LECTURE 08

PROVINCE OF BENGAL:
FEUDALISM IN EAST INDIA
AD 1305 - AD 1500

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

CONTENT
PART A: CONTEXT
1. INITIATION AND DEVELOPMENT
2. GENESIS OF IDEOLOGY
3. BUILDING TYPOLOGY
4. SPATIAL ORGANIZATION
5. ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS
6. BUILDING CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS

PART B: RELEVANT BUILDING EXAMPLES

PART C: EXAMPLES FROM PRESENT PERIOD
PART D: LEARNINGS FROM THE LECTURE
AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

EXPECTED LEARNING
OUTCOME
The students are expected to understand the impact of
change in social,
political and local context on
development of Islamic Architecture in all Indian
Provinces

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

ASSIGNMENT
TUTORIAL 07
Location affects the architectural style. Elaborate
with reference to Provincial Style of Bengal
REPORT 03
A-2 size Report on Province of Bengal with a critical
review on impact of building material on spatial
organization of built form(s)

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

1. INITIATION &
DEVELOPMENT
Province of Bengal, 1000 miles from Malwa, earliest to
capitulate to the powers of Islam, almost 100 years earlier
than Malwa
Capital cities of Gaur and Pandua
Geographical locations of Bengal and Bihar gave way to
Muslim invaders to capture these regions, Ganga
afforded a direct means of communication
Muslim governor of slave dynasty conquered Bengal in
early thirteenth century

Tribeni at Hooghly district: earliest centers of power

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

2. GENESIS OF
IDEOLOGY
Construction activities in rain deluged, flood devastated,
bamboo forested plains of Bengal proved out to be
difficult
Readymade supply of building materials from extant
temples was also missing
Only few places of worship built in stone

Reassembled Mosque didnt form the foundation of

Islamic Architecture in Bengal
Locally available material governed the designers skill to
create the monuments
AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

3. BUILDING TYPOLOGY
MOSQUE

TOMB
GATEWAY
MINARET

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

4. SPATIAL
ORGANIZATION
Brick as a building
material restricted
the
space
and
volume of buildings
Sizes of column
free spaces in case
of
columnar
construction
was
reduced
in
comparison
to
contemporary
provincial styles
AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

5. ARCHITECTURAL
ELEMENTS
Bangladhar
Roof
Drop Arch
Brick Domes
Pointed Vault
Rectangular
Courtyards

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

6. BUILDING
CONSTRUCTION &
MATERIALS
Islamic structures till later
stages, combination of stocky
basalt columns from Hindu
Temples and superstructure of
arched brick vaults and domes
Typical basalt column planted in
interior
of
the
building,
supplemented with voluminous
quantities of new brick walls
with small pointed arched
openings

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

PART B: RELEVANT
BUILDING EXAMPLES
ADINA MASJID, PANDUA
EKLAKHI TOMB
DAKHIL DARWAZA
FEROZE MINAR

GUMNAT MASJID
CHHOTA SONA MASJID
BARA SONA MASJID

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

ADINA MASJID, PANDUA

Sultan Sikander Shah proclaimed freedom from Slave
Dynasty with new capital at Pandua, new Jami Masjid:
Adina Masjid
Entire edifice: 507 ft. X 285 ft., courtyard 400ft. X 154 ft.
Rectangular courtyard instead of sq., longer side faced
west
Roofed worship halls convenient for climate at Pandua
Three - five aisled enclosures around courtyard, 260
basalt pillars, roofed with 378 brick domes
Impressive 70 ft. deep pointed vault over central part of
liwan, span 34 ft. supported on walls perforated with five
aches each
Apex of the vault at a height of over 50 ft., now in ruins
AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

ADINA MASJID.

THE CRUMBLED RUINS OF THE NORTHERN

LIWAN

BASALT PILLARS
PLAN OF ADINA MASJID
AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

ADINA MASJID.

CENTRAL NAVE AND MAIN MIHRAB. THE BARREL VAULT HAS COLLAPSED
AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

ADINA MASJID.

