CULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS

ART AND ARCHITECTURE Of all the provincial styles that developed in architecture in the mid-14th century, the Gujarat style is the most elegant. The Gujarat rulers evolved a synthesis of Islamic and Jain styles. The characteristic features of this style include extensive use of pillar-and­lintel system, device (a clerestory or wall with series of windows) to admit light into the central pan of the hall­type mosque, semi-circular engrailed arch on two pillars, systematic use of graceful minarets and heavily sculpted buttresses, rich and delicate jali in arches, windows, etc. and frequent use of balconied windows. Some fine examples of this style are the Rani Rupmati (c. 1460) mosque and the tomb and mosque of Rani Sabrai or Rani Sarai (1514).

In architecture, the Malwa style is essentially accuratj Some of its featun:s are the skilful and elegant use of arc1 with pillar and beam, lofty terraces approached by Well proportioned stairways, impressive and dignified size of buildings and their fine masonry, frequent use of dom cupolas round a central dome and restrained ornamentation with pleasing colQur decoration. The minaret is absent' this style. Some famous monuments of this style are Ashr Mahal, Hindola Mahal, Jahaz Mahal, Baz Bahadur's Palac the Nilkanth Palace and Kaliadeh Mahal.

The Sharqi Sultans of Jaunpur created a fine style' architecture which was marked by lofty gates and hug arches. It was deeply influenced by the buildings of th
Tughlaq period. I The Kashmir style of Indo-Islamic architecture is dif~ ferent from other provincial styles in the use of timber a~ the main building material and in its Buddhist influence! The Deccan developed a distinct architectural style nt the 14th to 17th century. The first phase of the Deccan style] shows Tughlaq influence. Later it was influenced by the] building art of Persia. Mahmud Gawan's madrasa in Persian, style at Bidar is noteworthy. But of the five successors tOI the Bahmanis in the Deccan, the most noteworthy architectural terms were the Adil Shahi and Qutb Shahi.

Features special to the Adil Shahi architectural style are the three-arched facade, the bulbous dome almost spherical in shape, the graceful, tall and slender minaret, frequent use I of a masonry pier of considerable size instead of a pillar, substantial bold, projecting chhajjas or cornices, and ceilings that seem to be built without any apparent support as the slabs of stones are bound together by iron clamps and strong mortar. Also typical is the richly artistic stucco or stone carving. Outstanding monuments of the Bijapur style are the mausoleum of Ibrahim Adil Shah and that of Muhammad Adil Shah or the Gol Gumbaz which is said to possess the largest single dome. Bijapur court paintings rose to great heights under Ibrahim Adil Shah. Ibrahim Adil Shah II was deeply interested in music. He invoked Saraswati in his songs. He compiled the Kitab-i-Nauras and built a new capital, Nauraspur.

The Golconda or Qutb Shahi style is noted for the design and luxuriant ornament in stucco of the facade of buildings including minars and parapets. The Hindu influ­ence in this style is evident in its motifs of decoration; the architectural forms and artistic devices are, however, Per­sian. Notable Qutb Shahi monuments include the tomb of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah and the stately gateway built by him, the Char Minar, in about 1591-92 in Hyderabad. In painting, the Golconda portraits show the royal taste in fruits and scented flowers.

The Vijayanagar rulers built numerous magnificent well-decorated palaces and temples. The Vitthalaswami I temple probably begun in 1513 and never completed is I considered the finest specimen of Vijayanagar architecture. It has the typical features such as the main temple's pillared halls, subsidiary shrines and elaborately decorated pillars. Other notable structures are the Hall of Dance at Lepakshi and the festival hall at Vellore.

While the grandeur of architecture dominates sculp­tural decoration in these Vijayanagar monuments, sculpture had an important part in the scheme of things. Sculptures of. this period are exemplified by large monolithic carvings. The reclining Nandi near the Lepakshi temple is believed to be the largest monolithic Nandi in the country. Even more impressive is a gigantic representation of seated 'Ugra Narsimha' at Vijayanagar.
The best preserved and famous paintings are those at the Virabhadra temple and the Lepakshi paintings, which are characterised by earth tones and the absence of primary colours in general. Realism does not seem to be the main concern in this painting style.

The Nayakas who rose on the fall of the Vijayanagar empire continued the artistic traditions of the Vijayanagar rulers. The most famous architectural landmark of the age is the Meenakshi-Sundareswara temple at Madurai, built largely in the time of Thirumala Nayak in mid-17th century. A major contribution of the Nayaka artists was the building of 'prakaramas', roofed ambulatory passageways, at many temples. Typically, a Nayaka 'prakarama' has massive col­umns with elaborate corbelled brackets and extensively carved (and sometimes painted) surfaces. One of the most famous of these passageways from the Nayaka period is at Rameswaram.


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