 Shahjahanabad was built between 1639 and 1648 on the banks of Yamuna.

It
remained the home of the Mughal emperor until 1858 although it lost its status as an
imperial capital. 
 It was located in the Delhi Triangle. The Delhi Triangle was enclosed by the Aravallis
and the Yamuna, hence providing a strategic location for many rulers.  Delhi had
been the capital of the Sultanate for centuries, hence this location provided
legitimacy to the Mughals as the successors of the first Muslim rulers of the Indian
subcontinent. 
 The city of Shahjahanabad represented the patrimonial-bureaucratic nature of the
Mughal Empire. Max Weber defined the patrimonial state as a state centred around
the patriarchal family and the imperial household. The ruler saw his kingdom as an
extension of his household. 
 But in the case of larger and more complex states, controlling the whole realm as if it
were an extension of the imperial household, was obviously impractical. Thus the
patrimonial-bureaucratic empire was a compromise of the patrimonial principle. 
 Imperial cities like Shahjanabad acted as a metaphor for the patrimonial control of
the emperor over his realm. The emperor dominated life in the city and also the
urban landscape. The arrangement of mansions, mosques, shops and gardens
mimicked the patterns of the palace complex. The norms of social interaction which
were practiced by the residents of the palace were considered the ideal all across the
city. The imperial capital was essentially a miniature version of the empire.
 The imperial household and the houses of the nobles had workshops attached to
them which were the major sites of craft production. The cultural life of the city also
revolved around the royal and noble households. 
 The sovereign city was presented as an axis mundi which is the meeting place of
heaven and earth. The imperial palace was not only the centre of the city but the
centre of the whole universe. This belief also existed in the Brahmanical tradition. 

 Shahjahan was a skilled general and had already consolidated Mughal rule over
much of the Indian subcontinent by the middle of his reign. This left him free to
indulge in patronising the arts. He was most interested in patronising architecture
which would speak of his glory and carry on his legacy for generations. This was
coupled with a keen appreciation and understanding of the art of architecture.
 His decision to build a new capital was also inspired by the desire to distinguish
himself from his predecessors. The other motivating factor was the increasing
unsuitability of the city of Agra. Agra was plagued by erosion, infiltration of water,
overcrowding and so on. 
 Although Delhi had not been the capital for about 150 years, its symbolic importance
as the centre of Muslim rule in India had not faded away. It was revered as the
birthplace of emperors and a pilgrimage system.
 The sacred nature of the site was reinforced during the foundation of
Shahjahanabad. The astrologers specified the exact time for laying the foundation of
the new capital. The emperor first entered the palace on an auspicious day. A great
celebration was held on this occasion. Singers, and dancers from Iran, Turan,
Kashmir and Hindustan performed in the celebrations.
 Shahjahanabad was surrounded by a stone wall which was surmounted by towers
and broken for gateways. The seven major gates- the Kashmiri, Lahori, Kabuli, Mori,
Ajmari, Turkomani and Akbarabadi gates bore most of the traffic in and out of the
city. 

 The city plan was influenced by both Hindu and Islamic traditions. The streets were
laid out in accordance with a design from the Vastu Shastras. According to the Vastu
 Shastras, the most auspicious place in a city is at the juncture of the two main
streets. In Hindu cities, a temple of Vishnu or Shiva usually occupied this spot. In
Shahjahabad the palace fortress is placed on this spot. 
 The architecture of Shahjahanabad is also informed by the text of the cosmological
role of architecture called the Rasail. The Rasails centres around the idea of the
relationship between man and the universe as the basis of architecture. A city
combines the symbolic principles of both, man and the universe.
 The design of the city was supposed to emulate the human body. The central bazaar
formed the backbone, the palace the head, the Jami masjid the heart and so on. 
 All the important structures including the palace-fortress, Jami masjid and the central
bazaar faced towards the west- the direction of Mecca.  
 The boundary wall represented the cosmos and the eight gates stood for the four
cardinal directions and the four gates of heaven. 
 The mixed nature of the influences behind the city symbolised the unique position of
the Mughals, as Muslim rulers who reigned over a predominately Hindu population. 

