Approach:
Introduce medieval Indian architecture briefly.
List all the structures that were built at this time.
Explain how structures reflect the daily life of that period.
The following is a brief introduction to the topic:
Medieval Indian architectural styles adapted to the cultural and social traditions, religious practices, economic prosperity and local requirements of that time.
Indian architecture is the result of a blend of native styles and influences from outside, which gives it its unique characteristics. In the medieval period, Persian architecture was combined with indigenous architectural styles.
The combination of need, imagination, capacity of builders, and abilities of workers was used to build structures for public use, including mosques, temples, tanks, wells and bazaars.
The Body
The arrival of the Turks in the 13th century brought a new style of architecture – that of Persia and Arabia. These buildings had domes, arches, and minarets as their engineering features. Over time, the fusion of Indian and islamic styles culminated in Indo-Islamic architectural features.
Forts with complex defence systems were common. These forts were equipped with a variety of water storage and harvesting structures, such as step-wells, reservoirs and elaborate channels.
In 1537, the famous Srirangapatna Fort, or Tipu’s Palace, located in Mysore in Karnataka was constructed in Indo-Islamic Style. The second-toughest fort in India is this magnificent fort.
Over time, architectural buildings such as mosques and tombs were built.
The Qutub Minar in Delhi, for example, has beautiful calligraphy on both the mosque and the tower.
The architectural wonders of that time are Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur, and Golkonda Fort.
The walls of some mosques are decorated with Quranic verses and Islamic calligraphy to help worshippers focus on the Koran. Both the J?m?? and Mecca Mosques in Hyderabad are examples of Indian mosques. The Masjid of Delhi and the Mecca mosque in Hyderabad are examples of Indian mosques.
In memory of the royals, many grand mausoleums have been built. The Taj Mahal and the mausoleums in Delhi, Agra, Mohammed Adil Shah, Bijapur, etc.
The gardens with flowing water, such as Nishat Bagh (Kashmir), Shalimar Bagh (Lahore) and Pinjore Garden in Punjab have been laid out.
To honor the Kings, elaborate commemorative structures were constructed. As an example:
Buland Darwaza is a beautiful gateway that was built in the years 1571-1572 as a tribute to Akbar€™s conquest over Gujarat.
Vijaya Stambha, an impressive victory monument, is located in the Chittorgarh Fort, Chittorgarh (Rajasthan, India). Rana Kumbha, the Mewar King built this tower.
In India’s medieval period, temples served as social centers where people gathered. In medieval India, temples served as places where dance, music and fighting were practiced. For example, Chennakeshava Temple, Karnataka; Adi Kumbeswarar, Tamil Nadu.
In medieval times, many stepwells have been built. The water in stepwells is accessed by decending a series of steps. The stepwells may have multiple floors, with the water being raised by a bullock rotating a wheel.
The most prevalent are in Western India, but they can also be found in other arid areas of the Indian Subcontinent and even in Pakistan.
Stepwells are primarily utilitarian in nature, but they can also be embellished with architectural features and used as temple tanks.
Baori was also known as Chand Baori, Agrasen Ki Baoli and Rani Ka Vav in the medieval period.
The conclusion of the article is:
The historic buildings, including the royal courts, military structures and defense structures, as well as mosques, temples and mortuaries, showcased all the structures used during the Medieval period of India.
