Question

in what ways were the monuments built during the sultanate period different from the earlier period

Answer 1

The architecture of the period of the Sultanate can be divided into three categories for the sake of convenience. First is the Delhi or the Imperial style of architecture which grew under the patronage of Sultans of Delhi. It includes all those buildings which were constructed by different Sultans. The other is provincial style of architecture which grew under the patronage of provincial ruling dynasties which were mostly Muslims.

The Imperial style, of course, influenced the style of provincial architecture, yet the provincial arts had their own different characteristics which assigned them different places. The third- Hindu architecture which mostly developed under Hindu kings of Rajasthan and the Vijayanagara empire.

Hindu architecture was also influenced by the Imperial style. The Hindus had already a well-developed style of their own prior to the coming of the Muslims in India. Therefore, features of their past style continued to be the governing factors of their style of architecture.

However, the distinction between these three styles of architecture is only for the sake of convenience of understanding. Otherwise, the period witnessed the growth of that style of architecture which, as a whole, can be called the Indo-Islamic architecture or the Indian architecture influenced by the Islamic art of architecture. This style of architecture was neither purely Islamic nor purely Hindu.

It was, rather, influenced by both the styles and therefore, fairly deserves to be called the Indian architecture of the period of the Sultanate. Iran and India had come into contact with each other much earlier and had influenced the architecture of each other. The Iranians, whatever they learnt from the Indian style, matured it and gave it a perfect Iranian style.

The Turks were influenced by that Iranian style of architecture and when they settled down in India they maintained its characteristics which were borrowed from the Indians to a certain extent. That is why one of the Christian Popes wrote- “India has proposed and Persia disposed, but what India gave, she received back in a new form that enabled her to pass to fresh architectural triumphs.”

Answer 2

The first major difference that lies between them is the fact that they both used different materials in building their monuments.

For instance the sultanate made use of the local stones from the Aravallis while the Mughals made use of red sandstone.

The Mughals made use of Kalamkari (a kind of intricate design pattern) while the Sultanate did not make use of anything so intricate making their monuments more bland.