The Mughal gardens were a type of garden developed during the Mughal Empire, influenced by Persian garden design. They featured elements like elevated terraces, water channels, and carefully planned geometric layouts. The gardens were an important part of Mughal culture, serving as places of leisure for emperors and representing their power and wealth. They also incorporated Islamic concepts of paradise gardens and were inspired by poetry and art. Some of the most famous Mughal gardens include the Taj Mahal garden and Shalimar Bagh.

1. Mughal Gardens
Chhavi
Diksha Dhiman
Kartik Malhotra
Submitted By:
Ar. Richa Singh
Assigned By:

2. Introduction
The monumental palaces, tombs, and
mosques of the Mughals need no
introduction. These buildings came with
grandeur, magnificence, lavishness, and a
dominating visual character. But it is the
gardens the Mughals built, that demand a
special place amidst their splendid
buildings. Mughal gardens are a type of
gardens, developed in Islamic
architectural style by the Mughals. This
style was influenced by the Persian
gardens which is intended to create a
representation of an earthly utopia (a place
of ideal perfection) in which humans co-
exist in perfect harmony with all elements
of nature.

3. Terraces: Terraces are components that preserve the
percentage of land. 7, 8, or 12 terraces represent 7 planets,
8 paradises and 12 zodiac signs, respectively. Because the
Mughal rulers were from a mountainous land, the notion
of creating a garden in terraces came easily to them.
Nahar’s: Water is the life and soul of a Mughal Garden. The
Mughals' love of moving water led them to locate their
gardens near hill slopes and rivulets.
Site layout and design: The locations chosen for this
purpose included a perennial river, the slope of a hill, and
river banks. Mughal gardens are often square or
rectangular in design. It is more than just a garden; it also
acts as a fort, a dwelling, and a pleasant area.
Main Elements

4. High walls: Gardens are surrounded by a high,
robust wall. The wall's summit is decorated
with serrated battlements. The existence of a
high wall was for protection against the
scorching summer winds.
Entrance: The entrances are often towering and
beautiful. The doors are massive wooden
structures studded with iron nails and spikes to
defend the kings and gardens from enemy
attack.
Concept of Baradari: Baradari is a canopied
structure with twelve open doors, three in each
direction. One may sit on a baradari and enjoy
the fresh wind while watching dark clouds and
birds in the sky. The brick pillars of baradari
were painted with floral vase patterns, and the
floor was covered with thick rugs and couches.

5. The Mughals were great supporters of the arts, and their gardens were a
reflection of this. They combined elements of Persian and Islamic garden
design with Indian customs from the area.
The traditional Islamic concept of paradise gardens was combined with the
local Indian love of nature in the Mughal gardens, which were intended to
be a fusion of nature and culture.
These gardens became an important part of Mughal culture and society as a
place of respite, reflection, and entertainment for the emperors of Mughal.
Mughal gardens were a representation of the empire’s wealth and power.
They were intended to be a visual representation of the emperor’s
authority and prestige and were frequently constructed close to tombs,
palaces, and forts.
They were also a significant source of artistic inspiration. They were
celebrated in poetry and literature, and they were depicted in miniatures
and paintings.
Significance of Mughal Gardens

6. Mughal gardens played a significant role in
the empire’s religious and cultural life. They
were believed to be a representation of the
garden of paradise described in the Quran
and were designed to reflect the Islamic
concept of paradise. They served as a place
of spiritual reflection.
They were also a source of inspiration for
Mughal architecture, and many of the
architectural elements and design
characteristics of Mughal gardens were used
to design buildings and monuments.
As a whole, Mughal gardens were an important
part of Mughal culture and society. They were a
reminder of the Mughal people’s love of nature,
a place of respite and relaxation, a reflection of
the empire’s wealth and power, and a source of
inspiration for the arts and architecture.

7. Mughal gardens were broadly classified into
two types:
King’s and Queen’s Pleasure Gardens
The Tomb Garden
These gardens have usually highly disciplined
geometry and are of the following types:
Rectangular
Butterfly
Circular
Terraced
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The earlier gardens were created only for the
enjoyment of the monarch and queen and their
family members, whilst the latter gardens were
linked to the graves of the king or queen in order to
provide serenity to the spirit.
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Most gardens are rectilinear, with four sections
crisscrossed by pathways and water, also known as
the Charbagh concept.

