Vijayanagara Empire

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vijayanagara_architecture Introduction The Vijayanagara Empire was an empire based in South India, in the Deccan Plateau region. It was established in 1336 by Harihara I and his brother Bukka Raya I of Sangama Dynasty and Kuruba Gowda lineage. The empire rose to prominence as a culmination of attempts by the southern powers to ward off Islamic invasions by the end of the 13th century. It lasted until 1646 although its power declined after a major military defeat in 1565 by the Deccan sultanates. The empire is named after its capital city of Vijayanagara, whose ruins surround present day Hampi, now a World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India. Archaeological excavations at Vijayanagara have revealed the empire's power and wealth. The empire's legacy includes many monuments spread over South India, the best known of which is the group at Hampi. The previous temple building traditions in South India came together in the Vijayanagara Architecture style. The mingling of all faiths and vernaculars inspired architectural innovation of Hindu temple construction, first in the Deccan and later in the Dravidian idioms using the local granite. Secular royal structures show the influence of the Northern Deccan Sultanate architecture. Efficient administration and vigorous overseas trade brought new technologies such as water management systems for irrigation. The empire's patronage enabled fine arts and literature to reach new heights in the languages of Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Sanskrit, while Carnatic music evolved into its current form. The Vijayanagara Empire created an epoch in South Indian history that transcended regionalism by promoting Hinduism as a unifying factor. Art and Architecture Vijayanagara architecture is a vibrant combination of the Chalukyan, Hoysalan, Pandyan and Cholan styles that prospered in previous centuries. Its legacy of sculpture, architecture and painting influenced the development of the arts long after the empire came to an end. Its stylistic hallmark is the ornate pillared Kalyanamantapa (marriage hall), Vasanthamantapa (open pillared halls) and the Rayagopura (tower). Artisans used the locally available hard granite because of its durability since the kingdom was under constant threat of invasion. While the empire's monuments are spread over the whole of Southern India, nothing surpasses the vast open air theatre of monuments at its capital at Vijayanagara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the 14th century the kings continued to build vesara or Deccan-style monuments but later incorporated Dravida-style gopurams to meet their ritualistic needs. The Prasanna Virupaksha temple (underground temple) of Bukka and the Hazare Rama temple of Deva Raya are examples of Deccan architecture. The varied and intricate ornamentation of the pillars is a mark of their work. At Hampi, though the Vitthala temple is the best example of their pillared Kalyanamantapa style, the Hazara Ramaswamy temple is a modest but perfectly finished example. A visible aspect of their style is their return to the simplistic and serene art developed

by the Chalukya dynasty. A grand specimen of Vijayanagara art, the Vitthala temple, took several decades to complete during the reign of the Tuluva kings. Another element of the Vijayanagara style is the carving of large monoliths such as the Sasivekalu (mustard) Ganesha and Kadalekalu (ground nut) Ganesha at Hampi, the Gommateshvara Bahubali statues in Karkala and Venur, and the Nandi bull in Lepakshi. The Vijayanagara temples of Bhatkal, Kanakagiri, Shringeri and other towns of coastal Karnataka, as well as Tadpatri, Lepakshi, Ahobilam, Tirumala Venkateswara Temple and Srikalahasti in Andhra Pradesh, and Vellore, Kumbakonam, Kanchi and Srirangam in Tamil Nadu are examples of this style. Vijayanagara art includes wall-paintings of the Dashavatara and Girijakalyana (marriage of Parvati) in the Virupaksha Temple at Hampi, the Shivapurana paintings (tales of Shiva) at the Virabhadra temple at Lepakshi, and those at the Jain basadi (temple) and the Kamaskshi and Varadaraja temple at Kanchi. This mingling of the South Indian styles resulted in a richness not seen in earlier centuries, a focus on reliefs in addition to sculpture that surpasses anything done previously in India. Conclusion An aspect of Vijayanagara architecture that shows the cosmopolitanism of the great city is the presence of many secular structures bearing Islamic features. While political history concentrates on the ongoing conflict between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Deccan Sultanates, the architectural record reflects a more creative interaction. There are many arches, domes and vaults that show these influences. The concentration of structures like pavilions, stables and towers suggests they were for use by royalty.] The decorative details of these structures may have been absorbed into Vijayanagara architecture during the early 15th century, coinciding with the rule of Deva Raya I and Deva Raya II. These kings are known to have employed many Muslims in their army and court, some of whom may have been Muslim architects. This harmonious exchange of architectural ideas must have happened during rare periods of peace between the Hindu and Muslim kingdoms. The "Great Platform" (Mahanavami dibba) has relief carvings in which the figures seem to have the facial features of central Asian Turks who were known to have been employed as royal attendants.

