Lecture 26

Hello everyone, I am Rajarshi Sankupta and we are here in the week 6 and module 6 of our syllabus and then today we will be talking about the idea of garden. So we see that this idea of the garden here and then if we follow the syllabus we see that there is this there is a there is a particular stress on the idea of garden in Islam and it is of course in the afterlife. So those are the ideas will be the guiding principles for our module as well as this week. So for this week we will be looking into some of the some of the garden you know structures as well as like some of the architectural remains of the garden as well as how garden is represented in the miniature paintings and then also the what are the other significances of garden. For example as we see even in the city plans and so on there is also that there is a resonance of the planning of garden and also in the tomb structures and so on. So all those things will be there and at the same time we will also be touching upon some of the other issues for example alchemy and then the idea of astrology and all those different issues how they also relate to the idea of garden. Now if we think about the history of the gardens in India then it certainly it certainly goes back to the Buddhist times perhaps and even though there are also gardens and the places for pleasure those are mentioned in many different religions as well as in the royal context in the civic places and so on. But what we find some of the historic records on the gardens in the Buddhist context for example the one we have on screen that is the Jetavana Vihara and this was the garden which was gifted by Jeta and that was there in the town of Shravasti in today's Uttar Pradesh. So we know that how there were some of the people who have contributed to making a particular a site as a monastic place. So the entire garden was transformed into a place where the monks can inhabit and it was not like entirely made of it was not like entirely an architecture that that is what the monastery is but the entire area around it the garden area the plants the trees and everything else those were also very much part of this entire setup of Jetavana. So this is also a reminder for us to think that what are the elements in a garden. So in a garden as we know that there are plants, there are animals, there are birds and the difference between a garden and a forest will of course it will be that how a forest is not cultivated but a garden is always a cultivated land. So garden is something that is carefully manicured and carefully constructed by humans and that is how this careful at the same time playful space which comes for recreation which comes for different kind of reflection as well as a very integral part in making art and also practicing religion. So all these different things they come together in the idea of garden. Now one of the challenges for also looking at the history of garden is that because there are very less evidences of the gardens that we have today because the plants, the animals and the birds they cannot really stay forever just like the way the architecture or the sculptures or images can stay, the paintings can stay for example. So that is one of the biggest challenges of reconstructing the history of the gardens in the Indian subcontinent and elsewhere and for example if we also see on screen in the left side of the screen as we have you know the architectural remains at the Jetavana Vihara, the site of the Jetavana Vihara in Shavasthi. So we see that there are only the basis of the architecture made of brick and so on those are the ones which are remaining but we do not really know what all plants and trees and animals and birds were there originally when this place was inhabited by the Buddhist monks and so on and the disciples of Buddha. So similarly if we take this idea further we see that I mean similar kind of concerns have been brought up by the historians, by the art historians that how do we reconstruct or like how do we understand the significance of garden and the other thing is that we cannot really ignore the significance of garden in the Indian art that is because there is an image as we can see in the right side of the screen and it is a folio that comes from this very celebrated manuscript Baba Nama and in which we find that there is a garden, there is this four part garden and we will be coming into the you know we will be discussing the various parts of them but apart from that what we see here there is water at the center as we can see and then there are channels through which the water flows at the center, there are birds who are playing in the water and then there are different kinds of trees which are there. Here we see a particular person who is perhaps taking care of the garden and then here we see this you know there is this arrangement for fetching water perhaps for this garden right, like I mean for how the water will flow through the channels in the garden and then they will flow through this entire space. So those arrangements are made. So as I have already mentioned that how a garden is always a cultivated place as opposed to a forest or a natural space. So that is something this particular character we find that to be emphasized in this particular painting here as well. What are the other things we find? There are different kinds of trees and different kinds of plants, creepers and so on, all those things we will find in a garden. So for example here we see there is a prevalence of this trees bearing fruits. So this is something that is a integral part of the gardens that I mean the trees there they need to bear fruits, they