Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/343

 CHAP. X. MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE. 291 To illustrate the architecture of the day, however, it may be preferable to take the contemporary tomb of Muhammad Ghaus 1 at Gwaliar, which was erected during the early part of Akbar's reign, and is a singularly interesting example of the tombs of the period. It is a square, measur- ing 100 ft. each way, exclusive of the hexa- gonal towers, which are attached to the angles (Woodcut No. 421). The chamber of the tomb it- self is a hall 43 ft. square, f with the angles cut off I- by pointed arches so as to form an octagon, on which the dome rests. Around this square building is a gallery, 20 ft. wide between the piers, enclosed on all sides by a screen of the most exquisite tracery in pierced stone - work with a projecting porch on each face (Woodcut No. 422). 2 On comparing this with the tomb of Sher Shah at Sahsaram, which in many respects it resembles to a consider- able extent, it will be seen that it marks a considerable progress in tomb-building during even the short period that elapsed between the erection of the two. There is an inherent weakness in an octagonal form as compared with the square, that even the Pathans never quite successfully conquered ; and the outward screen of trellis work is far more elegant than the open arcade of the Sahsaram tomb. Something may be due to the fact that Gwaliar was a city where building of an ornamental character had long been going on, and where consequently a superior school of masons and architects may always have existed, while Sahsaram was a remote country village, where these advantages were unknown. But be this as it may, the progress is such in so short a time, that we can only ascribe it to the invigorating 421. Plan of Tomb of Muhammad Ghaus, Gwaliar. Scale 50 ft. to i in. 1 Muhammad Ghaus al 'Alam of Gwa- liar, died in 1562. Blochmann's "Ain-i- Akbari,' vol. i. pp. 457f. 2 The plan is taken from one by Gen. Cunningham (' Report,' vol. ii. platepi). He omits, however, these square projec- tions. I have added them from the photographs.