Colonial influences on landscape of india

COLONIAL INFLUENCES ON LANDSCAPE OF INDIA Edwin Lutyens Delhi, Monuments,
memorials and other public parks
COLONIAL INFLUENCE IN LANDSCAPE OF INDIA | 1
“ There will never be great
architects or great architecture
without great patrons”[ ]

COLONIALIZATION IN INDIA
Portuguese
(1505–1961)
Dutch
(1605- 1825)
British
(1612-1947)
French
(1759–1954)

1885
The Indian
National
Congress
founded for
educated
Indians to voice
their opinions
1905
The British
partitioned
Bengal, and so
provoked the
first major
resistance
against them
1919
The Punjab
disturbances
and the
notorious
massacre by
General Dyer
marked nation-
wide movement
against the
British
1920to1922
1930to1931
1942
15August1947
Gandhi led
the non-
cooperation
movement
against the
British
Gandhi also
led a
campaign of
civil
disobedience
against the
British
Gandhi
issued the
call to the
British to
'Quit India'
India gained
independence
form British
rule
TIMELINE OF BRITISH COLONIAL PERIOD

COLONIAL PERIOD - INTRODUCTION
India’s architecture and its archaeological remains did not escape the scrutiny of the vast colonial enterprise of
collecting, classifying, and interpreting the country’s past, languages, races, and antiquities.
William Jones’ discovery of Indo-European group of languages in 1780s on the basis of shared origin of Sanskrit
with Greek, Latin, Celtic and other European languages set into motion the racial and cultural myth of origin.
Aryans - who had in ancient times moved from their home in steppes of southern Russia to Western Europe and
Northern India. Naturally, given the European dominance in the world, Aryans (Europeans) came to be regarded as
superior to Semitic, black African, and Mongoloid races.
For the colonialist, the myth of common racial origins between Europeans and Indians was problematic in its implied
similarity between the two. This was unpalatable to colonial ideology that desperately needed to justify colonial
rule on the basis of European supremacy in all spheres - religious, cultural, economic, technological, and racial.
The myth of common origin however served the useful purpose of justifying colonial rule on the grounds that
improvement could be possible and desirable. The English language, British institutions, and Christianity would
have an uplifting effect on the Indian society as a whole and redeem European conquest and exploitation.
Origin and Degeneration Myths

COLONIAL PERIOD
James Fergusson (1808-1886) was a renaissance scholar of the Victorian age, seek to judge Indian art and architecture
negatively on the whole even though he believed it to be a living art and favourably compared the work of Indian artisan
with those of his educated European counterparts.
History of Indian and Eastern Architecture by was first published in 1876. His four volume History of Architecture in All
Countries from Earliest Times to the Present Day, was the rst one to aspire to an universal architectural history.
The writings of James Fergusson have been widely criticized for connecting race with architectural styles. Yet his stylistic
classification scheme exercised a far reaching in uence, to the extent that new texts written a century later, have not
escaped its in uence altogether.
Havell (1913; 1915) wrote a comprehensive survey of the architectural history of the subcontinent, He refuted it by taking
Indo-Aryan philosophy and religion as the major inspiration for all art and architectural forms in India. He attempted to
decode the symbolism of many architectural motifs, tracing them to Indo-Aryan villages that he thought represented best
the ethos of the Indo-Aryan culture.
Percy Brown’s two-volume survey of Indian Architecture published in the early 1940s, Brown discards the term ‘Saracenic’,
using instead ‘Indo-Islamic’ since ‘India produced more notable buildings than all the other countries that came under the
infuence of Islam’.
Beginnings of Historiography

EVOLUTION OF TOWNS AND CITIES
After the Revolt of 1857 British attitudes in India were shaped by a constant fear of rebellion. They felt that
towns needed to be better defended, and white people had to live in more secure and segregated enclaves,
“away from the threat of the natives”. Pasturelands and agricultural fields around the older towns were cleared,
and new urban spaces called “Civil Lines” were set up.
With broad streets, bungalows set amidst large gardens, barracks, parade ground and church, they were meant
as a safe heaven for Europeans as well as a model of ordered urban life in contrast to the densely built-up
Indian towns.
DELHI : THE NEW CAPITAL OF INDIA
Reasons for the shifting of the capital:
• Controversial partitioning of Bengal In 1905 - right to vote between Bengali Hindus and Muslims.
• Delhi’s geographical position at the centre of northern India (roughly equidistant from Bombay and Calcutta)
• Delhi’s historic importance (Important seat of the Mughal empire) (For Hindus – Mahabharata-era city of
Indraprastah)
• Perceived political need to rearticulate British power.