need to bear flowers, also they need to provide shade and you know reassurance. So all these different kind of things we find them that what kind of decisions people make when they make a garden. So what kind of trees, what kind of plants and all the other things they become part of this entire you know plan. And I think I mean that also one can see that how this entire garden is differing from the landscape that we see in the upper half of this or not the upper half but I mean the upper register of this image where we see this is an uncultivated land which is you know which is not as lush and you know diverse as this particular garden spaces. So those are some of the things we need to keep in mind that how garden also differs from the natural landscape and this is a very carefully manicured land almost like making an architecture or sculpture or a painting. So one can imagine that I mean garden is also a way of art making and that is also the reason has been such an important part of Indian art. Now if we compare these 2 images that we have on screen for example the image of the Jetavana Vihara and where we have only the architectural remains and nothing else and then we can see there are certain images and if the images they come from the time period when the gardens were existing. So those images might show us that how the gardens might have been. So in a way putting the architectural remains and the images together that way one can reconstruct or that way one can think that how the gardens might have been in the past. So this is one of the models and this is one of the ways in which we will be continuing our discussions you know for this module as well as this week. Now the idea of garden as I have said that I mean this idea of the garden certainly has its roots in the you know in the pre-Islamic times in India. However we also see that during in Islam especially in Islam and not just in South Asia but I mean when it starts in the Middle East it has a prevalence in terms of understanding what is garden, why garden is such an important part and garden is not something that is considered to be just a place for pleasure but it has a philosophical underpinning to it. So for that we need to understand that what are some of the prime features of Islam and how that also leads us to understand the significance of garden in India and in the Indian subcontinent. Now Islam as we know that is the third religion in the line of the 3 Abrahamic religions starting with Judaism, Christianity and then of course Islam and for Islam we also know that how the Prophet Muhammad is considered to be the last prophet in the line of this Abrahamic prophet starting with Moses then Jesus Christ and then of course Prophet Muhammad. So what we find that I mean this is the city that we have in the left side of the screen in Saudi Arabia the city of Makkah that has the prime importance in Islam and that is because of there is this one particular structure that we have that is there in the right side of the image and this is this particular structure that we have here this rectangular structure a closed structure which is usually not opened for the visitors and this is a structure which has its root in the pre-Islamic times and it was considered to be the house of God or Kaaba and then Kaaba is something is a space where we have found that from the pre-Islamic time there was a practice of visiting Kaaba for pilgrimage and paying respect to this particular shrine. So what we find here is that there are no particular images of gods of course I mean after Prophet Muhammad's intervention and what happens here is this particular way of paying homage or paying respect of circumambulation at this idea that we have already discussed in the Buddhist and Jain context we see that I mean that is a particular idea also is prevalent here in Islam as well. Now Kaaba if we think about this particular idea of this axis mandi something we have already discussed that how there is this idea of the center of the universe or center of the entire existence. So perhaps Kaaba that is there as this you know the symbolic axis mandi we can imagine for the Muslims the believers of Islam I mean of course I mean the believers of they came in the line of Prophet Muhammad. So this is what we find here to be a very interesting that Saudi Arabia is a place which is barren which is dry hot and it is a desert like landscape and the idea of Hajj when it actually started it started during it marked the arrival of rains or monsoon and so that is something we find that from the very early times even before Islam was made into this organized religion even during that time this idea of Hajj or pilgrimage that also had its relationship with water and then imagine that if this is a desert like landscape we are talking about in Saudi Arabia and then the arrival of water and how water also transforms the landscape. So that is something that had been there ingrained and embedded in the Islamic philosophy as well. So the transformation of a landscape and transforming this desert like landscape into the garden of paradise or Jannatul Firdaus is something that we find to be very important in Islamic philosophy. Now before we move on with this ideas further and also get into the details of how that made its impact on the you know the garden structures. So first let us just look into some of the terms which will also be very useful for all of us. So there are some of the key terms in Islam and as well as our study of Islamic architecture as well as the sculpture and I mean not the sculpture I mean Islamic architecture and different kind of visual material. So