8. Influence of Persian and Islamic garden
ISLAMIC PERSIAN
Persian and Islamic garden design had a significant impact on the Mughal gardens,
which were constructed in India during the Mughal Empire. The use of water
channels, fountains, and pools to create a lush and verdant landscape was a
characteristic feature of Persian gardens, which were also known as paradise
gardens. Water was also a central feature in Islamic gardens, as were geometric
patterns, symmetrical layouts, and the use of trees that provided shade. These
elements were incorporated into the Mughal gardens, which also added their own
distinctive characteristics, such as the utilization of elevated terraces and the
incorporation of architectural elements like pavilions and kiosks. The end result
was a blend of various garden designs that resulted in some of the world’s most
stunning and well-known gardens.

10. The Mughal Empire, which spanned the 16th to the
19th centuries, was responsible for the development
of Mughal garden design. The concept of a planned
garden, also known as the Charbagh was introduced
in South Asia by the Mughal Empire’s founder Babur.
The garden is referred to as bagh, bageecha or
bagicha. These gardens are said to represent a
reminiscence of paradise. he proceeded to build
gardens and other waterworks to remind him of his
ancestral country, which was continued by his
successors Babur. The first garden was established
by him in Afghanistan. He lamented the fact that Al-
Hind lacked running water in gardens or residences
and the existing ones had no walls contradicting to
Babur’s idea of enclosed gardens, in his memoirs.
Development of Mughal Garden Design

11. Babur’s successor, Emperor Akbar, developed
the Charbagh concept and designed some of the
most stunning Mughal gardens ever. He
experimented with new architectural elements
like pavilions and kiosks (a small structure with
one or more open sides that is used to vend
merchandise or services) and constructed
numerous large gardens, including the gardens
at Lahore and Fatehpur Sikri. Akbar built several
gardens first in Delhi, then in Agra, Akbar's new
capital. These tended to be riverfront gardens
rather than the fortress gardens that his
predecessors built. Building riverfront rather
than fortress gardens influenced later Mughal
garden architecture considerably. He built Aam
Khaas Bagh

12. Akbar's son, Jahangir, did not build as much, but he
helped to lay out the famous Shalimar garden and was
known for his great love for flowers. His trips to
Kashmir are believed to have begun a fashion for
naturalistic and abundant floral design. The Mughal
garden tradition was continued and expanded upon
by Emperor Jahangir. He started several gardens to
grow rare plants because he was particularly
interested in botany and horticulture.

13. Jahangir's son, Shah Jahan, marks the apex of
Mughal garden architecture and floral design.
He is famous for the construction of the Taj
Mahal, a sprawling funereal paradise in memory
of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. He is also
responsible for the Red Fort at Delhi and the
Mahtab Bagh, a night garden that was filled with
night-blooming jasmine and other pale flowers,
located opposite the Taj across the Yamuna river
at Agra. The pavilions within are faced with
white marble to glow in the moonlight. This and
the marble of the Taj Mahal are inlaid with
semiprecious stone depicting scrolling
naturalistic floral motifs, the most important
being the tulip, which Shah Jahan adopted as a
personal symbol.

14. Some Famous Mughal Gardens
Laal Bagh, Karnataka
Red Fort, Delhi
Humayun’s Tomb,
Delhi
Roshanara Bagh, Delhi
Shalimar Bagh, Delhi
Bagh-e-Babur, Kabul,
Afghanistan
Shahi Bagh, Pakistan
Hazuri Bagh, Pakistan
Gulabi Bagh, Pakistan
Pinjore Gardens, Haryana
Aam Khaas Bagh, Punjab
Naseem Bagh, Jammu &
Kashmir
Chashma Shahi, Jammu &
Kashmir
Jahangir’s Garden, Rajasthan
Bibi Ka Maqbara, Maharashtra
Agra Fort, Uttar Pradesh
Khusro Bagh, Uttar Pradesh
Taj Mahal, Uttar Pradesh

15. Thank You!