NEW DELHI - LOCATION
The Site was chosen to the South of Existing City of
Shahjahanabad
Site selection parameters:
•Health
•Questions of Sanitation
•Sentiments and Costs
•Commercial, Civil and Military requirements
•Room for Expansion
•Facilities for internal and external Communications
•Adequate Water supply

PLANNING OF NEW DELHI
Delhi was chosen as the suitable capital to symbolize the permanence of British rule in India to lay claim to India’s
past.
Lord Harding, the then Viceroy of India wanted a BLEND OF INDIAN SENTIMENTS in the building of New Delhi
along with the “simple forms, mathematical restraint, noble ideas from Greek art.”
“Constructive and geometric qualities to manifest the law, order and governance.”
An architect Edwin Lutyens, was invited to design the new city. He began planning in 1911 & finished in 1931.
Lutyens was famously not a fan of Indian architecture. With such views commonly held, Lutyens and the other
Britsh involved in the creation of New Delhi debated how far Indian influences should be reflected in the design of
their colonial capital. At the outset Viceroy wanted the buildings to have a generally Indian appearance, in order
to symbolize the increasing role of Indians in government; but mindful of the strong dislike for Indian traditions
among British in India, he proposed a compromise style which would include Indian elements.

NEW DELHI

EDWIN LANDSEER LUTYENS’S DELHI
Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens, was a leading 20th century British architect and garden designer. who is known for
imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. His designs all followed
the Arts and Crafts style, but in the early 1900s his work became more classical in style.
Lutyens worked on many projects, producing some of the best country houses and gardens which have ever
been made in England.
Lutyens had initially designed Delhi with all the streets crossing at right angles, much like in New York. However,
Lord Hardinge told him of the dust storms that sweep the landscape in these parts, insisting on roundabouts,
hedges and trees to break their force, giving him the plans of Rome, Paris and Washington to study and apply
to Delhi.
The plan reflects Lutyens’ “transcendent fervour for geometric symmetry,” which is expressed through amazing
sequences of triangles and hexagons, through sightlines and axes.

+ +
PARIS ROME WASHINGTON DC
INFLUENCE OF OTHER COUNTRIES PLANNING IN DELHI
WITH ITS ASSERTIVE AVENUES, VISTAS, AXIAL APPROACH, AND FOCI, THE
DESIGN OF NEW DELHI WAS INSPIRED BY THE PLAN OF PARIS, ROME
AND WASHINGTON DC.

NEW DELHI WASHINGTON DC

INDIA GATERAJPATH
PARIS
WASHINGTON DCCOLONIAL INFLUENCE IN LANDSCAPE OF INDIA | 15

NEW DELHIWASHINGTON DC

WASHINGTON DC NEW DELHI
The 145 feet tall Jaipur Column, standing on the Rashtrapati Bhavan Forecourt was gifted by Maharaja of Jaipur, Siwai Madho Singh to
commemorate the creation of Delhi as the new capital. Which is strategically placed similar to that of Washington DC.

NEW DELHIWASHINGTON DC

RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN
[ GOVERNMENT HOUSE ]

GOVERNMENT HOUSE| RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN
•Broad, long avenues flanked by sprawling lawns, with impressive monuments punctuating
the avenue, and the symbolic seat of power at the end - this was what Lutyens aimed
for, and he found the perfect geographical location in the low Raisina Hill, west of
Dinpanah (Purana Qila).
•Lutyens noticed that a straight line could connect Raisina Hill to Purana Qila (thus,
symbolically, connecting the old with the new). This hill, therefore, became the focus of
Lutyens’ and Baker’s plans for the new city.
•As per the plans, atop Raisina Hill would stand the Government House (today,
Rashtrapati Bhavan). Below it would be the main offices of the government, the
Secretariat.
•From Government House, a long wide avenue - King’s Way (Rajpath) would sweep down
the hill and away into the distance, in the direction of Purana Qila. Midway would be a
grand memorial arch, India Gate.
•On either side, connected by straight roads at precise angles to King’s Way, would be
other government and public buildings, all impressive proofs of British imperial authority.
Raisina Hill for locating the viceroy’s
palace because:
1. It was a well drained.
2. Constituted of slopes and plains
between the ridge and the river.
3. Its eastern and southern margins were
studded with monuments of vanished
empires. A broad crescent from
Shahjahanabad and Kotla Firoz Shah,
south to Tughlaqabad and the Qutub
with tombs of Safdarjung and Lodhis
as well as Jantar Mantar in the
foreground could be viewed from the
site.

