The Mughals

By Vongsawat Wongkijjalerd

The Mughal Empire was the dominant imperial power in India from the mid-16th century until the early 18th century. The dynasty began with Babur, once ruler of Ferghana, descendant of both Genghis Kahn and Timurlane. The Mughals brought to India centralized government, periods of great religious tolerance, and a flourishing of the arts and architecture with influences from all over.

Religious tolerance was a trademark of the Mughal dynasty and brought with it a strong unifying force. Beginning with Babur Hindu temples were allowed to be built and the killing of cows, sacred to the Hindu faith, banned. His grandson Akbar the Great carried on this tradition, abolished the jizya tax, and integrated Hindus and non-Muslims into the government-proper. Akbar also invited numerous religious scholars of various faiths for lively debates during his reign. Not until Aurangzeb, the sixth and last Mughal ruler was this policy of religious tolerance discarded and not long after his rule did the Mughal dynasty fall in to terminal decline.

Mughal art and architecture is deeply rooted in a variety of sources. Elements of Hindu and Islamic arts were woven together since Babur’s reign, but other influences began even before that. Babur was descended from Genghis and Timur and so carried with him the culture of both Mongol, Timurid, and Turkish in origin. These roots had, at one time or another, become Persianized to an extent. Ferghana itself was also of Persian influence. It is from this melting pot of cultures that the Mughal style was founded from.

On top of the melting pot of cultures was also the Mughal’s propensity of tolerating other religions and cultures, a trait that encouraged then the mixing of cultures. With Humayun falling in love with the Persian arts and Sher Shah Suri, a Persian who conquered the Mughals for 15 years, whom the Mughals based much of their style upon, the Persian influence is heavy in Mughal at and culture.

Akbar was also very interesting in his architecture, prime examples in Fatehpur Sikri and the Agra Fort. During his reign Mughal architecture freely mixed elements from different styles to, in a sense, unify its people. From religious toleration to religious unification. On the right is Hindu style decorations that have been abstracted just slightly so as not to depict animals in Agra Fort. Elsewhere actual elephants and animals are depicted, against the Muslim belief, largely due to the Persian influence.