the first thing will definitely be Khawa and Khawa is the house of God or this particular shrine which stands at the center of Masjid al-Haram and then there is also Qibla. And Qibla is the particular wall that we have in any religious architecture in Islam and which is if that is the wall if we find that if there are places which are in the east of Mecca then the Qibla wall will be facing west. And the Qibla wall always directs the devotees attention to towards Mecca as I have already mentioned that I mean this particular structure here Khawa is that it is considered to be the focal point of the believers. So that is the reason what we find that all the religious institutions the Islamic religious institutions around the world they will have their focus towards Khawa in Saudi Arabia. So if there are religious institutions for example the prayer halls or Masjid they will be situated towards the east of Khawa then their walls the Qibla wall will be towards the west. And if there are institutions which are in the west side of Khawa then this particular wall the Qibla wall will be situated towards the east. So these are some of the basic characteristics that we find and they also become very much integral part of the architecture that we study. Now there is also this idea of Hajj that I have already mentioned that this is the annual pilgrimage and this has been considered to be one of the major task of all Muslims around the world and it had been continuing for at least for the last 1400 years or so. So these are some of the important part of you know in the or like I mean the key terms in Islam and the fourth important term will be Mehrab or Mihrab. So Mehrab or Mehrab is basically this arched gateway that we find in the center of the Qibla wall and the Mehrab is also the place which is an abstract representation of the direction towards Khawa. So in the western wall if I am talking about the masjid or the prayer halls in India or in the east side of Mecca, so in this institutions we find in the western wall at the center of the western wall there will be the Mehrab at the center of it and the Mehrab is as I have said that I mean this is an arched gateway motif and then there is a small niche as we can see here in the image in the left side of the screen. So this entire area is called Mehrab where we find there is this arched gateway and then there is this particular this niche like space that is something that is understood as Mehrab and this is the place which also guides the devotees to face that particular direction while they are praying. So this is something we find to be also very important part of the Islamic architecture. Now if we are talking about Islamic architecture then what are the early examples of it. So for our time constraint and everything else we are not touching upon the impact of the Delhi Sultanate and some of the other sultanates that we find in the various parts of northern India. However there is this one particular structure that we have here and this is the tomb of Nasiruddin Mehmood and Nasiruddin Mehmood was he was you know a ruler from the Mamluk dynasty and he died and this particular tomb that we have on screen in the left side of it. This comes from this particular site in South Delhi which is known as Sultangari and this is a place which was built around 1231 AD. So it is a 13th century structure and this is considered to be the earliest surviving Islamic tomb in the entire Indian subcontinent. So in this tomb what we find that there is the tomb structure and right beside the tomb structure there is also the prayer hall or a Masjid and there in the Masjid we have the Qibla wall which is here we see here and in the center of the Qibla wall we have the Mehrab. So these are some of the basic characteristic of the tomb structures and the adjoining prayer halls and so on. That is something that we find from 13th century and they will be continuing in the later structures as well. Now apart from the tombs we find that the prayer halls or the Masjid so they actually came into being in the Indian subcontinent perhaps from much earlier times. So we find that in Kerala we have the Cheraman Juma Masjid and which was established around 629 AD that is around 630 AD. It was during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad in Saudi Arabia. So we know that I mean this is perhaps the earliest surviving mosque in the Indian subcontinent and of course I mean if we see the recent structure of it we do not it does not look like that I mean it had been built in the 7th century because it had been heavily renovated the exterior building as we can see here the building has been heavily renovated. So that is the reason it does not really look like something that was built in the 7th century but some of the structures the beams and some of the wooden structures inside this Juma Masjid complex that actually still you know that comes from 7th century and those are the evidence of this early arrival of Islam in the Indian subcontinent. Now from there if we see that I mean how in Islam the idea of garden became more really significant. So we see in Islam there is this idea of the paradise and the paradise is usually been understood as a space which is a garden space and in the garden what we also find that there is 4 rivers, 4 rivers of milk, of honey, of wine and so on. So they flow into a central space. So for example if we think about that there are 4 pathways or 4 channels. So they can be considered as the symbolic rivers of the heaven and all of them they flow to this one particular point and that is how there is it is not just that I mean all these water channels