Babur's Architecture
In AD 1526, Babur captured Delhi and Agra by defeating Ibrahim Lodi in the first battle of Panipat. After this Babur established the Mughal Sultanate in India by winning the battles of Khanwa, Chanderi and Ghaghra. He could reign in India for only four years. In such a short time, he could not even organize his kingdom properly, so it was difficult to even think of building a building. Still Babur did some demolition and some construction in India.
Babur did not like the buildings built in Delhi and Agra by the Turk and Afghan sultans. During that period, only the palaces of Gwalior remained as beautiful examples of Hindu art. Although according to Babur, no definite rules and plans were followed in their construction, yet they appeared to Babur to be beautiful and heartfelt. Babur built palaces for himself on the imitation of Gwalior.
Babar himself has written in praise of himself that 'I used the stones in the construction work at places named Agra, Sikri, Bayana, Dholpur, Gwalior and Kol.'
Satish Chandra has written- 'The most important aspect of architecture for Babur was the rule of law and homogeneity which he did not see in Indian buildings. Babur was eager to work with Indian artists. For this work he called the disciples of the famous Albanian artist Sinan. Babur did not get time to do much in the field of architecture in India and most of the buildings he built are now destroyed.'
Babur had either made small constructions like pavilions, baths, wells, ponds and fountains by not making big constructions i.e. palaces and forts at places like Agra, Sikri, Bayana etc. or else the buildings built by Babur did not prove to be strong. Because at present, except the huge mosque of Kabuli Bagh in Panipat and Jama Masjid of Sambhal in Rohilkhand, no building built by Babur is available. Either they were not built or all those buildings have been destroyed due to poor quality.
Although the mosque of Kabuli Bagh of Panipat and the mosque of Rohilkhand are large enough compositions, there is no beauty of craft, architecture and architecture in them. Babar himself has admitted about these two buildings that their style was completely Indian. Here the Indian style refers to the Pathan style of the Delhi Sultanate period preceding the Mughals. Babur did not get skilled craftsmen who could build buildings like Samarkand in India. Neither did Babur have so much money and so much time that he could get the buildings constructed.
Babar's Shia general Mir Baqi built the 'janmasthanam' of Lord Rama in Ayodhya Demolishing the temple, erected a structure from the same material as 'Masjid-Janmasthanam' in Mughal records where did it go. Mir Baqi got two inscriptions erected on this structure. Due to the mention of Babur's name in these inscriptions, this structure is called 'Babri-Masjid' in the language of the common man. began to be called.
This structure was demolished in the year 1992 in a mass movement. In AD 1528, Babur got the Arambagh Tha constructed in Agra. It is the oldest Mughal garden in India. Various types of geometric compositions have been made in this garden. This garden is surrounded by a high boundary wall with pillared pavilions on the corner bastions. There is a high stone platform in the middle of the two-storey buildings on the bank of the river.
Jahangir made some changes in the structures of this garden. Some new constructions were also done during the British rule. There is another platform on the north-eastern side of this monument from which there is a way to the hammam. The roof of the hammam is vaulted. Water was drawn from the river through wide canals, cisterns and springs flowing from one platform to the other platform.
Babur built Jama Masjid in the Lodi Fort of Agra. He wanted to build such buildings on the border of Rajputana which are cold. Therefore, by his order some buildings were constructed in Agra, Sikri, Bayana, Dholpur, Gwalior and other cities which are no longer left. The ruins of Babur's buildings can be seen near Kamaltal located outside the city of Dholpur. This Kamalatal was present when Babur reached Dholpur for the battle of Khanwa.
Humayun Carpet Architecture
Babur's son Nasiruddin Muhammad Humayun started the construction of a new city named Dinpanah on the banks of Yamuna in Delhi in AD 1533. This city was built on the exact same place where the Pandavas' capital Indraprastha was located. Mauryan and Gupta coins, idols and utensils etc. have been found from this complex and an ancient temple of Lord Shiva has also been found which is called the temple of Kunti.
Humayun built some palaces for himself in a city called Dinpanah. In the construction of these palaces, more attention was paid to the strength of the buildings than to the architectural beauty. When Sher Shah Suri dissolved Humayun's kingdom in AD 1540, Sher Shah destroyed Dinpanah and built a new fort in its place, which is now called the Old Fort of Delhi.
Inside the Dinpanah there is a building called Shermandal. It was built by Humayun as a library for himself. In the time of Sher Shah Suri, it came to be known as Shermandal. It is an octagonal and two-storeyed building, which is erected in the shape of a tower on a low height platform. Red sandstone has been used in its construction.
Humayun had built a mosque in Agra, only the ruins of which remain. Its minarets are also often demolished, due to which its architectural features cannot be understood. Humayun also built a mosque in Fatehabad town of Hisar which is called Humayun Masjid. Humayun built this mosque near the lot built by Firoz Shah Tughq, the Sultan of Delhi.
The mosque has a long square. To the west of this mosque there is a curtain made of Lakhori bricks on which there is an arch. It has an inscription praising Emperor Humayun. This mosque started to be built in AD 1529 but was left incomplete due to the departure of Humayun from India. When Humayun returned in AD 1555, its construction was completed.