Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/331

 CHAP. X. MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE. 283 CHAPTER X. MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE. CONTENTS. Dynasties Tomb of Muhammad Ghaus, Gwaliar Mosque at Fathpur Sikri Akbar's Tomb, Sikandara Palace at Delhi The Taj Mahall The Moti Masjid Mosque at Delhi The Martiniere, Begam Kothi, and Imambara at Lucknow English Tombs at Surat Tomb at Junagadh. CHRONOLOGY. Babar A.D. 1526 Humiyun .... 1530 Sher Shah Afghan. . . 1539 Salim Islam Shah. . . 1545 dies .... 1552 Akbar A.D. 1556 Jahangir .... 1605 Sh^hfaMn. A. . . 1628 Aurangzib or 'Alamgir. . 1658 Bahadur Shah ... 1707 TILL within half a century ago, a description of the style intro- duced by the Mughal emperors would have been considered a complete history of Muhammadan architecture in India. It is the style which was described by Roe and Bernier, and all subsequent travellers. It was rendered familiar to the public in Europe by the drawings of Daniell, in the beginning of last century, and, since Agra and Delhi became practically British cities, their buildings have been described, drawn, and photographed till they have become almost as well known as any found in Europe. It will take a very long time before even photography will render the mosques or tombs of such cities as Ahmadabad or Bijapur as familiar or as easily under- stood. Yet it is, perhaps, true to assert that the buildings of other dynasties, commencing with the mosques at the Qutb and at Ajmir, and continuing till the last Dakhani dynasty was destroyed by Aurangzib, make up a whole as extensive and more interesting, in a historical point of view, than even all that was done by the Mughals. On the other hand, however, there is a unity in the works of that dynasty, and a complete- ness in their history, which makes the study of their art peculiarly fascinating, and some of their buildings will bear