List of Sufi saints and Architectures

Major Sufi Saints And Architecture of The Sultanate

Who is called a Sufi saint?

The saints who follow Sufism are called Sufi saints. It is the liberal branch of Islam. Sufi saints are so lost in the remembrance of God that their every action is only for God and every action done for themselves is forbidden to them, so the world's fascination cannot disturb them. Sufi saints believe in one God and lay special emphasis on religious tolerance and human-love and brotherhood, sacrificing material comforts.

Origin of the word Sufi:

Based on the mention made in Abu Nasr al-Siraj's book 'Kitab-ul-Luma', the word Sufi is believed to have originated from the Arabic word 'suf' (wool), which in a way refers to woolen cloth, Which was worn by the early Sufis. Origin is also believed to be from 'Safa'. Safa means 'purity' or 'purity'. In this way the pious people were called Sufis by their conduct.

According to another belief - outside the mosque built by Hazrat Muhammad Sahab in Medina, some people took shelter on the Safa i.e. 'the hill of Mecca' and absorbed themselves in the worship of God, hence they were called Sufis.

Names of prominent Sufi saints of the Sultanate period:

• Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
• Baba Farid
• Sheikh Nizamuddin Auliya
• Gesudaraj
• Naseeruddin Mehmood
• Shihabuddin Suhrawardy
• Bakhtiyar Kaki
• sheikh husseini
• Sheikh Bahauddin Zakarikha
• Jalaluddin Tabriji
• Sheikh Hamiduddin Nagori

Sultanate Architecture and Architecture:

The style that developed in the field of Indian architecture during the Sultanate period was a mixture of Indian and Islamic styles. That's why this style of architecture was called 'Indo Islamic' style. Some scholars have called it 'Indo-Saracenic' style. Ferguson has called it the Pathan style, but it was actually a mixture of Indian and Islamic styles. Historians like Sir John Marshall, Ishwari Prasad considered it appropriate to call this style of architecture 'Indo-Islamic' style and Hindu-Muslim style.

The characteristics of the Indo-Islamic architectural style were as follows:

• In the construction works done under the architecture of the Sultanate period, the mixture of Indian and Iranian styles is indicated.
• In the construction work of Sultan period such as fort, tomb, mosque, palace and minarets, pointed arches-domes and narrow and high minarets have been used.
• During this period, temples were demolished and a new way of worship was constructed in the mosque built on their rubble.
• The tradition of building mausoleums in the memory of the Sultans, Amirs and Sufi saints started during the Sultanate period.
• It was during this period that stone, concrete and good quality lime were used for the strength of the buildings.
• Arches and domes were used scientifically for the first time in buildings during the Sultanate period. Indians learned this art from the Arabs. The Ottoman sultans used both rock and beam systems in the construction of domes and arches.
• Due to the prohibition of depiction of living things in the decoration of buildings in the Sultanate period, many types of flowers, leaves, geometric and Quranic verses were carved in them to decorate them. Later on, objects of Hindu decoration such as lotus bell patterns, swastikas, bell patterns, urns etc. were also used by the Ottoman Sultans. The combined method of ornamentation was called the 'Arabesque method' in the Sultanate period.

List of Sultanate Architecture:

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