SERIAL VISION | RAJ PATH
RASTRAPATHI BHAVAN SECRATARIAT INDIA GATE
• This technique is used to manipulate the elements of the town so that
impact on the emotions is achieved.
• This technique generally utilizes the terrain of the town efficiently.
• This technique was invented by Gordon Cullen.
• Lutyens used this technique in order to design Raj Path.
• Raj Path extends from India Gate to the Rashtrapati Bahavan.

MUGHAL GARDENS,
RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN
[ MONUMENTS ]

EDWIN LUTYENS GARDEN
A successful mix of Indian and European influences, the fifteen acres of gardens were laid out by Edwin Lutyens, the British
architect who designed the palace itself and much of the surrounding colonial city of New Delhi in the 1920s and 30s.
[ For the palace gardens and other landscape features, the issue was coloured by two important books published during the time
New Delhi was being built, and both probably deliberately seeking to influence the debate in favour of traditional Mughal
elements: first, Constance Mary Villiers Stuart’s Gardens of the Great Mughals, published in 1913; and second, Indian Gardens
[Indische Gärten], also by a woman, Marie Luise Gothein, which appeared in 1926. Certainly Lutyens’ original plans for an
artlessly planted English-style garden behind the palace were to change dramatically. ]
The plan he finally produced for the site, inspired by gardens he had visited in Agra and Kashmir, reflected the pleasing
geometry and balance of Mughal gardens, their beautiful stonework, and the plentiful use of water in rills and fountains to
divide the gardens into quadrilateral patterns. These ideas were to some extent a natural progression for Lutyens from the
arts and crafts style he had established in his English designs, such as the delightful garden at Hestercombe in Somerset.
To these Mughal influences at the palace gardens Lutyens added two very British lawns designed for entertaining, and many
large geometric flower beds usually described as English in style (although originally many Mughal gardens would have had
similar masses of colourful flowers). To provide year-round structure among the flowers, the main garden is punctuated by
clipped specimens of the fragrant native maulsari tree (Mimusops elengi) and by columnar cypress.

INFLUENCE OF ELEMENTS IN MUGHAL GARDENS
+
CHARBAGH WASHINGTON DC
+
ARTS AND CRAFTS STYLE
Spread over a vast expanse of 15 acres, Mughal Gardens has often been portrayed, and deservedly so, as the soul of the
Presidential Palace. The Mughal Gardens draw its inspiration from the Mughal Gardens of Jammu and Kashmir, the gardens around
the Taj Mahal and even miniature paintings of India and Persia.

RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN AND MUGHAL GARDENS

LANDSCAPE DESIGN
•Sir Edwin Lutyens had finalized the designs of the Mughal Gardens as early as 1917, however, it was only during the year
1928-1929 that plantings were done. His collaborator for the gardens was Director of Horticulture, William Mustoe. Like
the building of Rashtrapati Bhavan have two different styles of architecture, Indian and western, similarly, Sir Lutyens
brought together two different horticulture traditions together for the gardens, the Mughal style and the English flower
garden. Mughal canals, terraces and flowering shrubs are beautifully blended with European flowerbeds, lawns and
private hedges.
•This luxurious garden in Delhi is divided into three sections namely Rectangular Garden, Long Garden and Circular
Garden
• The entire garden space consists of rare to rarest species of flowers and the greenery. Rose remains a key feature of the
Mughal Gardens even today. The Gardens boasts of growing 159 celebrated varieties of roses which blossom primarily in
the month of February and March.
•Apart from roses, tulips, Asiatic lilies, daffodils, hyacinth and other seasonal flowers beautify the gardens of Rashtrapati
Bhavan. There are more than seventy varieties of seasonal flowers including exotic bulbous and winter flowering plants. The
garden also grows 60 of the 101 known types of bougainvilleas. The garden derives its evergreen texture from Moulsari,
Cypress, China Orange, Gardenia and climbers.

