Mughal Architecture

Out of the most lavish and resourceful contributions of Mughal architecture in India, the utmost unique and incredible are the monuments of Agra; constructed and designed in the 16th and 17th century with the blend of Indian, Islamic, Persian and Turkish styles(Figure 5), with the extensive excellence and class. Mughal’s building style flourished in the central and northern parts of the country.

Figure 5 Blend of Indian, Islamic, Persian and Turkish Architecture in Agra Fort

The Mughal period exhibited an exceptional revival of Islamic architecture in Northern India, which brought about a rare quality of refinement in Indian architecture. The synthesis of Indian and Islamic architectural cultures has reasonably been defined

The whole period of Mughal Empire witnessed varied shades in the field of art and architecture. The complete Mughal architecture is an exceptional arrangement of various indigenous and foreign characteristics, which connects it universally with many divergent forms of architecture. These are also a cause of motivation to many other forms of architecture with diverse cultural backgrounds. Mughal architectural style has the features of uniform pattern of structure and character, which include large spherical domes, slender minarets at the corners, colossal halls, large domed gateways and delicate ornamentation. The Mughal Realm was established after the triumph of Babur at Panipat in 1526. During his five-years of rule, Babur took substantial interest in establishing monuments, although very few of which persist now. His grandson Akbar built extensively, and the style advanced dynamically during his reign. Among his endeavors was a tomb for his father Humayun, the Agra fort, the fort-city of Fatehpur Sikri and the Buland

Although Shah Jahan 's son Aurangzeb constructed some buildings such as the Badshahi Masjid in Lahore, his rule witnessed the decline of Mughal architecture and the Kingdom itself.

The most exquisite interesting feature in the Mughal architecture is the carved stonework ranging from shallow relief illustrations of flowers to intricate pierced- marble screens known as Jaalis. The best discriminating portrayal of the Mughal Monuments of Agra is brought about in Jaali-work which is the most prominent ornamental themes in Mughal architecture (Figure