Introduction of Islamic Architecture in India

The architecture of the Indian subcontinent created for Islamic patrons and objectives is known as Indo-Islamic architecture. Although there was a Muslim presence in Sindh in current Pakistan before, its main history began in 1193, when Muhammad of Ghor established Delhi the capital of the Muslim world. The Delhi Sultans and the Mughal empire that followed them both originated in Central Asia via Afghanistan and were accustomed to an Islamic architectural style there that was heavily influenced by Iran.

Qutub Minar; Image Source- wikipedia

India's architectural landscape underwent significant advancements during the Middle Ages. Numerous modern design elements and construction methods entered buildings with the arrival of Muslims in India. The growth of the Muslim architectural style during this time period is known as Indo-Islamic architecture or Indian architecture that was influenced by Islamic art. The Indo-Islamic architectural style was neither entirely Islamic nor Hindu. In actuality, it blended Indian and Islamic architectural elements. The Delhi Sultanate, often known as the Imperial Style, and Mughal styles, are the two primary divisions of mediaeval architecture. The Islamic architecture of Central Asia and the Hindu architecture of India were combined to create the Mughal architecture. Other styles include the Provincial Style (Mandu, Gujarat, Bengal, and Jaunpur) and the Deccani Style (Bijapur, Golconda).

Housing and access to places of worship were among the first demands made by the new authorities. While initially destroying many other structures and turning their materials into mosques, they first transformed some temples and other existing structures into mosques. Examples of this include the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque in Delhi, which is close to the Qutub Minar, and the Adhai Din ka Jhonpra structure in Ajmer. In contrast to the latter, the former had been a monastery.

Over time, religious and secular needs were taken into consideration when erecting architectural structures such as mosques for daily prayers, the Jama Masjid, tombs, dargahs, minars, hammams, formally set out gardens, madrasas, sarais or caravan sarais, Kos minars, etc. Thus, these were additions to the various types of buildings that already existed on the subcontinent. Muslims created their religious art and architecture using calligraphy, flowers, geometric designs, and arabesques on plaster and stone because it was against the shariat to imitate living things on any surface. Through this way, the arabic script itself became a method of decoration.

The Indians were aware of the arch and the dome earlier, but they did not use them extensively. In addition, the proper scientific approach to building the arch was infrequently used. There were several benefits to using the arch and dome. A pleasant skyline was created by the dome, which climbed higher as the architects acquired confidence and experience. A circular dome was placed on top of a square building in numerous tests, and it was raised steadily higher. Many tall and spectacular buildings were built in this fashion.

All structures had extraordinarily thick walls that were mostly made of readily accessible rubble masonry. After that, these walls were covered in dressed stone, chunam, or limestone plaster. A staggering variety of stones, including quartzite, sandstone, buff, marble, etc were used in the building. The walls' finishing treatment made excellent use of polychrome tiles. Beginning in the seventeenth century, bricks were also employed in building.

The most magnificent building constructed by the Turks in the thirteenth century was the Qutub Minar. This tapering tower, originally 71.4 metre high, was begun by Aibak, and completed by Iltutmish. There was a lot of construction throughout the Khalji era. Though he did not live to see it finished, Alauddin intended to build a tower that was twice the height of the Qutub. But he also gave the Qutub an entrance door. The Alai Darwaza, the name of this entrance, features highly aesthetically beautiful arches. It also has a dome that was constructed using proper scientific principles for the first time. As a result, Indian craftsmen had mastered the art of creating the arch and the dome according to scientific principles by this point.

The Tughlaq era saw a lot of construction, which both signalled the peak of the Delhi Sultanate and the start of its decline. The enormous Tughlaqabad palace-fortress complex was erected by Ghiyasuddin and Muhammad Tughlaq. A new style in architecture is heralded by the Ghiyasuddin mausoleum. The sloping walls of the Tughlaq architecture were a remarkable element. This is referred to as "batter," and it provides the building the appearance of strength and solidity. The purposeful attempt to unite the ideas of the arch, the lintel, and the beam in their constructions was a second aspect of Tughlaq architecture. A number of grandiose mosques and tombs as well as forts, sarais and structures for common people were also built during this period, showcasing the mixing and amalgamation of hindu and islamic mode of architecture.

Islamic architecture thus adheres to the principle of "accept and modify," asserting that it is a timeless style of living as opposed to being restricted to a particular age, region, or time. The importance of Islamic architecture in today's society may be seen in the limitless design possibilities created by the harmony between modernity and tradition. Thus, the values outperformed the others and paved the path for the development of new, much superior, styles of Islamic architecture in the modern era.