Mughal Architecture

Abstract This chapter concerns architecture produced by the imperial Mughals, their Rajput supporters and detractors, as well as some Mughal successor states, notably, the Nawabs of Bengal and Awadh. The material dates from the inception of Mughal rule in 1526 and extends through the demise of the Mughal dynasty in 1858. The chapter critically examines a wide range of structures from religious edifices, such as mosques, dargahs, and temples, to secular ones, including palaces, gardens, tombs, serais, and pleasure pavilions. It argues that until the mid-seventeenth century the Mughal emperors were the arbiters of taste, and the nobility often emulated imperial prototypes; but after this time, as the Mughal state became increasingly impoverished, nobles and the mercantile classes were the chief patrons of architecture. At this time, the rulers of Awadh and Bengal, who regarded classical Mughal architecture as a cultural apex, built structures indebted to this architectural tradition.