CHAITANYA:
๐Ÿ”นHe was the most popular Bhakti reformer from Bengal. He was born at Nabadwip (Nadia).
๐Ÿ”นHe was the disciple of Keshav Bharti. His other names were Gouranga and Vishwambar ๐Ÿ”นHe was the first to preach Vaishnavism in Bengal and Orissa. ๐Ÿ”นPuri was the main centre of his activities and he was first to introduce Kirtans in Bhakti movement. ๐Ÿ”น He died in a state of ecstasy.
TULASIDAS:
๐Ÿ”นHe was a contemporary of Akbar and he wrote the all time great Ramcharit Manas.
SURDAS:
๐Ÿ”นHe preached Krishnabhakti and wrote Sursagar.
SUNDARDAS:
๐Ÿ”นHe wrote Sundaravilasa that deals with six Indian philosophical systems.
DADU DAYAL:
๐Ÿ”นBorn in the community of weavers at Ahmedabad, he preached Nirgunabhakti. ๐Ÿ”นHis teachings were compiled in the form of Dadu Dayaram Ki Bani.
BIRBAN: ๐Ÿ”นBorn at Karnal in Haryana in the community of farmers, he preached Nirgunabhakti and emphasized on Satyam or Truth. ๐Ÿ”นHis followers were called Satnamis.
๐Ÿ”นPothi is the sacred text of Satnamis.
SHANKAR DEV:
๐Ÿ”นHe was the first to preach Vaishnavism in Brahmaputra Valley (Assam). ๐Ÿ”นHe was the founder of Eka Saranadharma and Veerapurushamarga (to defend oneโ€™s faith).
Maratha Bhakti Reform Movement:
๐Ÿ”นThe main theme of the movement was Maratha-dharma, which essentially meant the protection of Maratha culture. ๐Ÿ”นIts ultimate aim was to secure an independent state for the
Marathas called Swaraj.
GNANESHWAR:
๐Ÿ”นThe first and earliest of Maratha reformers wrote a commentary in Sanskrit on Bhagwad Gita called Gnaneswar, ๐Ÿ”นpopular as Maratha Bhadwad Gita and also called Bhavardha Deepika.
ฮ•ฮšฮฮ‘ฮคฮ—:
๐Ÿ”นHe was the first Maratha reformer to emphasize on Marathi language and also got Gnaneswari โ€“translated into Marathi.
NAMDEV
:
๐Ÿ”นHe emphasized on cultural unity of the Marathas by introducing a tradition called Mahapurusha Sampradaya (worshipping the great saints).
TUKARAM:
๐Ÿ”นHe was the greatest Marathi bhakti reformer, who made popular Vittob Cult (worshipping Vitalaswamy.of Pandaripur). ๐Ÿ”นHe composed devotional songs on Vitalaswamy called Abhangs.
RAMDAS
:
๐Ÿ”นAs the Guru of Shivaji, he inspired Shivaji for founding Swaraj. ๐Ÿ”นThe messages of Guru Ramdas were compiled in the form of the text called Dasabodha.
GHORA:
๐Ÿ”นA mali (gardener) by profession, he preached monotheism.
BAHINA BAI:
๐Ÿ”นSister of Tukaram, she was the most popular woman Bhakti reformer in Maratha movement.
๐Ÿ”นShe promoted Vitalaswamy cult.
SUFI MOVEMENT: (The word suf meant wool which implied simplicity)
๐Ÿ”นSufism can be defined as Islamic mysticism. Its main theme was Wahad-ul-Wajud (Unity of God). It developed first in Iraq. ๐Ÿ”นThe first Sufi saint was Begum Rabia of Bashera in Iraq. ๐Ÿ”น Sufi orders were called Silsilas. Maximum number of orders were found in Afghanistan which spread to India.
