Provincial Architecture: Deccan
- Indo-Islamic architecture in the Deccan developed under the Bahmanis. Unlike the growth of other regional styles in north India, it appears to have largely overlooked the pre-Islamic, indigenous art traditions of the region.
- The Deccan style of architecture was essentially a fusion of two influences:
- The architectural system then in vogue at Delhi under the Sultans, particularly the Tughluq form.
- An entirely external source — the architecture of Persia.
Three Phases
- 1st Phase: Begins in 1347, with the capital city at Gulbarga.
- 2nd Phase: Begins in 1425, with the capital at Bidar.
- 3rd Phase: Begins in 1512, with the capital at Golconda, lasting until 1687, the year of the Mughal conquest.
Gulbarga
- For the most part, architecture at Gulbarga followed the contemporary Tughluq style of the North. The Jami Masjid (1367) inside the Gulbarga fort, however, stood apart as distinctly different and unique.
- It was conceived and designed by an ingenious 14th-century architect named Rafi, who had come from Persia, and was built during the reign of Muhammad Shah I.
- Unusually, the Jama Masjid at Gulbarga has no minarets, and is built entirely within the Gulbarga Fort.
- Its central design idea lay in reversing the conventional architectural principles of mosques with a courtyard — rather than an open courtyard, the space was filled with small cupolas supported by closely placed arches.
- Gulbarga Fort:
- The fort was originally built by Raja Gulchand, and was significantly enlarged in 1347 by Ala-ud-din Hasan Bahmani of the Bahmani dynasty, after he severed his ties with the Delhi Sultanate.
- Islamic monuments — mosques, palaces, tombs, and other structures — were subsequently built within the refurbished fort.
- The tomb of the Sufi saint Gesu Daraz, who arrived at Gulbarga in 1413, also stands within the fort. Its walls bear paintings, with the arches of the dargah reflecting Bahmani architectural style, while the paintings on the walls and ceiling display a fusion of Turkish and Irani artistic influence.
Bidar
- Bidar’s architecture featured large audience halls, hammams (steam baths), mosques, a madrasa, and royal tombs. The shift of the capital to Bidar largely eliminated the architectural influence of Delhi, giving way to a strong contemporary Iranian influence — though Indo-Islamic traditions were not abandoned altogether.
- Important features:
- Since colour was a defining characteristic of Iranian architecture, the palaces at Bidar display a brilliant scheme of coloured tiles and mural painting; the glazed tiles covering the exteriors were imported by sea from Iran.
- The buildings at Bidar also show a distinctive change in dome shape, with domes constricted at their lower contour — a feature that would later serve as the forerunner of the famous bulbous domes of the Mughals. The drums beneath these domes were made tall, so as to project the dome fully into view.
- Madrasa of Mahmud Gawan at Bidar:
- Mahmud Gawan built a magnificent madrasa (college) at the capital, Bidar — a fine building decorated with coloured tiles, standing three storeys high, with accommodation for a thousand teachers and students, who were provided free clothing and food.
- Some of the era’s most famous scholars from Iran and Iraq were drawn to this madrasa at Mahmud Gawan’s invitation.
The fall of the Bahmani Sultanate brought the first phase of the Deccan architectural style to a close. Under the Adil Shahi kingdom of Bijapur, a new phase began, carrying forward from where the Bahmanis had left off.
