M A HISTORY-SEM 2

HY 222 INDIAN HISTORY-2

MODULE-6 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON INDIAN
CULTURE
 INTRODUCTION
• Islam had a great and lasting effect on Indian
subcontinent in terms of society, art, religion etc.
• The missionary zeal of Islam which aimed at conversion
of the maximum number of Hindus to Islam gave rise to
con-servatism. The Hindu leaders thought that they
could save their religion and culture only by adopting
more orthodox outlook.
• The Bhakti move-ment was to a large extent influenced
by Islam and the Hindu refor-mers preached
fundamental equality of all religions and the unity of
God. Sufism exercised considerable influence on the
Hindu society and the Sufi saints attracted the attention
of the, Hindus. The influence of Islam was also noticed in
economy, society, language and literature and art and
architecture.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON ART AND ARCHITECTURE
ART AND ARCHITECTURE UNDER THE DELHI SULTANATE

• The Muslim rulers of India were great builders. The special features
of the buildings include arches, domes etc.
• The Muslim rulers employed Hindu artists also for the construction
of their buildings.
• The medieval Indian art and architecture was a fusion of Arab,
Persian and Turkish styles with the Indian style.
• The An open courtyard, enclosures of chambers and ornamentation
are the common features of the Medieval Indian architecture
• The use of mortar, colored stone, tiles and marbles are the unique
features.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON ART AND ARCHITECTURE
ART AND ARCHITECTURE UNDER THE DELHI SULTANATE

• The Delhi sultans built many towns which were

flourishing centers of trade and commerce.
• The architecture of the Delhi sultanate can be divided
into three categories-Imperial or Delhi style of
architecture, Provincial architecture and Hindu
architecture. There were both religious and secular
architecture-the former included Mosques where as the
latter included Palaces, forts, towns and gates.
• The style of architecture used by the Delhi sultans at
Delhi were called the Delhi style of architecture.
• Quwat- ul- Islam Mosque was the first famous building
built by Qutb-ud-din at Qila-i-Rai Pathura in Delhi in
1195 to commemorate the capture of Delhi
• He started the construction of the world famous Qutub-
Minar at Delhi in 1199 in memory of the Sufi Saint Qutb-
ud-din Bhaktiar Kaki. It was completed by Iltumish.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON ART AND ARCHITECTURE
ART AND ARCHITECTURE UNDER THE DELHI SULTANATE

• Qutub-Minar was built of Red Sandstone. It had four stories and each stage is
determined by a projected balcony. The tower was damaged by lightening in
1369. Firuz Shah Tughlaq repaired it and raised its height. Ala-ud-din Khilji built
a magnificent gate near Qutb Minar and it is called Alai Darwaza
• Adhai Dinka Jhonpura was another structure built by Qutbuddin Aibak. It was
built out of the materials of the demolished temples. It is attested by the
presence of countless human figures on the pillars and even on the grave.
Iltumish built a tomb known as Sultan Garhi at Malkapur.The tomb of Iltumish
was also built by him.
• The other important buildings of Iltumish are Hau-i-Shamsi, Shamsi Idah and
Jami Masjid of Badaun. Balban built his tomb at Delhi. He also built a palace
known as Red Palace. His tomb is purely a Muslim in execution.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON ART AND ARCHITECTURE
ART AND ARCHITECTURE UNDER THE DELHI SULTANATE

• Most of the buildings of Alauddin Khilji were built in the

Arabian style of architecture. He enlarged the Quwat-ul-
Islam Mosque and added a gateway called Alai Darwasa.
He built a new city of Siri. He also excavated an extensive
tank known as Haus-i-Khas. He also built a mosque
known as Jamait-Khana Mosque. Qutb-udin Mubarak
built a mosque at Bayana.
• The Tughlaq architecture were simple and formal.
Giasuddin Tughlaq built the city of Tughlaqabad and his
own tomb is situated within the walls of the city.
Muhammad Bin Tughlaq built the fortress of Adilabad.
He also built the city of Jahanpanah. Firuz Shah Tuglaq
built the cities of Firozabad, Fatehabad and Jaunpur.He
erected several cities, forts, palaces Canals and Tombs.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON ART AND ARCHITECTURE
ART AND ARCHITECTURE UNDER THE MUGHALS