SILSILAS:
CHISTI ๐Ÿ”นIt was founded by Sheikh Abdul Chisti. ๐Ÿ”นHowever, it was introduced in India by Sheikh Moinuddin Chisti. His dargah is at Ajmer. ๐Ÿ”นQutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki was the chief disciple of Moinuddin. ๐Ÿ”นIltutmish dedicated Qutub Minar to Bakhtiar Kaki.
๐Ÿ”นSheikh Nizamuddin was the most popular Sufi saint in India. ๐Ÿ”นAmir Khusro, the greatest musician and literary giant was also the disciple of Sheikh Nizamuddin.
๐Ÿ”นA system called Nadasampradaya was followed which meant burying disciples near guru as one family.
๐Ÿ”นSheikh Salim Chisti was the last great saint of Chisti order. He was held in great respect by Akbar.
๐Ÿ”นQamkhana were hermitages of Chisti saints outside the city.
SUHRAWARDI :
๐Ÿ”นIt was founded by Shihabuddin Shuhrawardi and introduced in India by Bhauddin. It was the richest order and very soon became unpopular.
FIRADAUSIA :
๐Ÿ”นIt was the only Sufi order which was founded and developed within India. ๐Ÿ”นFounded by Sharafuddin, it was confined to Bihar. He composed Maqtubat and Mulfazat literature (it
dealt with the lives and teachings of Sufi Saints).
QADRI ๐Ÿ”นThis most secular order was founded by Sheikh Jilani Qadri. ๐Ÿ”นDara Shikoh, son of Shahjanan followed this order.
NAQSHBANDI ๐Ÿ”นIt was founded by Sheikh Biqabullah but Sheikh Niyamtulla was the greatest scholar in this School of thought which was most conservative. ๐Ÿ”นAurangzeb followed this order.
INDO-ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE:
๐Ÿ”นThe Islamic style is called Dome and Arch method. ๐Ÿ”นThe native Hindu style that was prevalent during that time is called Slab and Beam method. ๐Ÿ”น The other aspects of Islamic style were huge buildings with lofty gateways and wide entrances. ๐Ÿ”นThe Muslims also introduced floral designs. They borrowed decorative elements like Kalasa, Swastik and Lotus from the Hindus.
๐Ÿ”นHindus appropriated the domes and arches.
Architectural development took place in two stages:
Imperial Architecture: ๐Ÿ”นIt is witnessed in Delhi, Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. The
architecture reflects the personal taste and interest of the Sultan and Mughal Badshah.
๐Ÿ”นQutubuddin Aibak constructed Quwat-ul-Islam mosque, the first pure Islamic construction and Adhai-din-ka-Jhopra (made by destroying a monastery). ๐Ÿ”น It was the place where he gave darshan at Ajmer. He laid the foundation for Qutub Minar to commemorate the victory of Islam on Indian soil. He could complete only the first two storeys. ๐Ÿ”น The remaining was completed by Iltutmish and dedicated to Bakhtiar Kaki. In Qutub Minar, black limestone was used. Sanskrit versus were found there.
๐Ÿ”นBalban constructed Lal Mahal in Delhi. ๐Ÿ”นThe simple Islamic style became decorative and grand under Alauddin Khilji. He constructed Alai Darwaza, an entrance to Qutub Minar, Hauz-i-Alai, Jamat Khana Masjid and also a city called Siri (this was the first time
Delhi was expanded)
.
๐Ÿ”นUnder Tughlaqs, for the first time, thick sloping walls were built (for protection against extreme weather and for strength). They made extensive use of cheaply available grey
sandstones.
๐Ÿ”นGhiazuddin Tughlaq constructed the city of Tughlaqabad. ๐Ÿ”นMd. Bin Tughlaq constructed Swarga Dwara on the banks of river Ganga. ๐Ÿ”นFeroz Shah Tughlaq constructed five cities apart from Feroz Shah Kotla, the tomb of his finance minister Telangani and Hauz-i-Khas in Delhi.
