‭ARCHITECTURE‬

‭A)‬‭RED FORT:‬
‭the poetic inscription carved into the fort still echoes the awe once inspired by its beauty:‬

"‭ Agar firdaus bar rū-ī zamīn ast, hamīn ast, wa hamīn ast, wa hamīn ast."‬
‭(If there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it‬‭is this, it is this!)‬

‭Architectural Projects Under Shahjahan‬

‭ hahjahan’s reign (1628–1658) marked a high point in Mughal architecture, characterized‬

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‭by extensive construction activity and a significant shift in architectural style and material. A‬
‭passionate builder, Shahjahan undertook numerous architectural projects throughout his‬
‭empire.‬

‭ ne of the most notable features of Shahjahan’s architectural style was the transition from‬
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‭red sandstone, commonly used during earlier Mughal periods, to white marble. This shift‬
‭brought about several stylistic developments that became hallmarks of architecture during‬
‭his rule. Key among these were:‬

‭●‬ ‭The adoption of arches with distinct foliated curves, typically featuring nine cusps;‬

‭●‬ ‭The widespread use of marble arcades with engrailed arches;‬

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‭ he evolution of domes into a bulbous form with a constricted (or stifled) neck, and‬
‭the common use of double domes;‬

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‭ he introduction and extensive use of‬‭pietra dura‬‭,‬‭an intricate inlay technique using‬
‭semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli, onyx, jasper, topaz, and cornelian, set into‬
‭marble to create decorative floral and geometric patterns.‬

‭ hahjahan's architectural contributions include a wide range of structures, from fortresses‬

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‭and palaces to mosques and tombs. Some of the most prominent monuments from his‬
‭reign are:‬

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‭ al Qila (Red Fort)‬‭in Delhi – a palace-fort that‬‭served as the main residence of the‬
‭Mughal emperors;‬

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‭ oti Masjid‬‭(Pearl Mosque) in the Agra Fort and‬‭Jami‬‭Masjid‬‭in Delhi – examples of‬
‭the era’s mosque architecture;‬

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‭ aj Mahal‬‭– a garden-tomb built in memory of his wife‬‭Mumtaz Mahal, and widely‬
‭considered the finest example of Mughal architecture.‬
‭ hese projects reflect not only Shahjahan’s aesthetic preferences but also the technical and‬
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‭artistic advancements of the Mughal period. His reign is rightly remembered as a golden‬
‭age of marble architecture, combining beauty, symmetry, and intricate craftsmanship.‬

‭ he heart of Shahjahan’s newly founded city,‬‭Shahjahanabad‬‭,‬‭was the grand‬

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‭palace-fortress of red sandstone‬‭known as‬‭Qila-i-Mualla‬‭,‬‭or the‬‭Red Fort.‬ ‭It constructed‬
‭under the patronage of Emperor Shahjahan was built in the shape of a regular rectangle;‬
‭its northern wall follows the former course of the Yamuna River. The fort is fortified by‬
‭massive round bastions at regular intervals and is entered through two prominent‬
‭gateways the‬‭Delhi Gate‬‭and‬‭Lahore Gate‬‭each flanked‬‭by octagonal towers adorned with‬
‭blind arcades and topped with cupolas. A wide moat runs along the fort’s walls, except on‬
‭the river-facing side.‬

I‭nside the fort are several notable structures. The‬‭Diwan-i-Am‬‭(Hall of Public Audience)‬
‭and‬‭Rang Mahal‬‭are arcaded pavilions with paired sandstone‬‭columns plastered with‬
‭powdered marble. The eastern wall of the Diwan-i-Am houses the emperor’s‬‭throne‬
‭platform‬‭, distinguished by a curved, corniced roof‬‭in the Bengali architectural style. Behind‬
‭it lies the‬‭Rang Mahal‬‭, fronted by an open courtyard.‬‭Further north is the‬‭Diwan-i-Khas‬
‭(Hall of Private Audience), which, like the other structures, features intricate floral‬
‭decoration on walls, columns, and piers, an example of the high aesthetic standards of‬
‭Shahjahan’s era.‬

‭ he construction of the Lal Qila was part of a larger plan by Shahjahan to shift the Mughal‬
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‭capital from‬‭Agra to Delhi‬‭. Multiple reasons are cited‬‭for this decision.‬