ONE OF THE MIHRAB NAVES WITH "LAMP" MOTIF DECORATIONS

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

EKLAKHI TOMB, PANDUA

Earliest monument with seeds of originality, 75 sq. ft.
mausoleum
Inspirations from immediate environment, traditional
Bengal roof of bamboo and thatch with camber
Cube & hemisphere", modified with slope in roof to
throw off rainwater
Slope of the roof in the bow like formation of the
parapets: outstanding feature of Islamic Architecture in
Bengal
Brick masonry with exposed brick fixed in bands to
define door jambs and architraves, panels of cut and
embossed brick depicting blind windows
Panels planted in tiers, appearance of three storied
structure.
AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

EKLAKHI TOMB.
Surface treatment suggestive of framework of traditional
wood and wattle hut.
Tomb Entrances marked by stone gateways from Hindu
temple.
Interior is a massive concentric octagon of masonry to
support modest plain hemispherical dome of same
diameter.
Builders were not equipped with const. techniques of
arched or pendentives Squinches
Architectural style prevailed in structuring of tombs,
mosques, minarets and gateways

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

EKLAKHI TOMB.

PLAN OF EKLAKHI TOMB

VIEW OF EKLAKHI TOMB

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

CITY OF GAUR
Situated on narrow strip of land between Mahanadi and
Ganga, capital of Haji Illiash fro 1442.
ASI conserved the structures of Gaur, monuments
present today are
Dakhil Darwaza (AD 1465),
Gumnat Masjid (AD 1484),
Feroze Minar (AD 1488),
Chhota Sona Masjid (AD 1510),
Bara Sona Masjid (AD 1526).

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

DAKHIL DARWAZA
Gateway, Built by Barbak Shah.

75 ft. wide, 60 ft. high with central vaulted passage 13 ft.

wide.
Series of guard rooms on either side of it.
Entrance faade in Tughlaq Style, two circular tapering
turrets planted on either side of a lofty pointed archway.
Ornamentation in terracotta, motifs such as flaming suns,
rosettes, hanging lamps, fretted borders, decorative
niches etc.
Regional form of ornamentation applied to bare, militant
appearance of Tughlaq architecture.
AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

DAKHIL DARWAZA.

PLAN OF DAKHIL DARWAZA

VIEW OF DAKHIL DARWAZA

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

FEROZE MINAR
Inspired by Qutub at Delhi,
victory tower 83 ft. high.
Model : one of the flanking
towers of Dakhil Darwaza

Standing on high artificial

mounds, five storied towers
Lower three 20 ft. in diameter
with twelve sides, upper two
circular in plan
Cupola at apex over an open
room, now vanished
Blue glazed tiles decorated
the bands of terracotta

FEROZE MINAR

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

GUNMAT MASJID
Mode of construction and planning modified in Bengal
mosque, due to heavy rainfall
Masjid consisted of a hall 140 ft. X 60 ft., with cloisters
and central vault

Outer peripheral wall of massive brick masonry,

readymade stone columns planted in central portion
Over these were erected brick arches to create square
bays supporting series of domes

PLAN OF GUNMAT
MASJID
AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

CHOTA SONA MASJID

Rectangular plan of
82 ft. X 52.5 ft.
15
cupolas
supported
over
eight columns
Outer
brick
masonry perforated
by Bengali Drop
Arch
Drop Arch, pointed
arch, starting center
below
springing
point

DROP ARCH

PLAN OF CHOTA SONA MASJID

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

CHOTA SONA MASJID.

VIEW OF CHOTA SONA MASJID

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

BADA SONA MASJID

176.5ft. X 162.5 ft., inner liwan along eastern periphery.
Gilt applied to its central Bengali roof-like cupola.

VIEW OF BADA SONA MASJID

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

QADAM RASUL
63 X 50 ft., inner compartment surrounded on three
sides by a continuous corridor
Four basalt columns from Hindu temples were available
Substantial structure in brick, flaccid & formless

PLAN OF QADAM RASUL

VIEW OF QADAM RASUL

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

PART C:
CONTEMPORARY
EXAMPLES

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

PART C:
CONTEMPORARY
EXAMPLES

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

PART C:
CONTEMPORARY
EXAMPLES

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

PART C:
CONTEMPORARY
EXAMPLES

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16

PART D:
LEARNINGS FROM
LECTURE
Locally available
material
and
climate
influences
the
architectural
style

AR. SONIA MAHESHWARI; FOD @ MUJ; ACADEMIC SESSION 2015-16