Bahmani Sultanate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahmani_Sultanate

Introduction

The Bahmani Sultanate also called the Bahmanid Empire or Bahmani Kingdom) was a Muslim state of the Deccan in South India and one of the great medieval Indian kingdoms. Bahmani Sultanate was the first independent Islamic Kingdom in South India. . They ruled over the
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Deccan for almost 200 years. During their reign they created the Deccan sultanates comprising of 5 states, namely Ahmednagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur, and Golconda. The excellent taste of the Sultanate in varied fields like arts, culture and architecture is clearly manifested in each of these places in the form of magnificent Islamic structures, handicrafts, calligraphy and masonry. The sultanate was founded on 3 August 1347 by governor Ala-ud-Din Hassan Bahman Shah, a Persian descent from Badakhshan, who revolted against the Sultan of Delhi, Muhammad bin Tughlaq. Naziruddin Ismail Shah who had revolted against the Delhi Sultanate stepped down on that day in favour of Zafar Khan who ascended the throne with the title of Alauddin Bahman Shah. His revolt was successful, and he established an independent state on the Deccan within the Delhi Sultanate's southern provinces. The Bahmani capital was Ahsanabad (Gulbarga) between 1347 and 1425 when it was moved to Muhammadabad (Bidar). The Bahmani contested the control of the Deccan with the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire to the south. The sultanate reached the peak of its power during the vizierate (14661481) of Mahmud Gawan. After 1518 the sultanate broke up into five states: Nizamshahi of Ahmednagar, Qutubshahi of Golconda (Hyderabad) Baridshahi of Bidar, Imadshahi of Varhad, Adilshahi of Bijapur. They are collectively known as"Deccan Sultanates"

Art and Architecture The Bahmani Sultans promoted art and architecture. There is much evidence that they employed architects and craftsmen from Persia to build the Jami Masjid at Gulbarga, Chand Minar at Daulatabad and the Madrasa of Mahmud Gawan at Bidar. The fortresses built during the period were a mixture of the work of Hindu, Tughlaq and Bahmani sovereigns. Mahur, Bidar, Narnulla and Golkonda are some of the architectural examples of the Sultans. The Golgumbaz in Bijapur shows the skill of the architecture of Bahmani kingdoms. It is one of the largest domes in the world. The Golgumbaz with its enormous dome covers an area of 18,000 square feet. The Mihtar Mahal, which is an ornamental gateway to the courtyard of a mosque, is a notable building. The Sultans patronized Urdu Literature. They were great patrons of education and learning. Among the earliest productions of the Bahmanis was the Jami Masjid at Gulbarga (mid 14th century), with its extraordinary cloisters consisting of wide arches on low piers. A series of tombs built in two separate complexes were built as mausoleums of the early Bahmani rulers. They are all in the austere Tughlak style with sloping walls and flattened domes, but the effect is distinctly less austere in the magnificent double tomb of Firoz Shah Bahmani whose walls are divided into tiers of arched niches some of which have windows with elaborate jali decoration. In the late 14th century, the Bahmanis moved their capital to Bidar, the site of a strategic fort at the end of a steep escarpment. In addition to strengthening the fort by building moats and massive gateways, the Bahmanis also build several palaces and mosques within the citadel of which the Solah Khamba mosque and the Rangin Mahal are best preserved. In the city itself, an immense madrasa was built in a distinctly Persian style by Mahmud Gawan, the powerful Iranborn prime-minister of the Bahmanis. On the outskirts of the city the Bahmanis built their necropolis, a remarkable series of 12 tombs, the most elaborate of which is that of Ala-ud-Din Ahmad Bahmani (died 1457), which has extremely fine decorations in coloured tile. After the

