PLANNING IN INDIA DURING MUGHAL PERIOD
1526 AD – 1857 AD
The beginning of the empire is conventionally dated to the victory by it founder
Babur over Ibrahim Lodi, the last ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, in the First Battle of
Panipat in 1526.
Cities like Agra, Delhi were redeveloped
Laying of Gardens and Parks .It was new trend in planning
[ornamental gardens of mughal period]
Mughal garden in front of Rastrapathi bhavan was also developed in this period
Fatehpursikhri was developed during this period
SALIENT FEATURES
STREETS, BAZAARS, CHOWKS
o The city was separated from the surrounding land by a wall and a moat.
o The secondary roads and the bazars were pubic spaces
HAVELIS
o The members of the imperial household who lived outside the fort/ palace built large mansions
(havelis) on the model of the imperial design of the red fort.
o As a rule, these city palaces accommodated not only the owner and his family, but also their
numerous followers, servants and craftsmen with their workshops.
o Therefore, the spaces based on the strict distinction between the public, semi- private and private
spaces.
BAGH
o Built in Persian style of architecture.
o Use of rectilinear layouts are made within the walled enclosures.
o Some of the typical features include pools, fountains and canals inside the gardens.
CITY WALLS
o The layout of the city walls was based on a geometrical planning.
o The four main gates were Delhi Darwaza on south, the Ajmeri Darwaza on the south-west, the
Lahori Darwaza on the west and the Kashmiri Darwaza on the north.
o These important gates were positioned according to the basic network of the city, being laced on the
cardinal points.
PLANNING OF SHAHJAHANABAD
The city was planned according to Hindu
planning principles of shilpashastra from
vastushastra.
The site was placed on a high land as in the
shastra and was kamukha or bow shaped, for
this ensured its prosperity.
The arm of the archer was Chandni Chowk.
The string was Yamuna river.
The junction of the two main axes is the most
auspicious point in the whole region and was
therefore the red fort.
PLANNING OF SHAHJAHANABAD
The Red Fort and Jama Masjid were thorough fares that framed the city.
From Lahore Gate ran a broad avenue with a covered arcade designed and paid
for by Jahan Ara- that housed over 1500 shops. Today known as Chatta Bazaar.
The remainder of Shahjahanabad took shape within the city walls with its havelis
mansions, mosques, temples, Sikh shrines and the gardens of the nobility.
THE FORT & THE MOSQUE
MAJOR STREETS
The streets in Mughal capital were usually narrow and crooked. However, the major
streets in the new capital were designed as wide and straight.
The east-west street called Chandni Chowk connected the Lahori Darwaza of the fort
to the Lahori Darwaza of the city wall. It ran in a straight line forming a wide
boulevard with broad vista.
The Fort was visible from any place on the street. This perspective view marked a
new concept of town planning for the Mughal capital. Chandni Chowk is 1.4km in
length and jogged right at the Fatehpuri Begum Mosque. It was built as the central
axis of the city.
Another main street the Faiz Bazaar or Akkarabadi Bazaar, was also wide and
straight. It had a north-south axis and connected Delhi gate of the fort with the city
walls and is about 1km in length. These major two streets developed as processional
routes, as well as commercial arteries. The streets also assumed importance for ritual
events.
STREETSCAPE
S
There merges a hierarchy of streets in the
layout of the city.
The secondary streets were the ones which
entered the city from Chandni Chowk.(thus
they were perpendicular for some distance
and then assumed an organic formonce
deep in the city.
The secondary street structure also includes the
streets that are parallel to the city walls-
forming a concentric ring,in the southern
part of the city.then they intermingle at
chowks with the third layering of streets and is
perpendicular to the main mosque ,Jama Masjid.
BAGH
The north area of Chandni Chowkwas occupied by
a bagh called the Jahanara Begumi’s Garden.
It was laid out in a planned fashion,in addition to the road
planning of Chandni Chowk.
FATEHPUR SiKRi
SHOWING THE WALLS AND GATES
