The architecture and paintings of the Mughals were acclaimed worldwide. This is because they were devoted patrons of art and culture. Almost every Mughal emperor contributed to the art and culture. The Mughals seem to have been born with a sense of subtle art. So the Mughals were not only imperialists, they were also cultured.
Babur established the Mughal Empire in India. Babur was a renowned art lover and critic. He reigned for a very short time, but during that short time he worked hard to improve the arts. However, due to time constraints and complex political circumstances, it was not implemented. His contributions to architecture reflect his artistic mind. Babur's most famous architectural works were the Kabulrag on the waterfront and the Juma Mosque in Chambal.
Babur's son Humayun was also a patron of arts and culture. He took time out of the wars and built many buildings in the Persian style to encourage architecture. Like Babur, Humayun had many plans, but could not implement them. The mosque at Fatehabad in Hisar district of Haryana and the Humayun Monument in Delhi are among the hallmarks of his artistic talent and were built by Persian craftsman Mirak Mirza Gias. His contribution to the art of India at that time cannot be denied. The Afghan leader Sesha also made an unprecedented contribution to Indian art and culture of the era. He was a good ruler and a fierce warrior, as well as showing his taste and cultured mind by patronizing the arts.
During the reign of Mahamati Akbar, the development of art, architecture and painting reached its peak as discipline and progress were established in the country. The buildings, mosques, tombs, gates, etc. that Akbar built in Lahore, Allahabad, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri and elsewhere reflected his artistic spirit. The building of Fatehpur Sikri reflected Akbar's dream of a united India. Because these were made in a combination of Persian, Hindu and Islamic styles. During the reign of Akbar, Red stone powder was used in the construction of buildings.
The reign of another Mughal emperor, Jahangir, also showed signs of technical skill in architecture. However, many of their buildings, monuments, forts, etc. have been lost over time due to natural and political disasters. However, it is evident that architecture developed under his patronage. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan was the patron of a large part of architecture in Mughal India. The development of Mughal architecture reached its final peak during the reign of Shah Jahan. He was a practitioner of beauty. The period of Shah Jahan's reign is called the 'Golden Age' of Mughal architecture as it was a source of inspiration for art and culture, but he eventually became destitute after spending freely on architecture and sculpture.
The Taj Mahal built by Shah Jahan is an immortal testimony to his wife's love. Akbar introduced the use of marble in architecture and sculpture. Marble was widely used in construction during the reign of Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal was built of pure white marble. Its exquisite craftsmanship, the charming beauty of marble, the beautiful views of the banks of the Jamuna—all of these give the Taj Mahal a unique dimension. The Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world. Even today, thousands of people from all over the world come to India to see the Taj Mahal. Not only that, Shah Jahan also decorated many buildings inside the fort of Agra. The most famous of these were the Moti Mosque and the Dewan-i-Am. He also built a beautiful city called Shahjahanabad, complete with marble carvings. In Shahjahanabad, he decorated the eye-catching Friday Mosque.
Shah Jahan also showed his love of art by building many architecture in Ajmer. The world famous Peacock Throne was built during the reign of Shah Jahan. The throne, beautifully adorned with rare diamonds, pearls, and emeralds, looked like a bed.
Note: The peacock throne was built by a craftsman named Bebdan Khan after 7 years.
Shah Jahan also built many magnificent buildings and mosques in Lahore and Kashmir. The Dewan-i-Aam and Dewan-i-Khach were the center of attraction inside the Delhi fort. It is noteworthy that Shah Jahan not only paid attention to the construction of architecture and sculptures, but also took measures to preserve them. He is therefore considered to be the true founder of the Mughal Empire. After Shah Jahan, the glorious era of Mughal architecture came to an end. There is no evidence that subsequent rulers took any special initiative in this regard.
Painting :
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| Source: Wikipedia |
A discussion of the cultural contribution of the Mughals to India can never be completed without a discussion of the paintings of the period. The Mughal emperors also made significant contributions to the culture of the country in the field of painting. The vivid depictions, beautiful expressions and love of nature of Mughal art brought a dynamic rhythm to the paintings. The paintings of the Mughal period were created in a completely new architectural style while maintaining the Indian tradition by combining Persian and European painting styles. Contemporary political events, hunting, landscapes, trees and plants were the main themes of Mughal painting. In a reign of only five years, Emperor Babur did little in the field of painting, but encouraged painters. As a nature lover, he was in favor of giving priority to nature in painting. Babur's son Humayun was also a lover of painting. He also came across Persian painting and imported it to India. Humayun also brought two painters from Persia to India.
Note: Although painting reached its peak during the Mughal period, only palaces, courts and the elite were painted, not the common people and their lives.
Emperor Akbar was also a philanthropist and painter. He broke the taboos in the conservative Mughal society of the time and initiated an evolution in art and culture. Akbar laid the foundation for Indian national painting by fixing affordable prices for the materials needed for painting. Akbar created a separate department to supervise painting.
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| Source - SCERT textbook, Assam |
Mughal painting reached its peak during the reign of Jahangir. Jahangir himself was a film lover as well as an experienced film critic. He urged painters to give priority to reality over imagination. Miniature painting also occupied a special place during the reign of Jahangir. Famous painters like Mansur, Murad, Bishandas etc. adorned the royal court of Jahangir. During his reign, many schools of painting were established in different parts of India. Shah Jahan's contribution to the world of painting was negligible, but his son Dara was a major patron of painting. Dara himself was a painter. Mughal paintings are still popular in Indian culture today.
Music :
Tansen was a famous singer in Akbar's court. Music has been popular in India since ancient times. During the Mughal era, many musicians from home and abroad came to grace the Mughal royal court under the patronage of Akbar, Babur and Humayun. Akbar was a vocalist as well as a musician. Akbar recognized Tansen as the greatest singer of the era. Shah Jahan, on the other hand, had a wonderful voice.
Literature :
Literature also flourished during the Mughal period. These literatures developed especially around the Persian language. During this period, various provincial languages also received royal patronage. The courts of many Mughal emperors were graced by prominent scholars of Persian and Turkish. Despite his busy schedule, Babur wrote the famous autobiography Tuzuk-i-Babri in Turkish. The Mughal Emperor Humayun was also a good writer. The books written during the reign of Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan are invaluable treasures of history. During the reign of Akbar, there was a revival in Persian prose literature. Many books in Sanskrit, Arabic, Turkish and Greek were translated into Persian. He also opened a special department to encourage translation literature.
Many women had also contributed to Persian literature during the Mughal period. These included Babur's daughter Gulbadan Begum, Aurangzeb's Daughter Zebunnisa and Shah Jahan's daughter Jahanarai.
During the Mughal period, not only Persian literature developed, but Hindi and Brajavali literature also flourished. Many Muslim writers wrote books in provincial and Hindi languages. Some of the most notable Hindi works of this period were the Padmavat, the Ramcharit Manas and the Surasagar.
Towards the end of the Mughal period, Urdu slowly replaced Persian. The Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah invited a poet from the south named Wali to the royal court to patronize Urdu literature. He impressed the audience and readers by performing ghazals, rubayats and manasbis very vividly.
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