INDO-ISLAMIC HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE

SESSION 7 PROVINCIAL STYLE - DECCAN

DECCAN SULTANATES
• The Deccan sultanates were five dynasties of various ethnic backgrounds (Afghan, Turk, Mong ol etc.) that ruled late
medieval kingdoms, namely, Bijapur, Golkonda, Ahmadnagar, Bidar, and Berar in south-western India.
• The Deccan sultanates were located on the Deccan Plateau, between the Krishna River and the Vindhya Range. These
kingdoms became independent during the breakup of the Bahmani Sultanate.
• In 1490, Ahmadnagar declared independence, followed by Bijapur and Berar in the same year.
• Golkonda became independent in 1518 and Bidar in 1528.
• In 1510, Bijapur repulsed an invasion by the Portuguese against the city of Goa, but lost it later that year.
• Although generally rivals, they did ally against the Vijayanagara Empire in 1565, permanently weakening Vijayanagar in
the Battle of Talikota. The sultanates were later conquered by the Mughal Empire.
DECCAN STYLE PROVINCIAL INDO-ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

•Gulbarga (1347-1422), Bidar (1422-1512), Golkonda (1512-1687), Bijapur (16th & 17th Centuries), Khandesh
(15th & 16th Centuries)
•Unlike other Muslim rulers who made full use of indigenous art and architecture in their domains, rulers in
the Deccan largely ignored the local art and produced an independent style of their own.
Influences in this style come from two main sources:
•Delhi style: Due to the forced migration of Muhammad Tughlaq from Delhi to Daulatabad, many influences
of Tughlaqian Delhi were brought to the south.
•Persian Style: Due to the migration of Persians to southern India via sea.
•These aspects are best illustrated by the evolution of tombs in the Deccan.
•The earliest specimen afforded by the tomb of Allauddin (14th century) was an imitation in toto of the
Tughlaq style of Delhi.
•The tombs of the 15th century built by the Bahmani rulers of Bidar depict distinct Persian elements
dexterously combined with those of the Delhi style.
•Finally, the tombs of the Qutb Shahi dynasties of the 16th and 17th centuries show a fully developed bulbous
or "Tartar" dome, indicating its complete evolution by the amalgamation of various differing styles.
• The Qutub Shahi and Nizam Shahi dynasties contributed greatly towards the development of the Deccan
style of architecture.
• The best architectural specimen is the Charminar built in 1591 by Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah. Often
called "Arc de triumph of the East", it is a beautiful structure with four intricately carved minarets built
with granite and lime-mortar.
• The Mecca Masjid, located near the Charminar, is another architectural beauty. It was started in 1614 by
Abdullah Qutub Shah and completed in 1687 by Aurangzeb.

Deccan style can be divided into 3 main phases:

• Gulbarga Phase (Bahmani Dynasty)- Laying the foundations of the style.
• Bidar Phase (Bahmani & Barid Dynasties)- After moving the capital of the Deccan sultanate from Gulbarga
to Bidar, the style developed under the Bahmani and later the Barid dynasties.
• Golkonda Phase (Qutub Shahi Dynasty): The capital of the Deccan sultanate finally moved to the southern
city of Golkonda, the stronghold of the ruling Qutub Shahi dynasty.
Main Buildings:
• Jami Masjid at Gulbarga
• Haft Gumbaz
• Madrassa of Mahmud Gawan
• Tomb of Ali Barid
• Char Minar

Bijapur (Adil Shahi Dynasty - 16th & 17th Centuries)

• The Adil Shahi kingdom arose in Bijapur at the same time as the Golkonda sultanate.
• While the Qutub Shahi rulers patronized various intellectual channels, the Adil Shahi kings concentrated
mainly on architectural pursuits.
• Hence, the city of Bijapur has more than 50 examples of fine monuments in the style which developed
here.

Main Buildings:
• Jami Masjid at Bijapur
• Ibrahim Rauza
• Gol Gumbaz
• Mihtar Mahal
Khandesh (15th & 16th Centuries)
Artisans in the small area called Khandesh which lay between Deccan, Malwa and Gujarat took inspiration from
each of these areas and also added some original ideas of their own to create a distinct style.

