Some of greatest builders the world has ever seen were Mughals.Humayun’s tomb,built by the widow of the second Mughal Emperor,has marked Persian influence.There are, however several Indian features such as Kiosks and cupolas and the combining of marble and sandstone.Akbar - the great Mughal was an untiring builder with the buildings put up during his reign at Agra,Fatehpur Sikri,Allahabad etc.His aim was to encourage indigenoius architecture resulting in his using marble and sandstone combinations,Hindu system of beams and Muslim arch in combination and the use of carvings and inlay work.Some of the spectacular buildings of this period can be seen at Fateh pur Sikri,Akbar’s deserted capital.The beautiful Jami masjid,Salim Chisti’s tomb with its Gujarat type tracery,Jodha Bai’s palace in the temple style of Gujarat,Turkish Sultana’s ornate palace,Diwan-I-Khaas,Panch Mahal and Buland Darwaza are some of the examples.Agra fort is outstanding as it heralded a new style of architecture.In spite of its use as a military base,even its battlements are aesthetic and its minarets original.
Jehangir,the next great Mughal continued with Akbar’s style of building.a great monument of his reign is Akbar’s tomb at Sikandra styled on a Buddhist Vihara.Its minerals,carvings and design are unique. Equally outstanding is Itmad-ud-daulah’s tomb built by Empress Noor Jehan which shows much Persian influence.It also marks the introduction of inlay work on a wide scale.The next Mughal Emperor,Shah Jehan is possibly the greatest builder of all the time.He introduced a new many-splendoured style,elegant,delicate and feminine in contrast to the previous Mughal emperors and their strong but masculine styles.Shah Jehan built all over the north at Lahore, Delhi,Agra,Srinagar.Many new elements like the multi-cusped arch and semi precious stones inlaid in marble were introduced in this period.
The greatest of his buildings, the Taj Mahal at Agra,built over the tomb of his favourite queen, Mumtaz Mahal has few equals in sheer beauty and poetic elegance. Built in marble,it took 22 years to complete. Its central dome is Persian and the smaller ones Indian.The jewels and precious stones with which it was inalid came from Persia and all parts of the globe.The pietra dura work was not imported from Florence, as commonly believed but was executed by local artisans.The Moti Masjid or Pearl Mosque in Agra Fort is one of the most beautiful of Shah Jehan’s creations. When the Emperor moved his capital to delhi,he built the imposing Jami Masjid and the unparalleled Red Fort at delhi with its exquisite ornamented hall, the Diwan-I-Khaas, besides other buildings inside the Fort.With the next Emperor Aurangzeb,there was a great decline in architecture,most specimens of this ruler’s reign his indifference to beauty.Post Mughal period,two styles developed.The Oudh or Avadh style of Lucknow produced massive buildings like the Imambaras of great size but of no particular school.there is some European influence seen here.In Mysore there developed another local style which can be seen in the Darya Daulat,the Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan at Sriranapatana.
