FORT
♦️Archaeologists evidences have revealed development of fortification during pre and early harappan phase.
♦️Fortification was well developed and standardized during the mature phase of harappan civilization.
♦️The harappan cities were developed into two parts – upper town and lower town.
♦️In city of dholavira there was middle town between two parts.
♦️The harappan town in harappan cities was generally fortified but at kalibangan and surkotada even lower town was fortified.
♦️At chanhudaro fortification was absent completely.
♦️Fortification was carried out by using mud and mud bricks having stone rubber veneer.
♦️The fortification walls were massive in size. They were solid structures made of properly moulded bricks.
♦️Lower portion of walls of ports was built by using stones and sun dried bricks.
🔖MAURYAN FORT
♦️Megasthenes in his book indica inform us that city of pataliputra was surrounded by a wooden palisade.
♦️There were 64 gates and 570 watchtowers in this fort.
♦️Wooden fort was surrounded by a 60 feet deep and 200 yard wide ditch to prevent the enemy forces from coming close to the walls of the fort.
♦️Archaeological evidences found at bulandibagh and gosainkhanda have revealed the fortification of pataliputra city.
