MOGHUL INDIAN ART

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MOGHUL INDIAN ART
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Moghul Dynasty1526-1856

• In 1526, the Moghul dynasty established itself in
  what is now northern India and modern Pakistan.
  They unified the many small states held by
  different kings.
• The arts flourished in the first 150 years of
  their rule. A combination of Persian, Islamic,
  and Hindu influences combined with strong
  financial support for artisans.
• Well focus on three areas miniature paintings,
  architecture, and the Taj Mahal.
• As the map shows, India was broken up into
  different states at the time, only one of which
  was run by the Moghul Emperors. The Moghuls were
  largely Muslim, unlike southern India, which was
  Hindu.

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Miniature Paintings

• The goal of painting in this era was to show an
  object as realistically as possible--remember,
  this was centuries before the camera was
  invented.
• Prior to then, much Indian art was very symbolic,
  with most objects standing for something
  else--for example, a flower might symbolize a
  particular goddess. In Moghul art, the objects
  are exactly what they appear to be.
• What do you see in this picture?

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Tiger Hunt

• This picture--which is only 2 x 3 inches in real
  life (about the size of a playing card)--shows a
  maharaja on a tiger hunt.
• Note how the different types of trees are painted
  in their own colors and shapes.
• Note how the sky has been carefully painted to
  reflect both the sun and the movement of the
  clouds.
• What weapon is being used? What does the artist
  want you to think about the king? Is he
  powerful? Brave?

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Court Paintings

• These pictures show the extreme detail in these
  works. Each piece of cloth, plant or chair is
  exquisitely unique.
• Note how the more powerful courtiers and royalty
  are shown higher up in the picture to show their
  status.
• Each picture measures approximately 3 x 4 inches.
• What do you think of the color? Do you like
  these paintings? Why?

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Agra FortBuilt in 1558 by Akbar
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Agra Fort

• Really a walled city, Agra was the capital of the
  empire for over 200 years. It contained the
  state mint and treasury.
• Akbar, pictured here, covered the building with
  red sandstone over a brick core. It took 1.5
  million workers over 8 years to complete the 500
  original buildings.
• This painting shows a falcon, a traditional bird
  of prey. Why would the artist have put it in
  this picture? What else tells you the person has
  high status?

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Sheesh Mahal

• Originally the Royal Dressing Room, the builders
  used tiny mirror-like glass mosaics. The mosaics
  shimmer and reflect their own light.
• Built on a river, the fort has rings of living
  space, with the innermost space reserved for the
  king and his court. The most private areas are
  the most ornate.
• The fort was built before modern engines or
  machines. How do you think the artisans got
  their materials?

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Delhi Gate

• Each of the four gates to the complex is entered
  after passing over a drawbridge. Once through
  the initial entrance, there is a 90 degree turn
  to actually enter the facility.
• It was built that way as a defensive measure. At
  that time, elephants were used to crash gates
  during war and this design prevented made it
  impossible to use the animals.

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Taj Mahal
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A Love Letter in Stone

• Shah Jahan ordered the building of the Taj as a
  burial site for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
  She died while giving birth to their 14th child!
• Both Shah Jahan and Mumtaz are actually buried in
  the building, though not in the sarcophogi that
  are on public view.
• The top picture is of Mumtaz, while the bottom is
  of Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal is now in the city
  of Agra, India and is right across the river
  from the Red Fort we just looked at.

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A World Treasure

• Perfectly symmetrical, a base supports a minaret
  at each corner. The main chamber holds the two
  false sarcophagi.
• The reflecting pool on this side is echoed by the
  river on the other side.
• The building has been declared a World Heritage
  Site and is one of the most recognizable
  buildings in the world.
• Does this feel like a place of solemnity and
  thought?

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Mosaics galore

• The building is faced in white marble and inlaid
  with 28 different types of stone--including
  valuable precious gemstones.
• Carving, pierced screens, and calligraphy cover
  virtually every surface, though all with an eye
  to natural beauty. Over 20,000 artisans worked
  to create the effect. Its said that it has been
  in constant repair since being built.

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Calligraphy

• What might look like scribbling is actually
  Arabic, the written language of the Moghul
  empire. Shah Jahan picked out lines from the
  Qur-an, the holy book of Islam.
• The writing is in black jasper, a hard stone,
  inlaid into the white marble.
• The writing gets larger as it gets higher so it
  remains readable.

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Carving, too!

• This kind of carving is called bas relief. It
  gives the feel of a three dimensional object on a
  two dimensional surface.
• Because Islam didnt allow the representation of
  people, the ornamentation through out the
  building is of plants, flowers, and decorative
  patterns.
• What do you think of the carving? Think of the
  work that went into each step of this small
  detail of the building.

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Mosque

• On either side of the Taj Mahal, and rarely shown
  in its pictures, are two large red sandstone
  buildings.
• One is a Mosque, the other a receiving building
  and exactly mirror each other and are open to the
  Taj Mahal, which lies between.
• The smaller onion domes and black inlays are more
  sober than in their famous neighbor.
• What do you think of the domes? Do you like how
  this looks?

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Shah Jahan

• After the completion of the Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan
  was overthrown by his son and locked up in the
  Agra Fort.
• He spent the rest of his life a prisoner in an
  apartment at the Fort.
• His room had a perfect view of the Taj Mahal
  across the river.
• These pictures show the Taj Mahal being built.
• Moghul art and architecture beautifully showcase
  the value the society placed on the arts.