• It was in the domain of architecture that the Mughals made their impressive
contribution to Indian Culture. Indian architecture entered a new phase under the
Mughals. It shows a good blending of Indian and Persian art. All the Mughal
emperors except Aurangzeb were great builders.
• Babur constructed buildings at Agra, Sikri,Gwalior, Dholpur and Bayana. But only the
Mosque at Kabulibagh at Paniput and Jama Masjid at sambal exist today. Humayun
raised some buildings like Din Panah, a palace in Delhi and Mosques in Fatehbad in
the Hissar district of Panjab.
• Akbar had a great passion for buildings and he constructed many marvels in this art.
The Humayun’s Tomb at Delhi was constructed in the year 1569.He built the Agra
Fort on the banks of river Yamuna. The main gate of this building is popularly known
as Delhi Gate. The most important building in the Agra Fort is Jahangiri Mahal.The
city of fatehpur Sikri was built by Akbar in 1569.The most important buildings in this
city were the House of Birbal,the Panch Mahal,the Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON ART AND ARCHITECTURE
ART AND ARCHITECTURE UNDER THE MUGHALS

• Akbar erected the Buland Darwasa in the Fatehpur Sikri to

commemorate the victory at Deccan. He also constructed
the Jama Masjid, the Ibadat Khana and the Tomb of Salim
Chishti. Jahangir built the Mausoleum of Akbar at
Sikandra.He also built the Tomb of Itimd-ud-Daulah in
memory of his Nur Jahan’s father.It was built at Agra.
• The art of India reached its zenith under Shajahan. He was
called the Engineer King and the Prince of Builders. In
Delhi he built the most important buildings like Jama Masjid
and Red Fort. Some of the prominent buildings within the
Red Fort were Diwan-i-Am, Diwan-i-Khas and Rang Mahal.
He built the famous Moti Masjid at Agra. The famous Taj
Mahal was built by him in memory of his wife Mumtaz
Mahal. It is called the Dream in Marble. The period of
Aurangzeb witnessed the decay of Mughal architecture.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON ART AND ARCHITECTURE
PAINTING UNDER THE MUGHALS

• Like art and architecture the Mughal painting represented the happy mingling of
Indian as well as Muslim elements. The origin, nature and development of
Mughal painting is similar to Mughal architecture.
• Though there were influence of Persian and Chinese art,the Mughal painting in
course of time had been completely Indianised. The Mughal pictures were small
in size and hence they were known as “Miniature Painting.” Remarkable
achievement was made by the Mughal school in portrait painting.
• As a great lover of beauty, art and nature, he patronised painting. He employed
court painters and in the paintings known as Alwar Manuscript we can find the
representation of his memoirs. When he came to India he brought with him the
best painters of his mother country.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON ART AND ARCHITECTURE
PAINTING UNDER THE MUGHALS

• Humayun developed a taste for painting while he was in

exile in Persia. He brought to India two master painters-
Khwaja Abdul Samad and Mir Sayyid Ali. These painters
prepared an illustrated copy of Hamza Nama in 12
volumes. Mir Sayyid Ali was often called as “Raphael of
the East”
• The walls of Akbar’s new capital at Fatehpur Sikri were
embellished with master pieces of paintings. He set up a
separate department of painting under Khwaja Abdur
Samad. He extended patronage to Hindu and Muslim
painters. Some of the leading painters under Akbar were
Abdus Samad, Sayyid Ali, Faruq Beg, Dazwant, Baswan,
Sanwal Das, Tara Chand and Jaga Nath.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON ART AND ARCHITECTURE
PAINTING UNDER THE MUGHALS

• Of the 17 artists under Akbar, 13 were Hindus and the most important among them
were Bhagwan Lal and Mukund. Akbar encouraged pictorial art in spite of the Islamic
injection forbidding the representation of living forms. His period was also known for
the development of Fresco painting like that of Ajanta. Themes from Ramayana and
several other famous works were painted under his orders.
• Jahangir was himself skilled in handling brush. He employed a number of painters in
Allahabad. He was interested in the paintings of small objects and naturally the
miniature painting reached its climax during his period. Sir Thomas Roe who visited
Mughal court during the time of Jahangir testifies the development of painting
during this period. The great painters of Jahangir’s time were Farruk Beg,
Muhammad Nadir and Muhammad Murad. Other notable painters were Aqua Riza,
Uatad Manzur, Bishan Das, Manohar, Madhav and Tulsi. The art of painting became
essentially Indian during the time of Jahangir. European painting was introduced by
the Portuguese during this period.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON ART AND ARCHITECTURE
PAINTING UNDER THE MUGHALS

