Architecture under

Akbar’s reign

Ar. Hena Tiwari

Jalal ud din aMohammad Akbar ascended the throne in 1556 C.E. at

the age of 13 when his father Humayun died.

Akbar’s empire was the largest empire after Ashoka.

He lived in Agra in his early years and established his rule at Agra, as

the capital city.

He built great architectural monuments which were unparalleled.

He died on 27 October 1605 (aged 63)

Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, Mughal Empire (present-day Uttar

Pradesh, India) and is buried in Sikandra near Agra.

Akbar

Ruqaiya Sultan

Begum

Salima Sultan

Begum

Mariam-uz-

Zamani

Daniyal Mirza

(died during a

Campaign in

Deccan Inda)

Jahangir

(inherited the

throne)

Sultan Murad Mirza

(died due to

excessive drinking

of alcohol)

Akbar’s Son

Akbar’s Wife

Design and Construction

Buildings were built in red sandstone which was readily

available in nearby area.

Important elements were emphasised by insertion in white

marble for purpose of beauty and clarity.

Construction was mainly trabeated style and Tudor arch was used

as a decorative elements.

The pillars are many sided carrying bracket capitals.

Carved design, inlaid patterns, painted designs were introduced in

interior walls and ceilings.

THE IMPORTANT BUILDINGS

Fort at Agra,1566 C.E.

Fort at Lahore,1575 C.E.

Fort at Allahbad, 1583 C.E.

Capital City of Fathehpur Sikri, Agra

Fort at Agra,1566 C.E.

It is also called as Lal Quila and had treasure including Kohinoor

diamond.

Earlier it was a brick fort and used by Rajput Kings.

Lodhi’s, Babur, Shershah Suri all have lived in this fort at Agra.

Akbar dismantled the earlier brick structures and new structure

including the enclosure walls, entrances, places in red sandstone.

The fort is now a UNESCO world heritage site.

It is an irregular semi circle with its chords measuring some 82.5

meters in length lying parallel to right bank of Yamuna river

measuring a land of some 38 hectares and has a wide and deep

surrounding moat.

Fort is a large complex containing office building, courts,

luxurious fortifies palaces and service buildings.

ENCLOSURE WALL

These walls are remarkable because of their massive structure.

It consist of solid sandstone rampart of 21 meters high and nearly

2 ¼ k.m. in circumference built in dressed stone in such large

scale.

The wall is a fine work of architecture containing features like

battlements, bastions, kiosks, stringcourse all carefully designed

and executed.

GATEWAYS

The enclosure wall has two gateways and the Main gate is called Delhi

gate which is notable for its design.

Lahore gate on south side called Amar Singh Rathore. This gate was used

for private purpose. These gateways provided accommodation to guards.

It consist of two octagonal tower joined by an arched vault.

The rear side of the gate has elegant façade, arched terraces above

surmounted by cupolas, kiosks and pinnacles.

Within the fort there are number of structures like- Diwan-i-am, Khas

Mahal,Jahangir Mahal and other luxury palace.

JAHANGIR MAHAL

The most complete building of the mahal is Jahangir Mahal.

It has an extensive arrangement of the compartments.

The brackets under eaves, inclined struts supporting the roof beams

of northern hall are all fine work of art in stone inspired by timber

carvings.

Apart from this mahal there were other 500 structure in the mahal of

red sandstone built in fine style of Gujrat and Rajasthan architecture

inside the fort.

FATHEPUR SIKRI,AGRA (1565-1680C.E)

This village was earlier called as Khansawa.

Babur named it SURKI meaning thanks.

It was a capital city built by Akbar at Sikri village 39km west of

Agra.

It is covered in an irregular rectangular area of 3km length and is

1 ½ km wide.

The whole city is surrounded by a bastioned wall.

This is an extremely planned town.

It is now a UNESCO world heritage site.

Approaches and layout

The main approach to this fort is from Agra through Agra fort

leading to Naubat Khana or a drum house.

From this it leads to Diwan-i-am or public audience hall.

Diwan-i-am was a place where celebration, public prayers and

court transaction took placed and hearings were announced.

It has open courtyard surrounded by cloisters on three sides and

emperor’s pavilion on west side.

The south side of the fort is accessible to the public.

Large area behind Diwan-i-am is to cater private use.

The palaces are connected by the pillared corridors, paved open

spaces and gardens.

Efficient system of water supply and drainage was also made.

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

The secular buildings are mainly trabeated and the religious buildings of

the city are arcuated.

The architecture is mainly of the hindu style of Gujrat and Rajasthan

region.

The main building material used here is red sand stone.

The building in this fortified city are distinguished in two classes:

Secular buildings

Religious structure

SECULAR BUILDINGS

PALACESJodha Bai Palace

Mariam House

Sultana’s House

Birbal House

Panch Mahal

ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING

Diwan- I-Khas

MISCELLANEOUS BUILDING

Khawab ghar (house of dreams)

Anup Tala (a water tank consisting of a central platform

connected by bridges on all four sides.

Astrologer’s Seat

Daftar Khana (Record room)

RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS

Jami Masjid

Buland Darwaza

Saint Seikh Salim Chisti tomb

JODHA BAI PALACE

The palace measures 96 meters by 66 meters.

Entrance is through a guarded single monumental gate house on east.

The palace has staggered doorways to keep the privacy.

The entrance wall to the palace are plane and simple and measures 10

meters in their height.

The principals apartments are attached to the inner side openings of the

courtyards.

It contains symmetrical range of the buildings surrounding an open

quadrangular square.

MARIAM’S PALACE

It is less in size by 1/6th part of Jodha Bai’s palace and is situated on

the north east corner to jodha bai palace.

It is called as sunahra makan means house of gold.

It has rich frescoes of large mural paintings of Persian subjects and

were inlaid in gold.

It is a small arrangement of rooms in two storys with no central

courtyard.

Stone eaves surrounds the building supported on heavy brackets.

BIRBAL PALACE

It is a two storey building having four rooms each 5 meters side and two

porches in ground floor.

The house is totally enclosed building.

It has two flights of stairs one in north east and other in south west corner.

There are cupolas over the upper rooms and pyramidal roofs over the

porches.

The exterior of building presents richly treated pilasters and wide projected

massive eaves brackets.

PANCHMAHAL It is an open pillared hall of five stories diminishing in size while

ascending.

This building was for women of the royal house to pass their leisure

time.

It is a columnar structure with no enclosing wall.

This building is unusually asymmetrical.

Ground storey contains 84 columns, first 56, second 20, third 12, top

storey is sinfle domed shaped kiosk supported on 4 pillars.

No columns on first floor are alike some are circular others octagonal or

twisted.

The pillar shows the workmanship of hindus temple of west India.

ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDINGS

It is rectangular in plan and its two storeys have flat terraced

roof with a pillared kiosk raising above the parapet in the

corners.

The interior is only one chamber containing a massive and

richly carved pillar in the centre of the chamber.

Diwan I khas

“If you don't know history, then you don't know anything.

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Michael Crichton