Tag: forts and temples in medieval period

Jama Masjid and Qutub Minar, the two heritage sights of India are located in Delhi, the capital city of India.

• Jama Masjid: It is one of the largest mosques in India and was built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan. 
  
• Qutub Minar: One of the tallest Minar or pillar built by Qutb-Ud-Din Aibak, founder of the Delhi Sultanate.
  

It was during Shah Jahan's reign that the different elements of Mughal architecture were fused together in a grand harmonious synthesis. His reign witnessed a huge amount of construction activity especially in Agra and Delhi. The ceremonial halls of public and private audience (diwan-i khas or aam) were carefully planned. These courts were also described as chihil sutun or forty-pillared halls, placed within a large courtyard. 

Limestone cement was increasingly used in construction. This was very high-quality cement, which, when mixed with stone chips hardened into concrete. This made the construction of large structures easier and faster. Arches, domes and limestone mortar were used extensively in buildings after 1190 AD.

Between the eighth and thirteenth centuries, trabeate style of architecture came to be used extensively. Example of such a structure include Quwwat-al-Islam mosque at Delhi. A trabeate structure is a building where strong horizontal elements are held up by strong vertical elements with large spaces between them.

Trabeate is also known as Corbelled style of architecture. Trabeate style is a type of construction in which the roof is supported by beams placed on pillars. This construction can be found usually in old temples and Masjids.

Monuments provide an insight into the technologies used for construction. Take something like a roof for example. We can make this by placing wooden beams or a slab of stone across four walls. But the task becomes difficult if we want to make a large room with an elaborate superstructure something which is seen in a monument. This requires more sophisticated skills.

By 1200 AD, the temples had become elaborate institutions which employed hundreds of artisans, dancers, musicians, priests, administrators, servants, etc. They collected taxes from the villages, lent money on interest to traders, etc. organized fairs and markets to which thronged buyers and sellers of goods. These temples thus became centers of political and economic power.

Between the 7th and 10th centuries architects started adding more rooms, doors and windows to buildings. Roofs, doors and windows were still made by placing a horizontal beam across two vertical columns, a style of architecture called trabeate or corbelled like earlier times.

During the medieval time, it was widely believed that the rule of a just king would be an age of plenty when there was plenty of rainfall. At the same time, making precious water available by constructing tanks and reservoirs was highly praised. Sultan Iltutmish won universal respect for constructing a large reservoir just outside Dehli-i-Kuhna. It was called the Hauz-i-Sultani or the Kings Reservoir.