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IndoSaracenicRevivalarchitecture
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

TheIndoSaracenicRevival(alsoknownas
IndoGothic,HindooorHinduGothic,
MughalGothic,NeoMughal)wasan
architecturalstylemovementbyBritish
architectsinthelate19thcenturyinBritish
India.ItdrewelementsfromnativeIndo
IslamicandIndianarchitecture,and
combineditwiththeGothicrevivaland
NeoClassicalstylesfavouredinVictorian
Britain.Thestylegainedmomentuminthe
westwiththepublicationofthevarious
viewsofIndiabyWilliamHodgesandthe
Daniellduo,(WilliamDaniellandhisuncle
ThomasDaniell)fromabout1795.
Saracenicwasatermusedbytheancient
Romanstorefertoapeoplewholivedin
desertareasinandaroundtheRoman
provinceofArabia,andwhowere
distinguishedfromArabs.[1]
ThefirstIndoSaracenicbuildingissaidto
betheChepaukpalace,locatedinthe
neighbourhoodofChepauk,inpresentday
Chennai(Madras).Chennaiissaidto
possessmanybuildingsofthisarchitecture,
someofwhicharetheVictoriaPublicHall,
MadrasHighCourt,SenateHouseofthe
UniversityofMadras,ChennaiCentral
station,etc.Mostofthesebuildingsarenow
classifiedundertheHeritagebuildings
categoryaslaiddownbytheArchaeological
SurveyofIndia(ASI)owingtotheneedfor
theirpreservation.

MadrasHighCourtbuildingsareaprimeexampleofIndo
Saracenicarchitecture,designedbyJWBrassingtonunder
theguidanceoffamousBritisharchitectHenryIrwin

TheVictoriaTerminusinBombay.

Contents
1 IndoSaracenic
2 TheMughalStyle
2.1 DeclineandRevival

NorthBlockoftheSecretariatBuilding,NewDelhi,
designedbyHerbertBaker
Examplesofthe'IndoSaracenic'style

3 TheStyleoutsideIndia
4 Characteristics
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5 Examples
5.1 InBangladesh
5.2 InIndia
5.3 InPakistan
5.4 IntheUnitedKingdom
5.5 InMalaysia
6 Seealso
7 References

IndoSaracenic
ConfluenceofdifferentarchitecturalstyleshadbeenattemptedbeforeduringthemainlyTurkic,Delhi
SultanateandMughalperiods.TurkicandMughalconquestintheIndiansubcontinent,introducednew
conceptsinthealreadyricharchitectureofIndia.Theprevailingstyleofarchitecturewastrabeate,
employingpillars,beamsandlintels.TheTurkicinvadersbroughtinthearcuatestyleofconstruction,
withitsarchesandbeams,whichflourishedunderMughalpatronageandbyincorporatingelementsof
Indianarchitecture,especiallyRajasthaniTemplearchitecture
Localinfluencesalsoleadtodifferent'orders'oftheIndoIslamicstyle.Afterthedisintegrationofthe
TurkicDelhiSultanate,rulersofindividualstatesestablishedtheirownruleandhencetheirown
architecturalstyles,whichwasheavilyinfluencedbylocalstyles.Examplesofthesearethe'Bengal'and
the'Gujarat'schools.Motifssuchaschhajja(Asunshadeoreavelaidoncantileverbracketsfixedinto
andprojectingfromthewalls),corbelbracketswithrichlycarvedpendentivedecorations(describedas
stalactitepedentives),balconies,kiosksorchhatrisandminars(talltowers)werecharacteristicofthe
Mughalarchitecturestyle,whichwastobecomealastinglegacyofthenearlyfourhundredyearsofthe
Mughalrule.

TheMughalStyle
TheMughalstylewasconceivedbyAkbartheGreat,thethirdMughalemperorandalsothearchitectof
theMughalempire.This"Akbari"StylewasanamalgamofearlierTimurid,Persianandindigenous
Indianstyles.Thisstylewasfurtherconsolidatedbyhisgrandsonandfellowarchitectureenthusiast,
ShahJahan.SomeofthesignificantarchitecturallegaciesoftheMughalsareHumayun'sTomb,theTaj
Mahal,theFortsofAgraandLahore,thecityofFatehpurSikri,Akbar'sTomb.

