New Delhi: The Mughal Empire ruled India for more than 200 years and they left their mark on every sphere of the society. They transformed the Indian subcontinent and the lives of people from the time of Babur to the reign of Aurangzeb and even later during the rule of the weaker Mughal Emperors before the emergence of the British Raj. The Mughals were massive patrons of art and architecture. Hence, it is of little wonder that there are several monuments in India which have withstood the test of time to become the testament of the Mughal culture. In this article, we will take a look at some of the famous Mughal monuments that one should see at least once in life.
Famous Mughal monuments one should see once in life
Taj Mahal
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built the ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra to house the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, his beloved wife. The Taj Mahal also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan. The tomb is located in the middle of a complex, which also has a guest house and a mosque and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall. In 1983, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being “the jewel of Islamic art in India”.
Humayun’s Tomb
It is the tomb of the second Mughal Emperor, Humayun. His first wife and chief consort, Empress Bega Begum commissioned the tomb and Mirak Mirza Ghiyas and his son Sayyid Muhammad designed it. It was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent and was also the first structure to use red sandstone at such a scale. The tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
Red Fort
The Red Fort in Delhi was the Mughal Emperors’ main residence till 1857. It was constructed by Shah Jahan who commissioned it after deciding to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. Architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori designed it. The fort represents a high point in the Mughal architecture under Shah Jahan. The construction of the fort combines Persian palace architecture with indigenous Indian traditions.
Fatehpur Sikri
Mughal Emperor Akbar founded Fatehpur Sikri, a town near Agra in 1571. He made it the capital of the Mughal Empire and it served in that role from 1571 to 1585. It was abandoned by Akbar due to a campaign in Punjab and was later completely abandoned in 1610. After Akbar’s victorious Gujarat campaign in 1573, the city came to be known as Fatehpur Sikri, the “City of Victory”. In 1986, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Jama Masjid
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan constructed the Jama Masjid in Delhi between 1644 and 1656. It was located in the Mughal capital of Shahjahanabad which is known today as Old Delhi. The Masjid was the imperial mosque of the Mughal emperors until 1857 when the empire was officially disbanded. The Jama Masjid was regarded as a symbolic gesture of Islamic power across India, well into the colonial era.
The Mughals were massive patrons of art and architecture. Hence, it is of little wonder that there are several monuments in India which have withstood the test of time to become the testament of the Mughal culture. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