๐Ÿ”นSignificant changes in architecture took place under the Lodis. ๐Ÿ”นThey were the first to construct structures on grafted platforms ๐Ÿ”นThey were the first to construct double domed structures, angular and octagonal structures and structures in Garden setting (e.g. Lodi Gardens in Delhi). ๐Ÿ”น The best example of Lodi architecture is the Jamnat Khana Masjid constructed by Sikandar Lodi in Agra.
Mughal Architecture:
๐Ÿ”นIt reflected basically the grand Persian style. Babur was responsible for Noor-ul-Afshan gardens in Kabul.
๐Ÿ”นHumayunโ€™s tomb in Delhi was constructed by his wife Salima Begum. It was the first structure in India reflecting the Mughal style.
๐Ÿ”นAkbar was the real founder of Mughal architecture. His attempt was to synthesize the native styles with the grand Islamic styles particulary in his Mahal construction. ๐Ÿ”นAkbar was influenced by Buddhist Stupas. In Agra, he completed the fortification and constructed Akbari Mahal, Jahangiri Mahal and Birbal Mahal. ๐Ÿ”นDiwan-i-Aam and Diwan-i-Khas in Agra were also built by him.
Fatehpur Sikri:
๐Ÿ”นIt was a Jain settlement. However, Akbar constructed the Moti Masjid and the tomb of Sheikh Chisti. ๐Ÿ”นThe secular constructions here were Buland Darwaza constructed in 1572 A.D. to mark his victory against Gujarat. ๐Ÿ”น In the construction, Akbar used a new technique called half purple dome borrowed from Persia. Jodha Bai Palace, Mariam Mahal and Panch Mahal were the other structures.
๐Ÿ”นJahangir constructed the tomb of his father at Sikandra near Agra. ๐Ÿ”นHe was responsible for Shalimar Bagh Gardens in Kashmir. ๐Ÿ”นNoorjahan constructed the tomb of Abdur Rahim Kahn,
son of Bairam Khan in Delhi; the tomb of Itamad-ud-Daula (her father) in Agra and tomb of Jahangir at Shahdra near Lahore.
๐Ÿ”นA new technique called Petradurra (inlaid mosaic work) was introduced for the first time under Jahangir and was used in Itamad-ud-Daulaโ€™s tomb for the first time. It was also the
basis for Taj Mahal.
๐Ÿ”นShahjahanโ€™s reign was the Golden age in Mughal architecture. ๐Ÿ”นHe was called Engineer and the Architect for his technical perfection. In Agra, he constructed Khas Mahal, Sheesh Mahal,
Angoori Bagh, Machehi Mahal, Mausambari
and also built Moti Masjid in the Red Fort. ๐Ÿ”นTaj Mahal, built from 1631 A.D. to 1653 A.D., it took 22 years for completion. Till then Mumtaz Mahalโ€™s coffin was kept in Burhanpur where she was born. It is the only pure white marble
building constructed with an estimated cost of 3 crore Dams. ๐Ÿ”นUstad Isa Khan, the chief architect of Shahjahan had drawn the plan of Taj. A Venician engineer, Zerimano Verraneo was also consulted. In Delhi, Shahjahan constructed the Red Fort and within the fort, Diwani-Khas, Diwan-i-Aam and Rang mahal were built.
๐Ÿ”นThe Jami Masjid, the biggest mosque of India was also built by him. ๐Ÿ”นAurangzeb constructed the tomb of his queen Raha-ud-Durrani at Aurangabad on the model of Taj Mahal called Bibi Ka Maqbara (Mini Taj Mahal).
Regional / Provincial Architecture:
๐Ÿ”นThe Jaunpur School of architecture was developed by the Sharqi dynasty. ๐Ÿ”นIts unique aspect was the absence of minarets. The Ataladevi Masjid, constructed by Ibrahim Shah Sharqi is the best example.