DeclineandRevival
ShahJahanwassucceededbyhispuritanicalson,Aurangzeb,whohadnosoftspotforartand
architecture.[2]Asaresult,Mughalarchitecturesuffered,withallartisansmigratingtoworkunderthe
patronageoflocalrulers.Withnomajorarchitecturalprojectsundertaken,theMughalstylerapidly
declined.ThisdeclinewasevidentinbuildingssuchasBibiKaMaqbara,builtbyAzamShah,sonof
Aurangzeb.However,localrulersembracedthestyle,astheyhademulateditduringtherespective
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reignsofJahangirandShah
Jahan.[3]Thelast
architecturalmarvel
producedduringthiswaning
periodofMughalrulewas
Safdarjung'sTomb,
mausoleumtothesecond
NawabofAwadh.

FeaturesoftheConfluenceof
IndianandPersianstyles

MughalDesignTerms:TheIndo
Persianstyleflourishedinthe
Mughalperiod,andculminatedin
theTajMahal

MughalStylesoonbecame
individualistic,asthe'Akbari'
architecturewasfurtherdeveloped
intothe'Shahjahani'stylein
whichtheparentstylesbecame
lessvisible.

Bytheearly19thcentury,
theBritishhadmade
themselvesthevirtual
mastersoftheIndian
Subcontinent.In1803,their
controlwasfurther
strengthenedwiththedefeat
oftheMarathasunder
DaulatraoScindia.They
legitimizedtheirruleby
takingthethenweak
MughalEmperor,Shah
MughalInteriorsRacinet,c.1876
AlamIIundertheir
protection,andruling
throughhim.However,theirpowerwasyetagainchallengedwhen
in1857,theIndiansoldiersintheiremploy,togetherwithrebellious
princeslashedoutinopenrevolt,whichcametobeknownasthe
Revoltof1857.However,thisuprisingwasdoomedfromthestart,
andwascrushedbytheBritishwithferocity,markingtheendofthe
MughalEmpire.[4]Soonafter,theyembarkedondeliberate
vandalism,bydemolishingsignificantamountofbuildingsinthe
RedFort(theresidenceoftherecentlyextinctMughalEmpire)and
replacingthemwithtoweringandunimpressivebarracks.Itwasthe
firstattempttowardserasingthearchitecturallegacyofthe
Mughals.[5]

However,tousherinanewera,theBritish"Raj",anew
architecturaltraditionhadtobefounded.Hencetheycontemplated
amarriagebetweentheexistingstylesofIndiawithimportedstyles
fromtheWest,suchasGothic(withitssubstylesofFrenchGothic,
DesignVocabularyandchanging
VenetianMoorishetc.),NeoclassicalandArtDeco,Gothiceven
trendsoftheIndoPersianstyle
moresobecausetheirdesignphilosophywasinclinedtowards
grandscale(asisevidencedbybuildingssuchastheTajhotel).By
doingthistheykeptelementsofBritishandEuropeanarchitecture,whileaddingIndiancharacteristics
this,coupledwiththeBritishallowingsomeregionalIndianprincestostayinpower,madetheir
presencemore"palatable"fortheIndians.TheBritishtriedtoencapsulateSouthAsia'spastwithintheir
ownbuildingsandsorepresentBritain'sRajaslegitimate,whileatthesametimeconstructingamodern
networkofrailways,colleges,andlawcourts.