MUGHAL GARDEN PLAN AERIAL VIEW OF MUGHAL GARDEN

LANDSCAPE DESIGN
•The Mughal Gardens contiguous to the main building of Rashtrapati Bhavan is one of the most beautiful gardens of the world.
•Its beauty lies in its design and its flora, trees, bushes, vines, lawn grass and seasonal flowers. The Gardens are inspired by the
Mughal Gardens of Jammu and Kashmir, the garden around the Taj Mahal as well as Persian and Indian miniature paintings, also
includes many elements of British garden art.
•Mughal canals and terraces at different levels and flowering shrubs fuse with European flower beds, lawns and privet hedges. The
geometrical decorum and the play with water which are the essence of Mughal Gardens have been combined with the organized
caprice of a British garden. Indigenous trees and shrubs, fountains, water channels and ponds bring in a sense of coolness and
purity.
•The Mughal Gardens is designed as three successive terraces, the first is Rectangular Garden adjacent to the main building of
Rashtrapati Bhavan in which two 2 parallel water channels running North to South and two running East to West divide this garden
in a grid of squares.
•At the crossings of channels water spouts from fountains trickle down through three layered sandstone which is carved like lotus
leaves.

LANDSCAPE DESIGN - GARDENS
•The Rectangular Garden has several winter seasonal bulbous and flowering beds with a variety of Roses being the centre of
attraction. Tulips, one of the most admired and exotic variety of flowering plants is now the pride of the Central Lawn and Circular
Garden.
•The central part or the Rectangular Garden is followed by the Long Garden or the ‘Purdah’ Garden which is located to the west
of the main garden and runs along either side of the central pavement which leads to the Circular Garden. The Purdah Garden as
its name indicates is enclosed by walls about 12 feet high and has 16 squares of attractive rose beds hemmed in low hedges.
•The third portion of the Mughal Garden is the Circular (‘Pearl’ or ‘Butterfly’ or ‘Sunken’) Garden in the western most portion, being
planted with fragrant varieties of flowers. Originally named as ‘Butterfly’ Garden by the creator, it has high walls all around and
descending steps like in an amphitheatre. The fragrant variety of flowers in the lawns and water pool in the centre with fountains
give a sublime feel to the visitor.
•All the three terraces of the Mughal Gardens along with other gardens of the estate are filled with splendid colours of winter
seasonal flowers, roses, exotic bulbous plants, shrubs, variety of creepers and flowering trees from mid-February to mid-March.

INDIA GATE
[ MEMORIAL]

CHAMPS ÉLYSÉES, PARIS
INDIA GATE
ARC DU TRIOMPHE, PARIS
In keeping with the concept of an impressive central vista, Lutyens and Baker
envisaged a massive memorial arch to form one of the structures of the main axis, that
is the King’s Way. The ‘All India War Memorial’ would be to King’s Way what the
Arc du Triomphe is to the Champs Élysées.

COLONIAL INFLUENCE IN LANDSCAPE OF INDIA | 40RAJPATH

RASTRAPATHI BHAVAN AND THE CENTRAL VISTA

INDIA GATE
ARC DU TRIOMPHE, PARIS

WAR MEMORIAL| INDIA GATE
•The monument was built as a memorial to Indian soldiers killed in battle during the First
World War.
•The names of 90,000 men who died during these conflicts are inscribed on the uprights of
the arch. Lutyens had begun designing the memorial arch before the First World War
began. The war, however, delayed the project.
•The Duke of Connaught finally laid the foundation stone of the memorial during his visit to
Delhi in 1921. Work began the same year and continued till 1931.
•The relatively plain façade and clean lines of India Gate lie in sharp contrast to the more
ornate appearance of the Secretariat buildings or Rashtrapati Bhavan.
•Situated at the centre of a hexagonal complex with a diameter of 625m and a total
area of 360,000 m2, the India Gate is 42m in height and 9.1m in width. The building
material is primarily Red and yellow sandstones sourced from Bharatpur.Topping the arch
is a shallow dome with a bowl to be filled with burning oil on anniversaries to
commemorate martyrs.
•Just beyond India Gate is a domed, tall-columned canopy, standsing in the middle of a
large pool of water and built to commemorate King George V. Lutyens drew his
inspiration for this from an ornate pavilion at Mahabalipuram. It originally housed a white
marble statue of George V, shifted to Coronation Park in 1968.
"On this spot, in the
central vista of the
Capital of India,
there will stand a
Memorial Archway,
designed to keep" in
the Thoughts of
future generations
"the glorious
sacrifice of the
officers and men of
the Indian Army who
fought and fell".