Principle innovations in the Khandesh style are:

•Changes in the positions of openings such as wider spacing of doors and windows.
•Emphasis on parapets above eaves.
•Elevation of domes by raising them on octagonal drums and stilting of their sides.

Main Buildings:
•Jami Masjid at Burhanpur
•Bibi Ki Masjid
JAMI MASJID, GULBARGA
1367 AD
JAMI MASJID, GULBARGA

•Built in A.D. 1367 under architect Rafi from

Kazwin in northern Persia.
•It is a rare example of an Indian mosque
without a courtyard as the entire structure is
covered with a roof.
•The style is neither Persian nor Indian, but both
are amalgamated so as both can be
unidentifiable.
•The structure measures 216' X 176', with
cloisters on three sides and a spacious sanctuary
with a dome on the western side.
•The central area is filled in with rows of aisles
forming 68 bays, each roofed by a cupola.
•The external appearance of the central dome is
made lofty and prominent by raising it on a
square clerestory, its shape being repeated by
the smaller cupolas.
• The dome is supported on the
clerestory by means of squinches,
some of the arches being gracefully
foliated.
• Other constructional methods such
as oversailing courses of masonry
and vaulting are used in the aisles.
This indicates a ripe technical
knowledge and experience of the
builders.
• The cloisters consist of a series of
single archways of a very wide spans
and low imposts.
• In the middle of the northern cloister
is a large archway with the entrance
which breaks the symmetry of the
design.
• The interior is composed of a
perspective of square bays with solid
piers and vaulted ceilings in both
directions.
• The building has very little in
terms of ornamentation, but is
more of an example of intellectual
greatness and originality.
• The mosque had a great impact
on Deccan architecture, its
features like the stilted dome
raised on the clerestory and the
cloister arches with wide spans
and low imposts.
• The style of this mosque did not
find favour in India, though it may
have inspired in a limited way the
design of the Kali Masjid and
Khirki Masjid built in Delhi shortly
afterwards.
 TOMB OF ALI BARID, BIDAR

“people not only should remember you when you lived, but also after death”
• Baridshahi structures in Bidar are small but very
decorative.
• Colored tablets, wood carvings and pearl shell work are
the hall marks of this style.
• Scholars have found some kind of a synthesis between
the Islamic architectural style and those practiced by the
Hindu builders/masons in the Baridshahi architecture.
• This situation is particularly evident in Rangin Mahal and
the the tomb built for himself by Ali Barid Shah.
• Architecture became more and more
decorative/ornamental because of the preferences of the
Hindu architects and sculptors.
• After disintegration of the Bahmani Sultanate, Bidar
became an independent kingdom under the Baridshahis.
• Qasim Barid was its founder and was the de facto ruler in
the late Bahmani period. He died in 1504 AD and was
succeeded by his son Amir Barid, who ruled till 1542 AD.
• Ali Barid Shah was the next and most illustrious
Baridshahi ruler and he ruled till 1580 AD. His tomb is a
master piece of the Deccan.
• The dome consists of a lofty domed chamber, open on four
sides.
• Standing in the middle of a char-bagh garden (four square
gardens), each facade of the monument has a central
pointed arched opening.
• Horizontal bands meant for tile work are seen above the
openings.
• All the arches and bands are outlined in strips of dark gray-
green basalt.
• An octagonal finial marks the summit.
• Bands of coloured tile work decorating the walls of the
domed chamber include Koranic inscription.
• A small mosque is also built which is entered through a
gateway.
• The mosque is rich in intricate plaster decoration.
• Key Ideas: Lofty dome architecture open on 4 sides,
Excellent blue tile and calligraphic work (influence from
Persia), Stucco art in the mosque unique to Baridshahi
designs.
 Tomb of Ali Barid
Tomb of Ibrahim Barid

Mosque

A little distance to the west exactly in the same line is the I brahim Barid Tomb. The imposing tomb is similar to Ali Barid tomb
but smaller. It again sits on a high platform with a number of graves spread all around. The intervening space between the
two tombs is taken by an enclosure with scores of graves. There are sixty seven graves in all and probably belonged to the
harem of Ali Barid. One just cannot imagine if actual people are buried there or these are just cenotaphs marking reserved
places for burial. The grave stones were probably made around the same time.
JAMI MASJID, BIJAPUR
1578 AD
JAMI MASJID AT BIJAPUR