TheStyleoutsideIndia
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ThearchitecturalstylewasexportedtoBritishMalaya(presentdayPeninsularMalaysia)viaBritish
engineersandarchitectsinfluencedbyIndoSaracenicstylingsinBritishIndia.Duringthedesignof
governmentofficesfortheSelangorstategovernmentinKualaLumpurinthelate19thcentury,C.E.
Spooner,thenStateEngineerofthePublicWorksDepartment,favoureda"Mahometanstyle"overa
neoclassicalonetoreflectIslamicmoresintheregion,instructingarchitectCharlesNorman,with
furtherassistancebyR.A.J.Bidwell,toredesignthebuilding.[6]Havingpreviouslyservedinnorthern
India,NormanandBidwellincorporatedvariouselementsofIndoSaracenicarchitectureintothe
building.Uponcompletionin1897,thegovernmentoffices(nowknownastheSultanAbdulSamad
Building),whichwouldlaterhousetheadministrationoftheFederatedMalayStatesandthevarious
postindependencegovernmentaldepartments,becametheoneoftheearliestexamplesofIndo
SaracenicarchitectureinMalaya.[6]Thebuilding'sconstructioninspiredadditionalcivicbuildingsinthe
vicinitytobebuiltinasimilarstyle,whileahandfulofcommercialbuildingsinMalayahavealsobeen
knowntoadoptsomeofthestyle'selements.Thestylewasalsofavouredasoneofseveraladoptedby
BritisharchitectswithregardstoMalayanmosquesastheydidnotfeeltheneedtoadhereaccuratelyto
theculturalheritageandthetraditionalcultureoftheMalays,whoremainprominentinMalayansociety
andareMuslimsbutlackedthemeanstodesignbuildingsoflargescalesboththeJamekMosqueand
UbudiahMosqueareexamplesofmosquesthatresultedfromthiscombination.[7]Whileitspopularity
waslimitedtothe1890stothe1910s,thestylehasinspireddesignsfornewergovernmentsbuildings
fromthelate20thcenturyand21stcentury,suchasseveralpublicbuildingsinPutrajaya.