‭●‬ S ‭ ome historians argue that Agra had become‬‭too hot‬‭and‬‭overcrowded‬‭, making it‬
‭unsuitable for the grandeur of imperial court processions and Shahjahan’s‬
‭ambitious architectural plans.‬
‭●‬ ‭Others highlight the‬‭erosion caused by the Yamuna‬‭River‬‭, which threatened‬
‭several existing structures in Agra.‬
‭●‬ ‭Beyond practical concerns, Shahjahan’s move to Delhi also had‬‭symbolic and‬
‭historical motivations‬‭. He sought to‬‭found a new city‬‭,‬‭Shahjahanabad‬‭, to leave a‬
‭lasting imprint of his rule. Delhi already held deep spiritual and political significance.‬
‭It had been the‬‭first major Muslim settlement in North‬‭India‬‭, the‬‭capital of‬
‭earlier Delhi sultans‬‭, and a‬‭centre of Sufi traditions‬‭,‬‭with shrines and tombs that‬
‭made it a sacred pilgrimage site.‬
‭●‬ ‭This blend of the spiritual and temporal made Delhi, in the words of 18th-century‬
‭writer Hakim Maharat Khan Isfahani, the‬‭“dar al-mulk”‬‭(seat of empire)‬‭and the‬
‭“markaz-i dairah Islam” (center of the circle of Islam)‬‭—a‬‭city where the sacred‬
‭and the secular converged.‬

‭ he site chosen for his new capital lay strategically on the banks of the Yamuna River,‬
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‭between the historical sites of‬‭Firuzabad‬‭and the‬‭Salimgarh Fort‬‭, further anchoring the‬
‭new city in the legacy of Delhi’s past rulers.‬
‭ longside this imperial stronghold stood the‬‭Jama Masjid‬‭, the imperial congregational‬
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‭mosque, which, together with numerous smaller mosques, highlighted the political‬
‭centrality of Islam in the Mughal urban vision.‬

‭ nlike the older capital, Agra, Shahjahanabad was planned with bazaars as integral‬
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‭elements. Two principal commercial arteries defined the urban layout. The first began at‬
‭the Lahore Gate of the Red Fort, traversed the Chandni Chowk bazaar, and terminated at‬
‭the Fatehpuri Masjid, encompassing several substreets and alleys. The second key route,‬
‭Faiz Bazar (meaning “Market of Plenty”), ran from the Delhi (Akbarabadi) Gate of the Fort to‬
‭the Delhi Gate of the city. In addition to these major commercial roads, smaller shops and‬
‭local markets filled the corners and by-lanes of the city, ensuring accessibility to daily‬
‭necessities.‬

‭ hahjahanabad was encircled by a massive stone wall punctuated with towers, bastions,‬
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‭and gateways, earning it the name “Walled City.” A new canal, the Nahr-i-Bihisht (Canal of‬
‭Paradise), was also constructed. This canal was a continuation of the Shaikhu-ni canal,‬
‭originally developed by Firuz Shah Tughlaq and later renovated by Akbar. It served both‬
‭functional and aesthetic purposes, supplying water to the city and contributing to its‬
‭landscape architecture.‬

‭ he emperor also laid great emphasis on the construction of gardens, many of which were‬
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‭built independently of tombs, unlike the ones in Agra. These gardens, located both inside‬
‭the walled area and in the surrounding suburbs, added to the city’s grandeur. In addition, a‬
‭network of‬‭sarais (inns)‬‭, largely funded by members‬‭of the ruling elite, was established to‬
‭accommodate travelers and merchants.‬

‭Architectural Features and Materials‬

‭ uhammad Waris elaborates on the eight-sided pillars or‬‭hasht pahl‬‭, which were topped‬
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‭with decorative cappings (‬‭kulâh‬‭), and the use of multi-foliated‬‭arches (‬‭marghulidâr‬‭), giving‬
‭the buildings a layered, floral elegance. The interior and open spaces of the palace were‬
‭adorned with shallow, fold-cut tanks (‬‭tahnuma‬‭)—both‬‭functional for cooling and‬
‭ornamental in purpose.‬

‭ ne of the most significant contributions of Waris’s account is the emphasis on the use of a‬
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‭special white plaster‬‭derived from‬‭sang-i nihâli‬‭,‬‭a stone mined in‬‭Suba Gujarat‬‭. This‬
‭material, along with its accompanying plaster (‬‭qala‘i‬‭),‬‭gave the imperial buildings a‬‭radiant,‬
‭white sheen‬‭that became a fashionable and preferred‬‭aesthetic of Shahjahan's reign.‬
‭Modern scholarship often generalizes this as "shell plaster," but Waris points out its‬
‭regional specificity‬‭and elite association.‬

‭Decorative techniques included:‬

 ‭●‬ ‭Parchînkari‬‭(pietra dura or stone inlay),‬

‭●‬ ‭Âînakârî‬‭(mirror work),‬

‭●‬ ‭Gujarat-derived white plaster‬

‭Climatic Adaptations and Comfort‬

‭ o cope with the harsh Delhi summers, several architectural innovations were‬
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‭incorporated:‬