  The palace-fortress 
 The palace-fortress was called the Qila-i-Mubarak. It was located near the Eastern
boundary of the city, near the Yamuna. It was largely constructed out of red
sandstone quarried outside Fatehpur Sikri. 
 Shahjahan put two life-sized elephant statues to guard the main gates. Aurangazeb
had them torn down because he considered them sacrilegious. 
 Between the fortress and the rest of the city stood a moat, and a series of gardens.
The large mass of greenery and flowers created a beautiful contrast against the red
walls of the fort. 
 There was a sandy beach along the river on the East of the fort. Here subjects
assembled to catch a glimpse of the emperor during jharokha darshan. Elephant
fights were also held for the entertainment of the emperor. 
 For the Mughal emperors, the fort served as both their residence and their office.
 The road connecting the Akbaradi and Salimgarh gates divided the fortress into two
sections. The larger section had limited access. It contained both residential and
administrative structures. 
 This section included the mansions of the royal wives, sisters, daughters and
concubines. This was the harem and only men from the royal family and trusted
servants could enter this area. The most important structure in this area was the
Imitiaz or Mumtaz Mahal. A pathway connected the throne of the emperor in the Hall
of Ordinary Audience to the Imitiaz Mahal and its adjoining garden. After finishing his
official work, the emperor used to relax, play with his children and listen to music. 
 North of the Imitiaz Mahal stood the Aramgah or the Khwabgah (Place of rest and
sleep). The balcony for the jharokha-i darshan was attached to this structure. Here
the emperor heard the petitions and complaints of his subjects. 
 In the South, the living quarters of the harem were located. The rooms were
decorated with gold-inlay work and bright paintings. 
 An offshoot of the  Nahr-i-Bihist ( the Paradise Canal) watered the fountains, pools
and gardens of the harem. 
 The largest apartment belonged to Jahanara Begum, the favourite daughter of
Shahjahan. 
 To the north, the Hall of Ordinary Audience stood. The structure contained a
decorated niche to hold the emperor’s throne and a marble courtyard where the
nobles stood in attendance which was supported by forty pillars.
 At the western end of the courtyard, was the Naqqar khana or the drum house from
where martial music was played.  
 In the Hall of Ordinary Audience, the emperor dealt with routine military,
administrative and financial matters.
 East of this structure stood the Hall of Special Audience, also known as the Shah
Mahal (the king’s palace). This was the most magnificent structure of the complex
made entirely out of white marble. Its lower walls were decorated with agate, pearls
and other precious stones and its upper walls were richly painted with designs of fruit
trees and flowers. Little pieces of gold and glass sparkled and added to the
magnificence of the structure. 
 The legendary peacock throne was placed in the middle of the hall. It was exquisitely
decorated with rubies, emeralds, pearls and diamonds. The two peacocks on its
canopy lent it its name. 
 North of the Hall of Special Audience, lay the Hammam or the bathhouse. The bath
was an important part of Islamic community life. The Hammam was built of marble
and decorated with mosaics, pieces of glass and bright paintings. 
 Nearby the Moti Masjid, the only structure in the fort complex commissioned by
Aurangazeb was located. It was a small but beautiful mosque made out of marble.
 In the northern sector beautiful gardens named Hayat Baksh and Mahtab were laid
out. At the back two marble pavilions named after the Hindu monsoon months- 
Bahadun and Sawan- were built. 
 North of the gardens lay the mansions of the younger princes. The mansions of more
important princes like Dara Shikoh and Aurangazenb were located outside the palace
fortress. 
 There was an open square called Jilau Khanah, in front of the Naqqar khana. All the
nobles, mansabdars, ambassadors, officials and petitioners gathered here before
attending the daily audience. 
 A covered bazaar stretched from the Lahori gate and the Jilau Khanah. 
 The stables, storerooms, treasuries, mints and various workshops were located in
the Northwest. 
 The rest of the space housed the soldiers, clerks, artisans, poets, physicians,
scholars and religious specialists who were employed by the imperial household. 
 The immortal words of Amir Khusro which were inscribed on the walls of the Hall of
Special Audience perfectly describe the awe the magnificence and scale of the
palace-fortress created among onlookers-
If there is paradise on earth,
This is it, this is it, this is it

 Many types of dwellings existed in the city of Shahjanabad. The great amirs and
princes lived in grand mansions complete with gardens and waterways. Ordinary
merchants often lived in the quarters behind their shops. Soldiers, servants,
craftsmen and others lived inside the walls of the palace-fortress or the mansions or
straw-thatched mud huts scattered around the city. With time these huts occupied
most of the space in the city and made it congested.
 The mansions of important people were modelled after the palace fortress. The
mansions usually were surrounded by a boundary wall and a grand gateway. They
usually had a large forecourt encircled by an arcade of rooms that housed the
servants and animals, living quarters for the amir and his family, a Teh Khana or
underground chamber where the family would go to escape the heat during
summers, a Diwan Khanah or audience hall for receiving guests, a library, a bath, a
mosque for the personal use of the household and a well-maintained garden. Many
people who were part of the great prince or Amir’s entourage made thatched huts
outside the mansions. Shops grew around large mansions to cater to the needs of
the household. Large mansions dominated all spheres of life in their sectors of the
city as the palace-fortress dominated the whole city. 
 Mosques were the most important kind of religious structures in the Mughal city. Most
mosques had a similar plan. A large, open courtyard was built in the middle. The
prayer hall lay at the western end. At the centre of the west wall, a decorated niche or
mihrab was constructed which indicated the direction of Mecca.  Next to the mihrab,
a pulpit was placed from which the imam read the Quran and conducted prayers.
There were usually a couple of minarets at the ends of the courtyard which were
used to call the faithful to prayer. A private chamber with a screen was provided for
the women. There was a pool in the middle of the courtyard where people washed up
before praying. Most mosques also had apartments for scholars and travellers and a
madrasa. 
 Mosques were found in almost every locality of Shahjahanabad. The mosques of
Shahjahanad can be categorised within a hierarchy. The top tier of the hierarchy was
occupied by the Jami Masjid. This was the largest mosque in India and dominated
the city. It also played a political role as the place where changes in rulers were
announced and people came to express their grievances about the political,
socioeconomic and religious policies of the state. 
 The Jami Masjid was followed by 8 elite mosques built by begums and great amirs.
These included the Fatehpuri and Akbarabadi mosques built by the wives of
Shahjahan. These mosques performed the same functions for their sectors of the city
as the Jami Masjid performed for the whole city.
 At the bottom tier were neighbourhood mosques commissioned by amirs,
mansabdars, merchants and craft groups.

 Apart from this, the city contained bustling bazaars, caravanserais, dargahs and
gardens. The city expanded across the walled enclosure into suburbs like
Mughalpura, Sabzi Mandi and Paharganj. 
 In the cities of Mughal India, as in other cities of Islamic West Asia, public buildings
were the result of private impulse. Baths, mosques, wells, caravansarais, bridges,
canals, and gardens were erected, repaired, and maintained not by the state or
municipality but by the urban nobility. Construction of public buildings, like the giving
of alms, was a religious duty and the great men of Shahjahanabad acquired merit
and a kind of immortality