Chapter 5 Rulers and Buildings

Shikhara is a superstructure above the main shine in which main deity is put down in the temples. The construction of shikhara was the most unexciting and long lasting task in the temple construction.

Pietra-dura was an architectural technique mainly used in the buildings of shah jahan. In this technique, coloured hard stones were take place in depressions craved into marbles or sandstones creating beautiful ornamental patterns.

The elements of a mughal chahar bagh garden as given below:
- The garden was located within rectangular walled enclosures and parted into four quarters by artificial.
- The four divisions were symmetrical.

Temples were build to demonstrate the power, wealth and devotion of the king.

- Often the names of king and the man deity were identical to each other. For example, rajarajeshvara temple built by king rajarajadeva. For the worship of his god namely, rajarageshvaram.
- The other subordinate deities in a temple represented the original subordinates of a king.
- The temple was a small scaled model of the world ruled by the king and his allies.
- As they worshipped their deities together in the royal temples which seemed as if they brought the just rule of the gods on earth.

Emperor’s throne was located in the west direction. In islam, it is directed towards Mecca from India. Therefore, emperor was equated with the place of god in islam.
- Everyone who attend the court faced west direction which was faced by muslim while praying.
- These characters gave the images of paradise on earth.

These steps were as given below:

- Behind emperor’s throne were a sequence of peitra dura inlays that depicted the legendary greek god Orpheus, playing lute.
- It was accepted that Orpheus music could calm down ferocious beasts until they co-existed together peaceably.
- This is communicated that the king’s justice would treat his highs and the lows equally that created a world where all could stay together in harmony.

The Yamuna played an important  role in the layout of the new mughal city namely, shahjahanabad are as follows:
- The imperial place commanded the river front in the  new mughal city at shahjahanabad.
- The imperial place commanded the river front in the city from shahjahanabad in delhi.
- Only specially favoured nobles like dara shukoh were given access to the river.
- All had to build their homes in the city away from the river Yamuna.

The construction of kings were done over a large area grounds with especial raw materials like red stone, marble, diamonds etc.
- On the other hand, buildings hand plans for the water system, tanks and gardens.
- The directions were of special considerations. For example, placing of throne in diwan-I khas in the west direction.
- The new innovations were always welcomed in the constructions by kings. For example pietra-dura
- Buildings made by kings often had fusion of regional architecture such as gujrati, rajasthani and bangle domes.
- It can be assumed the building of nobles must not have had such features.

This had two most important reasons that are as follows:
By the use of cranes and heavy duty machines, the same buildings as in figure 4 can be constructed at the faster rate today.