• Shajahan was more interested in architecture

than painting. How ever Azaf Khan and Prince
Dara possessed good taste in painting. Some of
the important painters of the period of
Shajahan were Mir Hassan, Anup Chitra,
Chitramani and Faqirullah.
• The art of painting received a great set back
under Aurangzeb. He ordered to destroy the
paintings of Bijapur and Golconda and
whitewashed the paintings in the Akbar’s
Mausoleum at Sikandra.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON RELIGION
SUFISM IN MEDIEVAL INDIA

• ‘Sufism’ is a term used to refer to mystical religious ideas in Islam. Sufism is

basically a religion based on the truth of life. It is a mystic tradition that consists
of a varied range of ideas and practices that emphasize on the attainment of
divine love and compassion of the heart.
• Sufism is said to have been originated near a place called Basra located in Iraq. It
had evolved into a well developed movement by the 11th century. They sought
to communicate with God though their ascetic practices and doctrine of divine
love and union with God.
• The Sufis were organized in a number of different silsilahs (orders). Most of these
orders were led by some prominent sufi saint or pir. It was named after them
and was followed by his disciples. Most of the Sufis believed in the performance
of miracles. Almost all pirs were associated with the miracles performed by
them. The different sufi orders had diverse approaches about the matters of
polity and state.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON RELIGION
SUFISM IN MEDIEVAL INDIA
• The Sufis belonged to different tariqas (orders) of Sufism. The
most prominent tariqahs of India are
the Shadiliyya, Chishtiyyah, Naqshabandhiyyah, Qadiriyyah, Su
hravardiyyah orders.
• Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti introduced the Chishtiyyah in India.
He came to India from Afghanistan in 1192 AD and started
living permanently in Ajmer in 1195. Centuries later, with the
support of Mughal rulers, his shrine became a place of
pilgrimage.
• Suharawardy order of Sufism was founded by Shihabud-Din
Suharawardy of Baghdad and introduced in India by his disciple
Baha-ud-Din Zakariya of Multan. Suharawardiyya order of
Sufism became popular in Bengal.
• Qadiri order founded by Abdul Qadir whose tomb is at
Baghdad. Its influence is extensively among the Muslims of
south India. Baha-ud-Din Naqshband (1318-1389) of Turkistan
founded Naqshbandi order of Sufism.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON RELIGION
SUFISM IN MEDIEVAL INDIA

• Sufism was a reform movement within Islam which started in Persia as a

reaction to the constant feuds between the Sunni and Shia sects of Islam.
• The Sufis believed in equality of all human beings and universal
brotherhood. They were in favour of religious toleration and against any
type of religious persecution and forcible conversion. The humanitarian
ideas of sufi saints attracted the attention of Indians and they welcomed
the sufi leaders. Their preachings helped a lot in bridging the gap between
the followers of Hinduism and Islam. Sufism became very popular during
the reign of Akbar. Among the nobles of his court Sheik Mubarak and his
two sons- Abul fazl and Abul Faizi were firm Sufi believers. The sufi saints
not only saved the masses from social and religious tyranny but also
contributed to the cultural evolution of the country.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON RELIGION
BHAKTI MOVEMENT IN MEDIEVAL INDIA

• Bhakti means personal devotion to God. It stresses the

Union of the individual with God. Bhakti movement
originated in South India between the 7th and the 12th
centuries A.D.
• The Bhakti movement in North India gained momentum
due to the Muslim conquest. The saints of the Bhakti
Movement were men and women of humble origin.
They came from all castes and classes.
• The main principles of Bhakti movement were : (1) God
is one, (2) To worship God man should serve humanity,
(3) All men are equal, (4) Worshipping God with
devotion is better than performing religious ceremonies
and going on pilgrimages, and (5) Caste distinctions and
superstitious practices are to be given up.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON RELIGION
BHAKTI MOVEMENT IN MEDIEVAL INDIA

• Ramanuja : Ramanuja was one of the earliest reformers. Born in the South,
he made a pilgrimage to some of the holy places in Northern India. He
considered God as an Ocean of Love and beauty. His teachings were based on
the Upanishads and Bhagwad Gita.
• Ramananda : Ramananda was the first reformer to preach in Hindi, the main
language spoken by the people of the North. He was educated at Benaras. He
preached that there is nothing high or low. He welcomed people of all castes
and status to follow his teachings. He had twelve chief disciples. One of them
was a barber, another was a weaver, the third one was a cobbler and the
other was the famous saint Kabir and the fifth one was a woman named
Padmavathi.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON RELIGION
BHAKTI MOVEMENT IN MEDIEVAL INDIA
• Kabir : Kabir was an ardent disciple of Ramananda. It is said
that he was the son of a Brahmin widow who had left him near
a tank at Varanasi. Later he became a weaver but he was
attracted by the teachings of Swami Ramananda. He wanted
unity between the Hindus and the Muslims. He preached that
both the Hindus and the Muslims are the children of a single
God. He had no faith in idol worship, religious rituals and
ceremonies. He taught that Allah and Eswar, Ram and Rahim
are one and the same.
• Guru Nanak. (A.D.1469 - A.D.1538): He was the founder of the
Sikh religion. At the age of 29, he left his home and became a
Sadhu. He went to Mecca and Medina. Guru Nanak had finally
settled at Karthpur. He laid emphasis on pure and simple living.
He preached the Unity of God and condemned idolatry. He was
against the caste system. Guru Nanak’s followers are called the
Sikhs. Nanak’s teachings were in the form of verses. They were
collected in a book called the Adi Granth. Later Adi Grantham
was written in a script called Gurmukhi.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON RELIGION
BHAKTI MOVEMENT IN MEDIEVAL INDIA

