One of the prominent feature of Mughal architecture directly related to defence are kanguras, or battlements.Kanguras were not a Mughal invention; they had been around for centuries in India before Babar arrived. In fact, kanguras—in the form of roughly triangular or rectangular shapes—can be seen crowning the walls of early medieval forts in Delhi, including Tughlaqabad.Well before the Mughals took over, kanguras had become decorative elements of architecture.This is why rows of kanguras can be seen in buildings of a very varied nature, all the way from mosques to tombs, sarais, and (of course), forts and palaces.{ Kanguras (battlements) atop the main gate of the Agra Fort.}Another architectural element that had been in use long before the Mughal period was the Pishtaq, or niche . At its most basic, this is a quadrilateral shelf-like niche let into a wall.These started off (like the kanguras and damaagas) as a practical element of architecture: Pishtaqs could be used as a shelf, to store items, and to hold lamps to illuminate a chamber.Unlike kanguras or damaagas, however, pishtaqs retained their functionality, as a receptacle for lamps.{This row of Pishtaqs at the Red Fort are in front of the Rang Mahal.}In pre-Mughal Delhi, for example, Pishtaqs were very common as a form of decoration in mosques. (especially during the era of the Lodhi Sultans).An example of a highly ornate Pishtaq, from the Lodhi-era mosque at Bada Gumbad (Delhi) and Isa Khan's Tomb in Nizamuddin (Delhi). One interesting example of Pishtaqs fulfilling both functional and decorative roles is in garden pavilions. For example, at the Saawan and Bhaadon pavilions in the Hayat Baksh Bagh (at the Red Fort), a series of Pishtaqs carved from white marble cover the front part of the platform.During the heyday of the Mughals, these Niches used to hold silver vases filled with golden flowers during the day, and burning lamps at night: a pretty sight indeed.{In Delhi's Hayat Baksh Bagh, a view of cusped arches and a chadar, at one of the garden pavilions.}Garden pavilions also often incorporated another important feature of Mughal architecture, the Chadar.A Chadar is a stone slope which acts as the bed for a water channel when it descends from a higher level to a lower one.The chadar is lightly carved with a pattern of shallow scallops or similar repetitive patterns.Water flowing over these ripples pleasingly.{A Chadar - a carved slope for a water channel - at Red Fort and Isa Khan's Tomb.}Lastly, one architectural feature that is not just typically Mughal, but can actually be traced back quite specifically to Shahjahan’s reign.This is the ‘ Daantedaar Mihrab ’, also known as the denticular arch , the scalloped arch , or the cusped arch , because it consists of a series of semi-circular scallop-like cut-outs that form the inside of the arch.{An example of a cusped arch - at Safdarjang's tomb, Humayun's Tomb.}Some believe that Shahjahan himself invented the daantedaar mihrab ; at any rate, it is also commonly called a Shahjahani arch.
Humayun's tomb (Persian: آرامگاه همایون Maqbara e Humayun Turkish : Hümayun Kabri ) is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun in Delhi , India . The tomb was commissioned by Humayun's son Akbar) in 1569-70, and designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, a Persian architect chosen by Bega Begum.It was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent, and is located in Nizamuddin East, Delhi, India, close to the Dina-panah citadel also known as Purana Qila (Old Fort)that Humayun founded in 1533.The Islamic rule in India saw the introduction of many new elements in the building style also. This was very much distinct from the already prevailing building style adopted in the construction of temples and other secular architecture.The main elements in the Islamic architecture is the introduction of arches and beams, and it is the arcuate style of construction while the traditional Indian building style is trabeate, using pillars and beams and lintels. The early buildings of the Slave dynasty did not employ true Islamic building styles and consisted of false domes and false arches.Later, the introduction of true arches and true domes start to appear, the earliest example is the Alai Darwaza by the side of Qutb Minar.The different religious beliefs are also reflected in the mode of construction and architectural styles. The Islamic style also incorporated many elements from the traditional Indian style and a compound style emanated.The introduction of decorative brackets, balconies, pendentive decorations, etc in the architecture is an example in this regard. The other distinguishing features of Indo-Islamic architecture are the utilisation of kiosks (chhatris), tall towers (minars) and half-domed double portals. As human worship and its representation are not allowed in Islam, the buildings and other edifices are generally decorated richly in geometrical and arabesque designs.These designs were carved on stone in low relief, cut on plaster, painted or inlaid.The use of lime as mortar was also a major element distinct from the traditional building style.The tomb architecture is also another feature of the Islamic architecture as the practice of the burial of the dead is adopted.The general pattern of the tomb architecture is consisted of a domed chamber (hujra), a cenotaph in its centre with a mihrab on the western wall and the real grave in the underground chamber.To this general tomb architecture, the Mughals added a new dimension by introducing gardens all around the tomb. The Mughal tombs are generally placed at the centre of a huge garden complex, the latter being sub-divided into square compartments, the style is known as char-bagh. The Mughals also built large gardens in various levels and terraces on the char-bagh pattern. Scholars trace the evolution of the char-bagh pattern of gardening to the original land of the Mughals, the Kabul Valley, where depending upon the landscape and terrain, gardens and residential complexes were laid out. The Mughals inherited this garden type and superbly transformed it according to the new terrains in India. Thus, evolved a transformed style of char-bagh pattern of gardening.The Mughals are also credited to have introduced the double dome system of dome architecture and the pietra-dura style of inlay decorations. source: Archaeological Society of India.
