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Architectural
Style
This fort
was built in the Afghan-Persian architectural style. Afghan and Persian
Kings had been coming to the Indian subcontinent for at least 5 centuries
before the construction of this fort. Before the construction of this
fort, the combination of these styles had not been harmonious. Rohtas Fort
is the earliest example of the successful mixing of these two styles with
the Afghan style being more prominent.
The
elements of Hindu Architectures are
1. Balconies on Sohail Gate.
2. Decorations on Shahi Mosque derived from Hindu Architecture.
3. Haveli Man Singh (Pure Hindu Architecture).
The
elements of Afghan architecture are
1. Utilitarian Construction.
2. Use of stone instead of bricks in building wall.
3. No Living quarters.
4. Comparatively less decorations.
Rohtas
Fort is an outstanding example of early Muslim military architecture in
the Indian subcontinent which incorporates features from elsewhere in the
Islamic world. It also had a profound influence on the development of
architectural styles in the Mughal Empire (and hence on the European
colonial architecture that made abundant use of that tradition).
It is
also outstanding by virtue of the refinement and high artistic value of
its decorative elements, notably its high- and low-relief carvings, its
calligraphic inscriptions in marble and sandstone, its plaster decoration,
and its glazed tiles. There are no surviving examples of military
architecture of this period on the same scale in the sub-continent which
survive to the same degree of completeness and conservation. Fatehpur
Sikri (India) which is already on the World Heritage List represents the
full Mughal realization of a form and style that owes everything to its
precursor, Rohtas Fort.
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