fall of the Bahmanids, their viziers the Baridis continued to rule in the city of Bidar, and built their own tomb complex at a separate location. In the late 15th century, the provinces of the Bahmani dynasty broke off into separate states, each with a vibrant and distinct culture flourishing mainly from the early-16th to the mid-17th centuries. The art, poetry, and music of these splinter Deccani courts continued to be influenced by Persia. Many of the rulers were of Persian descent or of the Shia faith and thus felt stronger ties to the west than to the Sunni rulers in northern India. The courts, namely Bijapur, Golconda, Ahmadnagar, Bidar, and Berar, developed unique techniques of casting metal, carving stone, and painting. Each capital city was embellished with citadels and tombs in a distinctive style of architecture as well. Bijapur was ruled by the Adil Shahis from late 15th to the late 17th centuries. Ibrahim Adil Shah II, a poet, calligrapher, and musician himself, was the dynasty's greatest patron of the arts. He attracted artisans, writers, and thinkers from all over the Islamic world to his court, and during his reign the city became the most important centre of painting in the Deccan. Ibrahim contribution to architecture was equally impressive. His mausoleum, known as the Ibrahim Rauza, is one of the most beautiful tomb complexes in the Deccan. Both painting and architecture continued to flourish under Ibrahim's successor Muhammad Adil Shah, but this ruler's greatest commission was his tomb, the Gol Gumbad, which while aesthetically less pleasing than Ibrahim Rauza, was an impressive engineering feat as it has a massive dome which, at the time of its construction, was the largest space covered by a single dome. The Qutb Shahis of Golconda had very close ties to the Safavids of Iran, who exported many artists to this court. Persian influence is distinct in miniature painting from this kingdom. The patronage of artists became notable in the court of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, a contemporary of Ibrahim Adil Shah and, like him, a poet, statesman, and important patron of the arts. The Qutb Shahis were great patrons of architecture also, and embellished Golconda, Hyderabad, and other cities in their domain with forts, tombs, and mosques in a style that was distinctly theirs. The best examples of this style are in the citadel at Golconda, and in the nearby funerary complex that houses tombs of all rulers of this dynasty from the simple structures of the early rulers to the sprawling pyramidal tombs built in the later years. In the late 16th century Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah shifted the capital from Golconda to Hyderabad, a newly constructed city whose main crossroad he adorned with an ornamental gateway, the Charminar. The Nizam Shahis ruled independently in Ahmadnagar from the late 15th century to the mid17th. They too produced distinct styles of art and architecture. Their buildings concentrated on carved decoration as exemplified in the Damri mosque at Ahmadnagar and in the tomb of Malik Ambar at Khuldabad. The best examples of miniature painting from this reign are in an illustrated history, the Tarif-i Husain Shahi, celebrating the king who led the victory over Vijayanagara. http://www.kaladarshana.com/essays/essay-islamic-deccan.html

Conclusion The process of assimilation of indigenous traits in the south was far slower than in the north. Another important development made a profound impact on southern arts and architecture. Almost all the Bahmani kings were great patrons of scholars, artists, poets, many of whom migrated from distant lands particularly Persia from where the founder of the Bahmani dynasty had come as an adventurer. They had, therefore, been profoundly affected by Persian style of architecture. The influence is clearly discernible in the Jami Masjid at Gulbarga, Chand Minar at Daulatabad and Gawan's Madrasa at Bidar. They were not only planned by Persian architects but also built by their artisans. The military architecture, i.e. forts, etc. however, were definitely modelled on medieval European style. It is quite obvious that it was the work of Turkish military experts who took service under the Bahmani rulers. The Deccan style of architecture developed its own individuality in course of time.