A pavilion, belonging to an Hindu Temple, by Thomas and
William Daniell, 1808 (BL)
COLUMNED CANOPYMAHABHALIPURAM PAVILION

LAL BAGH, BANGALORE
[ PUBLIC PARKS ]

BOTANICAL GARDEN| LAL BAGH
•Lal Bagh is a 240 acre (971,000 sq.m. - almost 1 km²) Garden and is located on the
southern part of Bangalore. It holds a number of flower shows, especially on the Republic
Day (26th January). The garden has over 1,000 species of flora.
•Lal Bagh Botanical Garden was commissioned by the ruler of Mysore, Hyder Ali. Hyder
Ali started building the Garden of Lal Bagh in the year 1760 and his son Tipu Sultan
completed the garden. The garden derived its name ‘Lal Bagh’ because of a collection of
red roses that remain blooming all through the year in this garden. Lal Bagh Gardens was
known Rose and Cypress Garden till 1856.
•After the fall of Tipu Sultan in the year 1799, the Lalbagh was taken over by the English
military botanist, Major Waugh and remained in his possession until 1819. Then he gifted
this garden to Governor General of the East India Company. In 1831, Lalbagh passed
into the hands of Sir Mark Cubbon, the Chief Commissioner of Mysore.
•The real developmental works in Lalbagh started from the year 1874, when John
Cameron took charge of the garden. Vigorous and systematic introduction and expansion
of the garden took place during his tenure. From original area of 45 acres, Lalbagh was
expanded to 100 acres by the turn of the 19th century. The renowned Glass House was
constructed his period in 1889, which was modeled on London's Crystal Palace. It was
built with cast iron from the Saracen Foundry in Glasgow UK.

INFLUENCE OF COLONIAL ELEMENTS IN LAL BAGH
CRYSTAL PALACE, JOSEPH PAXTON LAL BAGH

COLONIAL INFLUENCE IN LANDSCAPE OF INDIA | 49GLASS HOUSE, LAL BAGH

BIRDS EYE VIEW
1. FLORAL CLOCK
2. MAHARAJA STATUE
3. AQUARIUM
4. BAND STAND
5. ROSE GARDEN
6. LAKE
7. WATCH TOWER
8. SILK COTTON TREE
9. TREE FOSSIL
10. LOTUS POND
11. GLASS HOUSE
12. DOVE COT
13. HORTICULTURE
INFORMATION CENTRE
14. BONSAI GARDEN
15. KEMPE GOWDA TOWER
16. TOPIARY GARDEN
17. JAPANESE GARDEN
18. DIRECTORATE

BOTANICAL GARDEN| LAL BAGH
•The credit of starting commercial cultivation of several fruits, vegetables and plantation
crops, undoubtedly goes to John Cameron. His long term of office from 1874 to 1908 is
regarded as the ‘Golden Period’ of plant introductions at Lalbagh.
•He beautified Lalbagh with large number of native and exotic specie and gave special
impetus to the creation of Park and Gardens in Bangalore and Mysore cities.
•The garden also has trees that are over 100 years old.
•Formal and informal styles dominate the garden in perfect harmony, which is a testimony
to the beauty of nature. Nearly 673 genera and 1,854 species of plants are found in
Lalbagh.
•Lal Bagh Botanical Garden is considered to be one of the most diverse botanical garden
in South Asia. Lalbagh has four approach gates.
Lalbagh by Hyder Ali – 1726 - 1756
Lalbagh or Red Garden, in 1860s

GLASS HOUSE, LAL BAGH

SUMMARY | IMPACT OF COLONIALIZATION IN LANDSCAPE
• Though colonial architecture didn’t appreciate Indian Architecture entirely, they tried to fuse Indian
architecture with International styles. They wanted to legitimatize their rule, and they decided to justify their
presence by relating themselves to the previous rulers, the Mughals and others.
•Town Planning committee and PWD was created for better planning and designing.
•They used architecture as a symbol of power.
•Most of the elements and planning were adaptations of the city and buildings designed by leading British
architects of that time.
•New construction technologies were introduced. International ideas, concepts and elements were appreciated.

REFERENCES
Book on RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN and the Central Vista, INTACH Delhi Chapter, World Monuments Fund
Research Article on Architectural History in India A Post-Colonial Perspective by Amita Sinha
Defining a Nation, article by W. Gavin Robb
‘Indian Architecture’ and the product of the Post Colonial Disclosure: A study of Architecture + Design (1984-1992) by Shaji K. Panicker
“UDYANOTSAV-2017” AND MUGHAL GARDENS by Presidential Estate
https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/lutyens-delhi/235665
Book on Cultural Landscapes, A working Bibliography by Eva BERGER & Jochen MARTZ, ICOMOS
Mahabhalipuram Drawings, British Library
http://www.horticulture.kar.nic.in/Design_final/lalbagh/History_of_Lalbagh.html
New York times article, Amnesty Plan for Relics of the Raj

| GEEVA CHANDANA |

Colonial influences on landscape of india

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