•Jama Masjid of Bijapur is a mosque in Bijapur, Karnataka. It was built

by Ali Adil Shah I (1558-1580) in the year 1578 after the victory over
Vijaya Nagara at the Battle of Rakkasagi – Tangadagi in Talikoti in
1565.
•Built during the reign of Ali Adil Shah, the Jami Masjid at Bijapur
clearly shows the connection with the Bahmani style of the previous
century.
•The structure was never completed, as it lacks the two minarets
which were supposed to flank the exterior of its eastern entrance, the
whole part being left unfinished.
•An entrance gateway was added later by the Mughal Emperor
Aurangzeb.
•Other features such as the ornamental merlons above the parapet of
the courtyard are also missing.
•The structure covers a rectangle 450' X 225'.
•The exterior has been treated by introducing two storeys of arcades
recessed into the wall, the lower one being ornamental while the
upper one is open and discloses an arched corridor running across the
entire back and sides of the exterior.
Sheesh Gumbad

Bara Gumbad
• The courtyard is a square of 155' side, contained on three
sides by seven arches on each side. On the west, this arcade
shows a central opening emphasized by foliations, forming
the facade of the sanctuary.
• A wide and deep cornice supported on brackets projects
above this arcade.
• Above the middle of the sanctuary, the arcaded square
clerestory rises which supports the dome which is no longer
stilted but hemispherical in shape with a metal finial
crowned by the crescent symbol.
• The interior of the sanctuary is a large hall 208' X 107',
divided into five aisles by arches on large masonry piers.
• The nave is a square of 75' diameter contained within 12
arches.
• The arches intersect at the top to form an octagonal cornice
for supporting the base of the dome.
• Around the nave are the square bays of the aisles, whose
ceilings are built on the same principle as the nave, but
modified to suit their smaller size.
• Ornamentation has been kept to a minimum, being of a broad and restrained order and any plastic
treatment is of an architectonic nature, more for accentuating a line or space than for embellishment.
• An incongruous ornament, in the form of a mural design in relief was added at a later date but is confined to
the mihrab arch.
GOL GUMBAZ, BIJAPUR
1656 AD
GOL GUMBAZ

