Class 7 History Notes - Rulers and Buildings

Introduction

Built by Qutbuddin Aybak around 1199, the Qutb Minar features intricate patterns on its first balcony, adorned with small arches and Arabic inscriptions. The curved and angular surface posed challenges for inscription placement.

Qutb Minar

Structures (8th-18th Centuries): In this period, kings constructed two types of structures – grand forts, palaces, and tombs, and public places like temples, mosques, wells, and bazaars. These constructions aimed to showcase care for subjects. Merchants contributed to smaller structures, with large merchant mansions (havelis) becoming common only in the eighteenth century.

Engineering Skills and Construction

Monuments offer insights into historical construction techniques. An example is Roof construction, which involves placing beams or a stone slab across four walls. Complexity arises when creating large rooms with intricate structures, requiring advanced skills.

Evolution of Architectural Styles (7th to 10th centuries): Architects started adding more elements to buildings, such as rooms, doors, and windows. Construction continued using the "trabeate" or "corbelled" style. In this style, roofs, doors, and windows were made by placing a horizontal beam across two vertical columns.

Widespread Use of Trabeate Style (8th to 13th centuries): The trabeate style persisted in constructing various structures. Notable examples include temples, mosques, tombs, and buildings associated with large stepped wells (baolis). This style characterized the architectural landscape during this period.

Temple Construction in the Early Eleventh Century

The Kandariya Mahadeva temple, devoted to Shiva, was built in 999 by King Dhangadeva of the Chandela dynasty. 

Kandariya Mahadeva temple

• The temple plan included an ornate gateway leading to an entrance and the main hall (mahamandapa) for dances. 
• The chief deity's image was placed in the main shrine (garbhagriha), reserved for ritual worship attended only by the king, his immediate family, and priests.
• This temple was part of the Khajuraho complex, where common people were not allowed. The temples were adorned with intricately carved sculptures.

The Rajarajeshvara temple at Thanjavur had the tallest tower (shikhara) among temples of its time. 

Region and Empire 

During the period from the 8th to the 18th centuries, as construction activities increased, there was a significant exchange of ideas among different regions. Traditions from one area influenced and were adopted by others, fostering a blend of architectural styles.

Interior of the temple of Govind Deva in Vrindavan, 1590 

1. Influence of Regional Styles:
   • In Vijayanagara, the elephant stables of the rulers were influenced by the architectural style of the nearby Sultanates of Bijapur and Golconda.
   • Temples in Vrindavan, near Mathura, mirrored the architectural styles of Mughal palaces in Fatehpur Sikri.
     
     Decorated pillars and struts holding the extension of the roof in Jodh Bai Palace in Fatehpur Sikri
2. Impact of Large Empires: 
   • The formation of expansive empires, which ruled over diverse regions, facilitated the cross-fertilization of artistic forms and architectural styles.
   • Mughal rulers, especially, demonstrated skill in incorporating various regional architectural styles into their constructions.
3. Adaptation of Styles:
   • Mughals adapted regional architectural styles to build their structures. For instance, in Bengal, they admired the local "Bangla dome," designed to resemble a thatched hut, and incorporated it into their architecture.
   • In Akbar's capitalFatehpur Sikri, buildings reflected the influence of architectural styles from Gujarat and Malwa.

Even as the authority of the Mughal rulers declined in the 18th century, the architectural styles developed under their patronage continued to be used and adapted by subsequent rulers whenever they established their kingdom.