Jaunpur

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Description

Located along the Gumti River, Jaunpur was established by Firuz Shah Tughluq in the late fourteen century. However, as Tughluq rule weakened, Jaunpur declared independence in 1394 under Khwajasara Malik Sarvar who established the Sharqi dynasty that lasted till 1479.

Jaunpur had been important because it guarded the eastern borders of the Delhi Empire. The Jaunpur Fort built by Firuz Shah is located to the north of the Gumpti River and was also the platform for resistance during the uprising of the Indians against the British in 1857. Under Sharqi rule, architecture developed under a provincial influence that resulted in an Indo-Islamic style noted for its characteristic arched pylons in the center of the facades, two storey arcades, monumental gateways and the unifying use of the depressed four-centered arch with a fringe of ornament. The Atala Majid and the Jami Masjid a good example of Sharqi architecture.

Jaunpur fell to Sikander Lodi of Delhi in 1479 and many of the buildings, except the mosques, were destroyed. It later passed onto the Mughals in the early sixteenth century. The Mun'im Khan Bridge built over the Gumpti River is considered one of the most significant and picturesque of Mughal structures in the city.

Sources:

Burgess, Jas. 1971. The Sharqi Architecture of Jaunpur; With Notes on Zafarabad, Sahet-Mahet and Other Places in the North-Western Province and Oudh. Varanasi, India: Indological Book House, 19.

DK Eyewitness Travel Guides - India. 2002. London: Dorling Kindersley Limited, 199.

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Associated sites

Site	Date	Century	Images
Atala Mosque	1408	15th	19
Bridge of Mun'im Khan	1564-1569	16th	0
Citadel of Jaunpur	1376-77	14th	5
Friday Mosque of Jaunpur	1470	15th	12
Lal Darwaza Mosque	1450	15th	7