•Gol Gumbaz or Gol Gumbadh, from Persian Gol

Gombadh meaning "circular dome”, is the mausoleum of
Mohammed Adil Shah, Sultan of Bijapur.
•The tomb, located in Bijapur, Karnataka, was completed
in 1656 by the architect Yaqut of Dabul.
• Although "impressively simple in design", it is the
"structural triumph of Deccan architecture".
•The Gol Gumbaz has one of the largest domes in the
world. It is considered to be an architectural wonder, for
its unbelievable size and more importantly, for the
“Whispering Galleries”.
•The Gol Gumbaz is the mausoleum of Mohammed Adil
Shah.
•It is one of the largest single chambers ever built.
•Externally, the building is a great cube with a turret or
tower attached to each angle, with a large hemispherical
dome covering the whole.
•The effect of the building is derived from the fine
proportions between its various elements, especially
between the cubical part below and the domed part
above.
• Subsidiary elements include the wide cornice
supported by closely spaced brackets. Above this
is an arcade of small arches, their formality
broken by their skillful spacing. Above this is are
the massive merlons with finials which break the
skyline well.
• Above the merlons are the foliations around the
base of the dome concealing the junction
between the dome and the cube below.
• The wall surface of the cube has three arches
sunken into them, the central one paneled out to
bring it to the size of a normal doorway.
• The structure is composed of a cube, 47.5 metres
(156 ft) on each side.
• The width of each of the sides is equal to the
height which is a little above 200'. The exterior
diameter of the dome is 144'.
• The interior of the structure is a single large hall,
one of the largest ever built, measuring 135'
across, 178' high and the gallery from where the
dome springs is 110' from the pavement.
• The hemispherical masonry dome has an
internal diameter of 37.92 m. The thickness
of the dome varies from 3.05 m. near the
base to 2.74 m. near the top.
• The floor area of the monument is 1703.56
sq. m.
• The main architectural features of the hall
are the tall pointed arches which support
the dome above.
• The arches have their bases within the
sides of the square plan while their planes
of surface are at an angle, the intersection
above forming an eight sided figure on
which the circular cornice is projected.
• The dome is set back some 12' from the
inside of this cornice so that some of its
weight is transferred onto the four walls,
while the rest is projected onto the
intersecting arches which also receive and
counteract any outward thrust.
• The dome is a plain plastered vault with six small openings through
the drum and a flat section at its crown but no central pendant.
• The dome consists of horizontal courses of bricks with substantial
layer of mortar between them. In other words, it consists of a
homogeneous shell of concrete reinforced with bricks, the whole
being of a thickness of 10'.
• Due to the system of oversailing courses of brickwork, timber
centering would be unnecessary, hence it was probably not used in
the construction of the dome except in the section near the crown.
• The foundation of this mausoleum rests on the bedrock, which has
prevented any unequal settlement.
• Above the basement this building is a huge cube with each sidewall
decorated with three arches. The central arch, wider than the side
ones, has doorways except on the north, where a semi-octagonal
chamber buttresses the wall.
• After the death of its builder further decoration of the structure
appears to have been given up.
Whispering Gallery - Located right under the dome and The Gol Gumbaz has one of the largest domes in the world.
running along the border of the dome, the acoustics of the The massive dome rests partially on the side walls and on
Whispering Gallery is such that even the faintest sound, the intersecting arches protruding outwards. The system of
echoes off the walls and the dome and can be heard supporting the dome on intersecting arches was something
everywhere, all the way 4 floors below! Each sound echoes the Bijapur masons were surprisingly familiar with as this
10 times and reverberates 26 times, the highest known system is almost unheard of elsewhere, the only other
count in any building! example being on a much smaller scale, in the sanctuary
cupola in the cathedral of Cordova in Spain, built some six
centuries earlier.
At the centre lie the graves of Muhammad Adil Shah and his family.
The exact position of the real tomb is indicated by the wooden canopy
kept on the high platform at the middle of the floor of the hall.
Ibrahim Rauza, Bijapur
•Mosque & Tomb combination
•110 m x 46 m compound
•35 m x 35 m tomb & mosque
•Large lawn – shades of Mughal gardens of the future
•Tomb surrounded by two concentric verandas
•4 minarets at corners topped by bulbous cupolas
•Parapet punctuated by turrets
•Deep chajja with multiple brackets
•Rhythm is the dominant design principle seen
•Dome raised by stylobate to give it height – viewing angle
•False ceiling introduced to control inner volume – floats over
2 m brackets – rich mix of mortar

History of Architecture - I 36
Ibrahim Rouza, Bijapur

History of Architecture - I 37
Ibrahim Rouza, Bijapur

History of Architecture - I 38
Ibrahim Rouza, Bijapur

History of Architecture - I 39
Ibrahim Rouza, Bijapur

History of Architecture - I 40
Ibrahim Rouza, Bijapur

History of Architecture - I 41
Ibrahim Rouza, Bijapur

History of Architecture - I 42
JAMI MASJID, BURHANPUR, M.P.
1588 AD
• The Jami Masjid of Burhanpur was begun by Adil
Shah Faruqi in 1588/996 AH, with later repairs
made by Akbar (r. 1556-1605/963-1013 AH) and
Aurangzeb (r. 1658-1707/1068-1118 AH).
• The plan is similar to the Bibi ki Masjid, with a
prayer hall of five by fifteen bays and seventeen
mihrab niches.
• The facade has fifteen pointed arches and is
flanked by two minarets, with little exterior
ornamentation.
• At a time it can accommodate approximately 500
people during the religious gatherings.
• The main gateway is towards the east direction.
• Its 12 feet high doors belong to times of Jahangir.
• Another gateway ahead of the initial gateway
was built by Begum of Bhopal in 1898.
• There are 2 hauzs or artificial water pools in the
court.
BIBI KI MASJID
Burhanpur, M.P.

•The Bibi ki Masjid was possibly built by

the wife of Sultan Adil Shah Faruqi II (d.
1520/926 AH) in the nine years after his
death, or is alternately dated to ca.
1590/998 AH.
•The prayer hall is five by fifteen aisles,
with large domes covering open spaces at
the north and south ends.
•The exterior facade has five arches, with
the central arch wider than those on its
sides.
•Large square minarets flank the facade.
• The walls of the courtyard are ruined
and the entrance gate is closed.