they form this one particular reservoir but it is also this 4 channels they make this space divided into 4. So like 1 power 2, 3, 4 and that is how this entire idea of Chaharwag we see that to be you know coming in prominence. So this is also an idea of Chaharwag architectural planning and that is relevant for you know to understand the structure of this paradisiacal gardens in Islam that that came into being in the Persian architectural forms. So this Chaharwag planning that is also something we have already seen in this particular image where we find in Babur Nama that how this rivers or this particular water channels they flow to the center of the image forming this small pond like a space or like a reservoir and then how this 4 channels they also divide the entire garden space whether square or rectangular into 1, 2, 3, 4, 4 parts. So this is how the entire space is divided as the same time they are also organized. So this Chaharwag planning which shows the you know which shows the paradisiacal garden or Janatul Firdaus this is also a place which has been understood that you know where the God resides or Allah resides. So that is the reason we find that there is minutest of the details of like all the people who have recreated this gardens on earth they have actually paid much attention to have different kinds of plants and trees and the animals and birds to inhabit this space. So that I mean it becomes a paradise a piece of paradise in the middle of the earth. Now apart from this apart from this particular planning that we have here we also have another planning another ground plan in the Persian architecture that came into existence at least since like I mean 13th and 14th centuries that is the Hasht Behisht plan and Hasht Behisht plan is something that is 8 heavens. So if we see this particular structure that actually is a pavilion by Shah Suleiman in the city of Isfahan and this comes from actually 17th century but it is a good plan for us to understand the relevance of this Hasht Behisht plan. So in the Hasht Behisht plan what we find in the center there is this one particular unit which is also considered to be the seat of the supreme God and then around that there are 8 units. So 1, 2, 3, 4 in the 4 corners and then 5, 6, 7, 8. So like 8 units are there around it and sometimes we also find that how this Hasht Behisht plan is also implemented in the 2 storied building in which like I mean those 4 units that we have on the corner they also replicate in the upper story. So these are some of the ways in which we find how this Hasht Behisht plan that is also something that I mean how this paradise which is built upon this grid like structure the 4 part garden that also something that is not just being restricted to making the gardens but also like built architecture for example this pavilion that we have here. So that also says something that the idea of the garden and idea of making this significant architecture that can be a royal palace that can also be a tomb. These things were not really distinct from each other. So making the architecture from the Hasht Behisht plan and then making the garden from the Chahar Bagh plan they were all like I mean combined together. So if we see that how those were brought together here so this is this entire pavilion that we have in detail and this goes here at the center of this Chahar Bagh you know this complex. So at the center of the Chahar Bagh like where not necessarily the center but I mean where all those the channels meet in this rectangular ground plan this is the place where this pavilion is situated which is of high importance. So that also says something about how this philosophical this highly philosophical idea of representing the garden of paradise in the earth that had also made a huge deal of impact in terms of making the palaces of the royals and then this comparison between the gods and the kings and the royals that is something we have already studied in the Hindu context and in the other context so on. So those are something that we find to be prevalent here as well. So then we see that how these ideas are represented in this garden forms. So if we think about it that how this Chahar Bagh plan came into being so our motivation for starting in this discussion of the Islamic gardens or the gardens with the Mughal times is because that we see that there is a very conscious attempt to start this kind of gardens in the Indian subcontinent by the first Mughal emperor Babur, Padshah Babur. So with him we find this Timurid idea of making this 4 part garden and a tomb or a palace complex which will also be situated at the garden complex or like adjacent to this garden complex. This ideas that came into being with the arrival of you know Padshah Babur in the Indian subcontinent. So just a brief background that I mean Babur was you know he came from both the lineages of Genghis Khan and Amir Timur and we find that I mean he started his career or like I mean his of course his journey from Central Asia and which is now you know in Uzbekistan and from there we find that he had arrived in Afghanistan and slowly in the Indian subcontinent. So when he arrived in the Indian subcontinent already this idea of establishing garden wherever they take over a particular land or wherever they want to transform the land into something else. So this ideas were already been there and in this detailed account that Babur had wrote which is known as Babur Nama in which in this one we find that Babur had elaborated on his orders of you know making gardens in this newly concord lands. So we will be continuing more on that in the next lecture. Thank you.