User:Royroydeb/Draft

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Aurangzeb's reign was marked by mitical and political instability leading to the architecture under his reign being "largely ignored". Unlike the previous Mughal emperors who patroned the artists, he being a Sunni Muslim discouraged art as a result of which it declined under his reign.[1]

Hindu architecture[edit]

Being a staunch Muslim, Aurangzeb prohibited the building of new temples and he himself is said to destroy many of them.[2] Contemporary court writing reports that he destroyed "63 temples at Chittor" and "razed 66 temples of Amber". He demolished the "newly revamped" temple of Somnath. He also vandalized the Keshav Dev Temple of Mathura.[3] Aurangzeb built the Gyanvapi Mosque by destroying the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, whose foundations are still visible.[4]

Though he did not encourage the building of new Hindu temples, but he is believed to have helped financially to build several new one.[5] This was either done to protect the rights of the Hindus or to reward Hindu nobleman at his service.[6]

Structures Built[edit]

Contemporary historians report that Aurangzeb not only maintained and renovated Mughal mosques but also those built during other reings like Lodi and Tughlaq.[7] Lacking an "imperial patron", the buildings built by Aurangzeb had motifs belonging to Shah Jahan's reign.[8] After defeating the Marathas, he often built a mosque in the captured fort, serving the twin purpose of "religious fervor and the symbol of Mughal conquest". The mosques were built of "locally available materials".[6]

Moti Masjid[edit]

Moti Masjid

Aurangzeb built the Moti Masjid in around 1602. It is a former private mosque of Aurangzeb, for praying five times during the day. The domes are "out of scale" because they are "too bulbous" beside possessing overemphasised finials.[9]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Thorpe, p.1.78
  2. ^ Thorpe, p.1.73
  3. ^ Ahamkaari, p.233
  4. ^ Betts and McCulloch, p.108
  5. ^ Asher, p.253
  6. ^ a b Asher, p.255
  7. ^ Waqi'at-i'Alamgiri, Aqil Khan Razi, p.45
  8. ^ Asher, p.252
  9. ^ Allen, p.423

References[edit]

  • Catherine Blanshard Asher. Architecture of Mughal India. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521267281. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  • Showick Thorpe. GS Paper -I. Pearson. ISBN 9789332517769. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  • Ahamkaari. Will I Be Killed: For Writing the Following Contents. iUniverse. ISBN 9780595275915. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  • Vanessa Betts and Victoria McCulloch. Delhi to Kolkata Footprint Focus Guide. Footprint Travel Guides. ISBN 978-1-909268-40-1. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  • Margaret Prosser Allen. Ornament in Indian Architecture. University of Delaware Press. ISBN 9780874133998. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
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