Five Monuments of the Medieval Period

Sanchi Stupa, Madhya Pradesh

• Sanchi Stupa is located in Madhya Pradesh and was built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the 3rd Century BC.
• The stupa houses the ashes of Lord Gautam Buddha and is one of the main shrines of Buddhism.
• Various statues of Buddha are a source of attraction in this monument which are placed at the entrances of the stupa. These sculptures show scenes from Jataka tales and Buddha’s life. They were added to the stupa in approximately the 5th century AD.

Charminar, Telangana

• This beautiful monument is located in the city of Hyderabad in Telangana. 
• The literal meaning of the name Charminar is “four minars”.
• This monument was built during the Medieval Period in 1591 by Muhammad Qutb Shah, the fifth king of the Qutb Shahi Dynasty. It was built to commemorate the end of the plague pandemic.
• It was designed by Mir Momin Astarabadi, an Iranian architect who settled in Hyderabad.

Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi

• This tomb was built in Delhi and is said to be the first garden-tomb in the Indian subcontinent.
• Built by Bega Begum, also known as Haji Begum, it is an example of a Charbagh, or garden with four quadrants.
• The construction of the tomb started in 1565 and was completed in 1572. 
• The monument is an octagon with 4 long sides and 4 diagonal lines.
• Crafted from red sandstone face stone with white and black marble, it has around 150 Mughals are buried in this tomb, so it is known as the “Mughal Dormitory”.

Victoria Memorial, West Bengal

• It is located in Calcutta (Kolkata) and was made by Lord Curzon in memory of Queen Victoria.
• The foundation stone of this monument was laid down by King George V, the then Prince of Wales, on January 4, 1906, and it was formally opened to the public in 1921.
• The architecture building was designed by William Emerson, the then President of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
• This monument is made up of Makrana Marble and is based on the Indo-saracenic style of architecture with a mix of influences from Egyptian, Venetian, Deccan, and Islamic elements.

Taj Mahal, Agra

• Considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, this beautiful monument is located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, which was also the capital of the Mughal Empire.
• Considered a symbol of love, it was built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal to fulfill one of the 4 promises made by him to his wife. Unfortunately, Mumtaz Mahal died before the completion of the construction of the Taj Mahal.
• Its construction was done in the year 1631 on the banks of the Yamuna river on a large sandstone base.
• The Taj Mahal is built using white Makrana marble from Rajasthan. Precious gems and stones have also been used in the construction of the Taj Mahal such as Lapis Lazuli from Afghanistan.

The Medieval period of India is marked as a post-classical era and is mostly between the 8th-18th centuries. Different developments in the field of religion, technology, art, and linguistic changes took place in this era. A few important monuments of the medieval period are listed below:

• Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple, Tamil Nadu
• Sanchi Stupa, Madhya Pradesh
• Charminar, Telangana
• Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi
• Victoria Memorial, West Bengal
• Bom Jesus Basilica, Goa
• Taj Mahal, Agra
• Sun Temple, Odisha
• Qutub Minar, New Delhi
• Fatehpur Sikri
• Golgumbaz, Karnataka
• Red Fort
• Jama Masjid
• Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque 
• Alai Darwaza 
• Iron Pillar
• Hawa Mahal