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‭ haskhâna‬‭– rooms cooled with‬‭screens of fragrant‬‭grass‬‭(‬‭khas‬‭), which when wet,‬
‭kept interiors cool and aromatic.‬

‭●‬ ‭Hauzkhâna‬‭– water tanks or pool houses.‬

‭●‬ ‭Tanbikhâna‬‭– specialized summer rooms.‬

‭Fort Design and Layout‬

‭ he fort itself was laid out as an irregular octagon (‬‭Musamman-i Baghdādi‬‭), spanning: With‬
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‭21 bastions (7 circular and 14 octagonal), and 6 grand gateways (two leading to Agra and‬
‭Lahore, others toward the Yamuna and various internal sectors).‬

‭ moat, filled by the Nahr-i Bihisht (Canal of Paradise), encircled the fort from three sides,‬
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‭while the eastern side was flanked by the Yamuna River, emphasizing a combination of‬
‭natural and constructed defenses.‬

‭Spatial Organization and Urban Aesthetics‬

‭ he‬‭eastern district‬‭of the fort overlooking the river‬‭contained all‬‭imperial residential‬

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‭buildings‬‭, as distinct from Agra including:‬

‭●‬ ‭Bagh-i Ruh Afza‬‭and‬‭Hayat Bakhsh gardens‬‭,‬

‭●‬ ‭Daulatkhāna-i Khās‬‭(Shah Mahal),‬

‭●‬ ‭Burj-i Tilā‬‭and‬‭Imtiyāz Bakhsh‬‭, and‬

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‭ alaces associated with‬‭Jahanara Begum‬‭(referred to‬‭as‬‭mālikā-i daurān‬‭, Lady of‬
‭the Age). Mumtaz Mahal‬

‭ n the‬‭western side‬‭were the‬‭gardens, orchards, and‬‭reservoirs‬‭, creating a seamless‬

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‭blend between‬‭residential‬‭,‬‭ceremonial‬‭, and‬‭natural‬‭zones.‬
‭Markets and Civic Planning‬

‭ ne of Shahjahan’s urban innovations was the introduction of a bazār-i musaqqaf (covered‬

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‭market), stretching from the gate towards Akbarabad (Agra) to the Daulatkhana’s forecourt.‬

‭ unning parallel to this was another broad market avenue, with a central canal, once again‬
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‭echoing the canal-city ideal of paradise.‬

‭Shah Burj and the Hayāt Bakhsh Garden:‬

‭ mong the myriad marvels of the Red Fort, the‬‭Shah‬‭Burj‬‭stands as a symbol of‬
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‭architectural grace and imperial comfort. Described with reverence by‬
‭contemporary sources, especially‬‭Muhammad Waris‬‭, this‬‭structure encapsulates‬
‭the aesthetic and technological heights of Mughal architecture under‬‭Shahjahan‬‭.‬

‭The Shah Burj: Geometry, Ornamentation, and Climate Sensitivity‬

‭ he‬‭Shah Burj‬‭, a three-storey octagonal tower situated‬‭near the riverfront, is constructed‬

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‭entirely of‬‭white marble‬‭and adorned throughout with‬‭pietra dura inlay work (parchīn)‬
‭featuring colorful, imaginative floral and geometric motifs. It is surrounded on all eight‬
‭sides by‬‭khas khāna‬‭cooling chambers made with fragrant‬‭grass screens ensuring a‬
‭breezy respite during Delhi’s sweltering summers.‬

‭The Hayāt Bakhsh Garden, A Mughal Eden‬

‭ djoining the Shah Burj is the famed Hayāt Bakhsh Bāgh (Life-Giving Garden), an earthly‬
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‭metaphor for paradise, laid out with spiritual geometry and lavish horticulture. At its‬
‭center lies a tank modeled after the Hauz-i Kauthar—the celestial tank mentioned in the‬
‭Qur’an. Balanced Symmetry: On the northern and southern axes stand two symmetric‬‭al‬
‭marble structures‬‭with‬‭railings embellished with pietra‬‭dura‬‭and elegant carvings.‬

‭Architecture as an Embodiment of Paradise (Jannat)‬

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‭ he gardens, water channels, and pavilions are meticulously designed to mirror‬
‭Quranic descriptions of Paradise‬‭, especially with‬‭references like:‬

‭○‬ ‭Nahr-i Bihisht‬‭(Stream of Paradise)‬

‭○‬ ‭Hauz-i Kauthar‬‭(Tank of Abundance in heaven)‬

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‭ he use of‬‭symmetry, flowing water, white marble‬‭,‬‭and‬‭floral motifs‬‭all work‬
‭together to give the sense of an‬‭eternal, sacred,‬‭and blissful space‬‭—not just for‬
‭the emperor, but as a symbol of divine order.‬