Characteristics
IndoSaracenicdesignswereintroducedbyBritish
imperialistcolonizers,promotingtheirownsenseof
rightfulselfglorification,whichcametoappealto
theaestheticsensibilitiesofcontinentalEuropeans
andAmericans,whosearchitectscametoastutely
incorporatetellingindigenous"AsianExoticism"
elements,whilstimplementingtheirown
TheRambaghPalaceinJaipur
engineeringinnovationssupportingsuchelaborate
construction,bothinIndiaandabroad,evidencefor
whichcanbefoundtothisdayinpublic,privateandgovernmentownedbuildings.Publicand
Governmentbuildingswereoftenrenderedonanintentionallygrandscale,reflectingandpromotinga
notionofanunassailableandinvincibleBritishEmpire.
Again,structuresofthisdesignsort,particularlythosebuiltinIndiaandEngland,werebuiltin
conformancetoadvancedBritishstructuralengineeringstandardsofthe1800s,whichcametoinclude
infrastructurescomposedofiron,steelandpouredconcrete(theinnovationofreinforcedcementand
precastcementelements,setwithironand/orsteelrods,developedmuchlater)thesamecanbesaid
forlikestructuresbuiltelsewhere,makinguseofthesamedesignvocabulary,bylocalarchitects,that
wouldcometobeconstructedincontinentalEuropeandtheAmericas:IndoSaracenicspopularity
flourishedforaspanofsome30years.
Notable,too,isthattheBritish,infactEuropeansgenerally,hadlongnurturedatastefortheaesthetic
exuberanceofsuchAsianexoticismdesign,asdisplayedininnovativeIndoSaracenicstyleandalso
intheirtasteforChinoiserieandJapanned.Supportedbytheimaginationofskilledartisansofvarious
disciplines,exoticismpromulgateditselfacrossabroaddemographicofBritish,Europeanand
Americascitizenry,Adaptationofsuchdesigninnovationsspilledoverintoanddeterminedthe
aestheticdirectionofmajorarchitecturalprojects,expressingthemselvesintheBaroque,Regencyand
designperiodsbeyond.
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Today,thatspreadofelaborateAsianexoticismdesignfulfillmentremainsevidencedinmany
residentialandgovernmentaledificeswroughtofthemasterpieceinitiativesofthe16th,17thand18th
centuriesmuchhadinitiallybeencontributedbythestupendouslyrichandindulgentseamerchant
VenetianEmpire,whoseexistencespannednearlyamillennium,andwhoseGothicarchitecturecameto
incorporateaplethoraofAsianexoticismelements,suchastheMoorishArchinitswindows,relatedto
thelatter"haremwindow"
Generally,theinsatiablecrazeforAsianexoticismrelishedthoseearlierperiods,testamentaryintheir
parallelChinoiserieexpression,likewise,usheredinthislattercolonialBritishfascinationwiththe
luxuriantexoticismfoundintheindigenousIndiandesignmilieu,whosecharacteristicsincludesthe
followingvocabularylistofdesignelementsandmotifs(oftenparallelingandexpandinguponthe
alreadyornatenessoftheearlierVenetiansuniqueGothicMoorish,alsoknownasVenetianGothic
architectureadmixture):
onion(bulbous)domes
overhangingeaves
pointedarches,cuspedarches,orscallopedarches
vaultedroofs
domedkiosks
manyminiaturedomes
domedchhatris
pinnacles
towersorminarets
haremwindows
openpavilionsorpavilionswithBangalaroofs
piercedopenarcading
Chiefproponentsofthisstyleofarchitecturewerethese:RobertFellowesChisholm,CharlesMant,
HenryIrwin,WilliamEmerson,GeorgeWittetandFrederickStevens,alongwithnumerousotherskilled
professionalsandartisansthroughoutEuropeandtheAmericas.
StructuresbuiltinIndoSaracenicstyleinIndiaandincertainnearbycountrieswerepredominantly
grandpublicedifices,suchasclocktowersandcourthouses.Likewise,civicaswellasmunicipaland
governmentalcollegesalongwithtownhallscountedthisstyleamongitstoprankedandmostprized
structurestothisdayironically,inBritainitself,forexample,KingGeorgeIV'sRoyalPavilionat
Brighton,(whichtwiceinitslifetimehasbeenthreatenedwithbeingtorndown,denigratedbysomeasa
carnivalsideshow,anddismissedbyothersasanarchitecturalfollyofinferiordesign,noless)and
elsewhere,theserareandoftendiminutive(thoughsometimes,asmentioned,ofgrandscale),residential
structuresthatexhibitthiscolonialstylearehighlyvaluableandprizedbythecommunitiesinwhich
theyexistasbeingsomehow"magical"inappearance.
Typically,inIndia,villages,townsandcitesofsomemeanswouldlavishsignificantsumson
constructionofsuch"indigenousethnicarchitecture"whenplansweredrawnupforconstructionofthe
localrailwaystations,museumsandartgalleries.
Thecostinvolvedintheconstructionofbuildingsofthisstylewashigh,includingalltheirinherent
customization,ornamentandminutiadecoration,theartisans'ingenuousskills(stoneandwoodcarving,
aswellastheexquisitelapidary/inlaidwork)andusualaccessibilitytorequisiterawmaterials,hencethe
stylewasexecutedonlyonbuildingsofagrandscale.Howevertheoccasionalresidentialstructureof
thissort,(itsbeingbuiltinpartorwholewithIndoSaracenicdesignelements/motifs)didappearquite
often,andsuchbuildingshavegrownevermorevaluableandhighlyprizedbylocalandforeign
populationsfortheirexuberantbeautytoday.
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Eitherevidencedinapropertysprimaryunitoranyofitsoutbuildings,suchestatecaliberresidential
propertiesluckyenoughtoboostthepresenceofanIndoSaracenicstructure,arestilltobeseen,
generally,whereininstancesurbansprawlhasnotyetovercomethemoftentheyaretobefoundin
exclusiveneighborhoods'(orsurrounded,ascherishedsurvivors,byenormousskyscarpers,inmore
recentlyclaimedurbanizedareasthroughoutthistechnodriven,socioeconomicrevolutionaryera
markingIndiasrecentdecadeshistory),andareoftenlocallyreferredtoas"minipalaces".Usually,
theirformfactorsarethese:townhouse,wingsand/orporticoes.Additionally,moreoftenseenarethe
diminutiverenditionsoftheIndoSaracenicstyle,builtoriginallyforlesserbudgets,findingtheir
nonethelessromanticexpressionintheoccasionalandserenelybeautifulgardenpavilionoutbuildings,
throughouttheworldespecially,inIndiaandEngland.