• Chaitanya (A.D.1485 - A.D.1533) : Chaitanya, a great devotee of Lord Krishna,

was a saint from Bengal. His followers regarded him as an incarnation of Lord
Vishnu. He helped the old and the needy. He was opposed to the inequalities
of the caste system. He emphasised the need for tolerance, humanity and
love. He spread the message of Bhakti in Bengal.
• Meerabai : Meerabai was a Rajput princess. She married the Rana of Mewar.
She was a pious devotee of Lord Krishna. She has written many songs in
praise of Krishna, her favourite God, in Rajastani. Her songs or hymns are
even today sung all over India. Her palace was kept open to people of all
castes to join her Bhajans of Lord Krishna.
• Tukaram: Tukaram was a saint who lived in Maharashtra. He composed a
large number of verses called Abhangas or devotional songs in praise of
Panduranga or Krishna. He believed in one God who was kind, merciful and
protective. He wrote all his abhangas in Marathi.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
• The Sultans and the rulers of provincial dynasties gave huge
importance to literature. They provided shelter to different
scholars who produced historical, religious literature in
other fields of knowledge.
• The Sultans of Delhi were interested in the progress of
Persian literature. Al-beruni, who visited India in the
company of Muhammad Ghazni was a great scholar. Khwaja
Abu Nasr, poetically called Naisiri, Abu Bakar bin
Muhammad Ruhani, Taj-ud-din and Nur-ud-din Muhammad
Awfi were famous scholars in the court of Sultan Iltumish.
Amir Khusrau has been regarded as the greatest Persian
poet of his age. He wrote a number of prose books, most
famous of them being the Khazain-ul-Fatuh, Tughlaq -nama,
and the Tarikh-i- Alai.
• This period witnessed the beginning of the growth of nearly
all regional languages of India like Bengali, Punjabi, Sindhi,
Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam
etc.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

• The Mughal period saw great developments in the field of literature. Babar
the first Mughal emperor was one of the pioneers of Turkish poetry and also
the author of a very valuable autobiography in Turkish Babar Nama which
was later translated into Persian. Gulbadan Begum sister of Humayun wrote
the Humayun Nama. Jahangir the great connoisseur of painting wrote his
autobiography the Tuzuk-i- Jahangiri.
• Hindi literature made significant progress during Akbar’s reign.Tulsidas and
the Surdas wrote in this period.Keshavdas a great poet wrote on themes of
love. Rahim’s dohas or couplets are extremely popular.
• This was the period of many notable writings in the Persian language.Abul
Fazl wrote the Ain-i-Akbari and Akbar Nama.Abul Fazl’s brother Faizi was a
great poet of Persian and was responsible for the translation of many Sanskrit
works into Persian.Akbar had started a whole dept for translation of works
like Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Atharva –Veda, the Bhagvad Gita and
the Panchatantra.
 IMPACT OF ISLAM ON LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
• Many important historical works were produced under the
emperors after Akbar. Some of the important historians
were Abdul Hamid Lahori, Khafi Khan, Muhammad Kazim
and Sujan Rai Bhandari. Literature in modern Indian
languages also continued to grow. The famous book of
Bihari called the Satsai in Hindi belongs to this period.
• One of the most significant developments during the
medieval period was the birth of the Urdu language. This
new language soon developed one of the richest literatures
as a modern Indian language.
• It produced great poets like Wali, Mir Dard, Mir Taqi Mir,
Nazir Akbarabadi, Asadullah Khan Ghalib. Many original
prose works in Urdu were written like Muhammad Hussain
Azad’s Darbar-i-Akbari. The Urdu novel was one of the
earliest developments in the Indian languages.
THANK YOU

Dr. Shaji A.