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.