Examples
InBangladesh

AhsanManzilin
Dhaka

CurzonHallinDhaka

TajhatPalacein
Rangpur

NatoreRajbari

RoseGardenPalace

ShoshiLodgein
Mymensingh

UttaraGonobhaban

InIndia

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TheGatewayofIndia

TheTajMahalHotelin
Bombay

VictoriaPublicHallin
Chennai

MysorePalace

SenateHouse
(UniversityofMadras)

BombayGPO

TheNationalArt
Gallery(Chennai)

VictoriaMemorialin
Calcutta

KhalsaCollege,
Amritsar

RiponBuildingpartof
theChennai
CorporationinChennai

DalyCollege,Indore
bySamuelSwinton
Jacob

CentralSecretariat,
headquartersofthe
govtofIndia

InPakistan

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AitchisonCollege,
Lahore

LahoreMuseum,
Lahore

LahoreGovernment
CollegeUniversity

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SacredHeart
Cathedral,Lahore

SadiqDaneHigh
School,Bahawalpur

GovernmentHigher
SecondarySchool,
Peshawar

Universityofthe
Punjab

NationalAcademyof
PerformingArts,
Karachi

DarbarMahal,
Bahawalpur

IslamiaCollege
University,Peshawar

ClockTower,
Faisalabad

KarachiPortTrust
Headquarters,Karachi

Rwptrain1.jpg,
Rawalpindi

NoorMahal,
Bahawalpur

GhantaGhar(Multan)

KarachiMunicipal
CorporationBuilding

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IntheUnitedKingdom

RoyalPavilionin
Brighton

ElephantTeaRoomsin
Sunderland

SassoonMausoleum,
nowachicBrighton
supperclub

WesternPavilionin
Brighton,designedby
AmonHenryWildsas
hisownhome

SezincoteHouse

InMalaysia

SultanAbdulSamad
BuildinginKuala
Lumpur.

JubileeClockTowerin
GeorgeTown,Penang.

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TextileMuseumin
KualaLumpur.

TheOldHighCourt
BuildinginKuala
Lumpur

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OldKualaLumpur
TownHall.

JamekMosquein
KualaLumpur.

KualaLumpurRailway
Station.

UbudiahMosquein
KualaKangsar,Perak.

Railway
Administration
Building,Kuala
Lumpur.

PerdanaPutrain
ThePalaceofJusticein
Putrajaya,anexample
Putrajaya,another
ofmodernIndo
modernexample.
SaracenicRevival
influencedarchitecture
inMalaysia.

Seealso
MoorishRevivalarchitecture

References
1. "Saracen."EncyclopdiaBritannica.2007
WikimediaCommonshas
(http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article9377754/Saracens).
mediarelatedtoIndo
BritannicaConciseEncyclopedia.23Sept.2007.
SaracenicRevival
2. Hewentasfarasdefacingmanyedificesbuiltbyhisgreat
architecture.
grandfatherAkbar,astheyhadanimalmotifs,somethingwhich
wasforbiddenintheQuran
3. TherulersofRajputanawouldconstructtheirpalacesinMughalstyletoimpresstheiroverlord,theGreat
Mughal.ExamplesofsuchstructuresaretheAmberFortnearthecityofJaipur,theOrchhapalaceinMadhya
PradeshandmostoftheMehrangarhFortinJodhpur
4. ThelastMughalEmperor,BahadurShahIIbecameapawnofthemutineersandwasarrestedandexiledfor
treason
5. OtherdeliberateanddemeaningactionsincludeconvertingtheDiwaneKhas(Privateaudiencehall)intoan
officer'smess,aswellasconvertingtheDiwaneAm(Publicaudiencehall)atAgrafortintoanarsenal
6. Gullick,JohnMichael(1998)."TheBritish'Raj'style",TheEncyclopediaofMalaysia(Architecture),p.82
83.
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7. MizanHashim,David(1998)."IndianandMogulinfluencesonMosques",TheEncyclopediaofMalaysia
(Architecture),p.8485.

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