In Bengal, the Iliyaz Shahi style developed within the capital city Pondua. ๐Ÿ”น Its unique aspect was โ€“ that minarets were smaller than the main structure. Sikander Shah constructed Adina Masjid at Pondua, the biggest mosque in North-East, constructed on the model of the Great Damascus Masjid (Syria).
๐Ÿ”นIn the Bahmani style of architecture, Red Sandstone was extensively used. Very huge domes were built. Minarets were part of the structure. Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur, constructed by Md.
Adil Shah II
, is the worldโ€™s second biggest dome.
MUSIC:
๐Ÿ”นThe Muslim introduced instruments like Rahab, Shehnai and Sarangi. ๐Ÿ”นThey borrowed Mridangam and Nadaswara from the Hindus. ๐Ÿ”นGunwat-ut-Munga is the earliest among the four forms of music that developed โ€“ Drupad, Khayal, Thumri and Tappa. ๐Ÿ”นSultan Hussain Shah of Jaunpur was the first to introduce Khayal. ๐Ÿ”นFeroz Shah Tughlaq got the text Ragdarpan, that dealt with native music traditions translated into Persian. ๐Ÿ”นRaja Man Singh of Gwalior was responsible for the composition of Mankutuhal, the text that deals with all the modes of Islamic music. ๐Ÿ”นAmir Khusrau, called the โ€˜Parrot of indiaโ€™ was the greatest musician of his times, introduced new rages โ€“ Sanam, Ghora and Aiman. Instruments like Sitar and Tabla were also introduced by him. ๐Ÿ”นQawaali, the devotional from of music also started with
Amir Khusrau.
๐Ÿ”นBaz Bahadur, the king of Malwa and his queen Roopmati were experts in Hindustani music.
๐Ÿ”นMian Tansen, the greatest musician in the court of Akbar, was an expert in Deepak, Darbani and Meghamallar ragas. He belonged to the Gwalior Gharana.
๐Ÿ”นAkbar was an expert in playing Nagara (drums). ๐Ÿ”นOf all the Mughals, Jahangir composed maximum number of songs. ๐Ÿ”นShahjahan was the best known singer and was an expert in
Drupad. ๐Ÿ”น Jagannath Pandit Roy was the greatest singer in the court of Shahjahan. His son Lal Khan was given the title โ€œGunasagarโ€™ by Shahjahan. ๐Ÿ”นAuragzeb banned music but was an accomplished Veena player.
.
PAINTING:
๐Ÿ”นIt started under Humayun. The great Persian Painters in his court were Mir Sayed Ali and Abdus Samad. They were responsible for the text on Mughal painting Daftar-i-Hamza or Hamzanamah which contained 1200 paintings. ๐Ÿ”น The Mughal painters used green, blue and gold colours for outlines. The themes of the paintings were either Court proceedings or palace life. Humayun encouraged more miniatures.
๐Ÿ”นAkbar was the real founder of Mughal School of painting. For him, โ€˜painting was the means 'to realize Godโ€™. ๐Ÿ”นKhorasan Qul and Farukka Beg were the great Persian painters. ๐Ÿ”นLal, Basava, Daswant and Mukund were the Hindu painters ๐Ÿ”น A new technique called โ€œFore Shorteningโ€ was introduced influenced by Renaissance during Akbarโ€™s time. ๐Ÿ”นAkbar encouraged more frescoes and mural paintings.
๐Ÿ”นDuring the reign of Jahangir painting received maximum patronage. ๐Ÿ”น His mastery in painting was such that he could name the painter on seeing the painting. Ustad Mansoor was the greatest painter in the court of Jahangir, popular as the โ€˜Raphael of the Eastโ€™. He was good in
drawing birds, animals and natural objects. He was also invited by the Persian emperor. ๐Ÿ”นThe two developments under Jahangir were that the life size portraits were drawn for the first time and the technique of drawing the straight face was introduced for the first time.