by Imonikhe Ahimie

Created on: October 19, 2009

Mughal architecture is the distinctive architectural style that was developed on the Indian sub-continent during the period of the Mughal Empire which ruled over much of peninsula India between 1526 and 1857, and it represents a fusion of Islamic, Persian and traditional Indian styles, the results of which are recognised today as some of the most aesthetically satisfying architecture ever created by man in any time or place.

The most famous example of Mughal architecture is, of course, the incomparable Taj Mahal situated in Agra, India, and built by the Emperor Shah Jahan (ruled 1627-1658), but notwithstanding the Taj Mahal's deserved fame, there are numerous examples of exquisite architectural gems created under the Mughals and many are to be found in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, one of the modern states that has been created from the former Mughal possessions.

Amongst the earliest surviving examples of what is now considered as Mughal architecture in Pakistan is the Rohtas Fort situated along the Jhelum River. Ironically, the builder of the fort, Sher Shah Suri (ruled 1540-45), was not a Mughal at all; he was a Pashtun usurper who had come to power by overthrowing the incompetent son of Babur (ruled 1526-1530), founder of the Mughal line, Humayun. Shortly after, the Mughals regained power and their rule was firmly established. Whatever the faults of the various Mughal Emperors and the wider ruling family, and, in some cases, the faults were legion, the Mughals, male and female, were avid builders and, once the Mughal power was firmly established, they built and built and built.

In Lahore, Pakistan's cultural centre, there are many fine examples of Mughal architecture. The Lahore Fort, built by the founder of the dynasty, Babur, was extended and beautified by his successors. Even as a youth, Shah Jahan, the builder of the Taj Mahal, had won praise from his father, Emperor Jahangiar (ruled 1605-1627), for the exquisite redecorations of his quarters in the fort. As emperor, Shah Jahan further developed the fort and it is to him that we owe the Moti Masjid[1], the Sheesh Mahal, the Naulakha Pavilion sections of Lahore Fort. His son, the Emperor Aurangzeb (ruled 1658-1707) also contributed to the fort by building the famed Almagiri Gate, one of the thirteen gates that leads into the fort and its main entrance in the present day.

Also in Lahore, are the Shalimar Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built by Jahangiar and extended by his son Shah Jahan as well as Jahangiar's mausoleum built, during the reign of Shah Jahan, by Jahangiar's wife, Nur Jahan. Other architectural gems to be found in Lahore from the time of the Mughals include the Wazir Khan Masjid, built in the reign of Shah Jahan by his court physician, Sheikh Ilm-ud-din Ansari and the exquisite Badshahi Masjid, adjacent to the Lahore Fort and built of red sandstone with subtle intarsia decoration and topped by white marble domes built under the reign of Aurangzeb and closely modelled on a similar mosque in Shajahanabad, India, built by his father, Shah Jahan.

But Mughal architecture is by no means limited to Lahore; examples of buildings, gardens, etc. created by this race of unparalleled builders are to be found all over Pakistan. Not far from Lahore, at Sheikhipura, is the Hiran Minar, originally built by Jahangiar as a monument to Mansraj, one of his pet deers, and improved upon by his son Shah Jahan. A visit to Thatta, a hundred or so kilometres from Karachi finds another Mughal gem, the Shahjahan Masjid, built by Shah Jahan.

[1] Masjid means Mosque.

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