Question

The Mughal Architecture is a blending of
1. Arab and Indian styles
2. Persian and Indian styles
3. Turkish and Afghan styles
4. Turkish and Persian styles

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : Persian and Indian styles

• Mughal Architecture is the blend of Indian and Persian elements that makes Mughal architecture so unique.
• Typical features include huge, onion-shaped domes crowning commemorative monuments, with smaller domed buildings and minarets standing symmetrically on either side.
• There are impressive entrances and gateways, within tall turreted walls, and water features and quadrilateral gardens.
• White marble, red sandstone and, less commonly, limestone, are typical construction materials as well as semi-precious stones and coloured marble which are inlaid as decorations.
• Understated lattice work appears throughout as well as verses from the Quran inscribed on interior and exterior walls in Persian and Arabic. Royal palaces are often surrounded by symmetrical gardens featuring walkways and water channels. These stand in contrast to the stark courtyards within the mosques, which can hold enormous congregations.
• The Mughal style of miniature painting was responsible for the amalgamation of indigenous themes and styles along with Persian and later European themes and styles. The arts of this period reflect a synthesis of foreign influences and indigenous flavour.
• The peak of Mughal painting presented a highly sophisticated blend of the Islamic, Hindu and European visual culture and aesthetics. 
• Akbar personally engaged with the artists, and supervised and evaluated the artworks. The Mughal painting under Akbar’s patronage depicted a variety of subjects, including, detailed political conquests, seminal court scenes, secular texts, portraits of important men along with Hindu mythologies, and Persian and Islamic themes.