Fergusson, James: History of Indian and Eastern architecture (Band 2) (London, 1910)

2 10

INDIAN SARACENIC ARCHITECTURE. Book VII.

A more beautiful example than even this is the ’Alai-
Darwaza, shown on the left hand of the plan (Woodcut No. 369).
It was erected by ’Alau-d-Din Khalji, and the date 1310 is found
among its inscriptions. It is, therefore, about a century more
modern than the other buildings of the place, and displays the
so-called Pathan 1 style at its period of greatest perfection, when
the Hindu masons had learned to fit their exquisite style of
decoration to the forms of their foreign masters. Its walls
are decorated internally with a diaper pattern of unrivalled
excellence, and the mode in which the square is changed into an
octagon is more simply elegant and appropriate than any other
example I am acquainted with in India (Plate XXIX.).2 The
pendentives accord perfectly with the pointed openings in the
four other faces, and are in every respect appropriately con-
structive.3 True there are defects. For instance, they are rather
too plain for the elaborate diapering which covers the whole of
the lower part of the building both internally and externally ;
but ornament might easily have been added ; and their plainness
accords with the simplicity of the dome, which is indeed by no
means worthy of the substructure. Not being pierced with
windows, it seems as if the architect assumed that its plainness
would not be detected in the gloom that in consequence prevails.

This building, though small—it is only 56 ft. 9 in. square
externally, and with an internal apartment only 34 ft. 6 in. in
plan — marks the culminating point of this Pathan style in
Delhi. Nothing so complete had been done before, nothing so
ornate was attempted by them afterwards. In the provinces
wonderful buildings were erected between this period and the
Mughal conquest, but in the capital their edifices were more
marked by solemn gloom and nakedness than by ornamentation
or any of the higher graces of architectural art. Externally it
is a good deal damaged, but its effect is still equal to that of
any building of its class in India. It was copied, with some
modifications, in the gateway to the fine Khairpur Mosque, near
Safdar Khan’s tomb, erected under Sikandar Lodi in 1494.

Ajmir.

The mosque at Ajmir (Woodcut No. 375) was commenced
apparently in the year 1200, and was certainly completed during

1 Major Raverty has shown that the

name of “Pathans” does not apply to the

first six dynasties of Sultans of Delhi,
who were “ Turkish slaves, Khaljis, Jats,
low caste Hindus and Sayyids.” We
owe the blunder to the translators of
Firishta.—‘Journal of the Asiatic Society
of Bengal,’ vol. xliv. pp. 24 et seqq.

2 From Fanshawe’s ‘Delhi,’ p. 270.
s The same form of pendentive is
found at Serbistan, nearly nine centuries
before this time.—‘ History of Ancient
and Medieval Architecture,’ 3rd ed. vol.
i. p. 396, Woodcut No. 259. Conf. R.
Phene Spiers, ‘ Architecture East and
West,’ pp. 65 et seqq.