Explain the characteristics of the Islamic Architecture in India with examples.

Answer:

• Islamic (Indo-Islamic) architecture developed in India after the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate, through a blend of Persian, Central Asian and Indian styles.
• Its main features are pointed arches, large domes and tall minarets.
• Human and animal figures are not used for decoration; instead geometric designs, floral patterns (arabesque) and calligraphy of Quranic verses are carved.
• Mosques, tombs, forts, palaces and gardens laid out in the charbagh style were built.
• Examples: Qutub Minar and Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque in Delhi; Gol Gumbaz at Vijapur (Bijapur); Charminar at Hyderabad; and, from the Mughal period, Humayun’s Tomb, Jama Masjid and Red Fort at Delhi and the Taj Mahal at Agra.