The
Indo-Saracenic Revival (also known as
Indo-Gothic or
Mughal-Gothic) was a
architecturalFor a topical guide to this subject, see Outline of architecture. Architecture is the art and science of designing and constructing buildings and other physical structures for human shelter or use....
style movement by
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
architects in the late 19th century in British India. It drew elements from native Indian/Indo-Islamic architecture, and combined it with the Gothic revival style favoured in
Victorian BritainThe Victorian era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements...
.
Background
When the
BritishThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
first came to
South AsiaSouth Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries on the west and the east...
, they considered themselves the legitimate rulers rather than its conquerors, so they sought to justify their presence by relating themselves to the previous rulers,
the MughalsThe Mughal Empire was an Islamic and Persianate imperial power of the Indian subcontinent which began in 1526, invaded and ruled most of Hindustan by the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and ended in the mid-19th century...
. By doing this they kept elements of British and European
architectureFor a topical guide to this subject, see Outline of architecture. Architecture is the art and science of designing and constructing buildings and other physical structures for human shelter or use....
, while adding Indian characteristics; this, coupled with the British allowing some
regional Indian princes to stay in power, made their presence more 'palatable' for the Indians. The
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
tried to encapsulate
South Asia's pastThe term South Asia refers to the political entities of the Indian subcontinent and associated islands, that is the states of Pakistan, Republic of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and the island nations of Sri Lanka and the Maldives...
within their own buildings and so represent Britain’s Raj as legitimate, while at the same time constructing a modern network of railways, colleges, and law courts.
The architectural style was exported to
British MalayaBritish Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula that were colonized by the British from the 18th and the 19th until the 20th century. Before the formation of Malayan Union in 1946, the colonies were not placed under a single unified administration...
(present day
Peninsular MalaysiaPeninsular Malaysia , also known as Malaya or West Malaysia, is the part of Malaysia which lies on the Malay Peninsula, and shares a land border with Thailand in the north. To the south is the island of Singapore. Its area is 50,810 square miles . It accounts for the majority of Malaysia's...
) via British engineers and architects influenced by Indo-Saracenic stylings in British India. During the design of a new town hall for
Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur , is the capital and largest city of Malaysia. The city proper, making up an area of , has an estimated population of 1.6 million in 2006. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
in the late 19th century, C. E. Spooner, then State Engineer of the Public Works Department, favoured a "
MahometanMohammedan is a term used as both a noun and an adjective meaning belonging or relating to either the religion of Islam or to that of the Islamic prophet Muhammad; a term largely rejected by the Muslim world as a misnomer The term is now largely superseded by Muslim, Moslem or Islamic, but was...
style" over a
neoclassicalNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, both as a reaction against the Rococo style of anti-tectonic naturalistic ornament, and an outgrowth of some classicizing features of Late Baroque...
one to reflect Islamic mores in the region, instructing architect Charles Norman, who was further assisted by R. A. J. Bidwell, to redesign the building. Norman and Bidwell, having previously served in northern India, adopted various elements of Indo-Saracenic architecture into the town hall. Upon completion in 1897, the town hall, now know as the
Sultan Abdul Samad BuildingThe Sultan Abdul Samad Building is located in front of the Dataran Merdeka - literally the Independence Square - and the Royal Selangor Club, by Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The structure takes its name from Sultan Abdul Samad, the reigning sultan of Selangor at the time...
, became the first building influenced by Indo-Saracenic architecture to be built in Malaya. The town hall inspired other civic buildings in the vicinity to be built in a similar style, while a handful of commercial buildings in Malaya have also been known to adopt some of the style's elements. The style was also favoured as one of several adopted by British architects with regards to Malayan mosques as they did not feel the need to adhere accurately to the cultural heritage, and the traditional culture of the Malays, who remain prominent in Malayan society and are Muslims, did not have the means to design a building of imperial scale; both the
Jamek MosqueMasjid Jamek is one of the oldest mosques in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak River and was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback.-History:...
and
Ubudiah MosqueMasjid Ubudiah is Perak's royal mosque, and is located in the royal town of Kuala Kangsar, Malaysia. It is often regarded as Malaysia's most beautiful mosque.- History :...
are examples of mosques that resulted from this combination. While its popularity was limited to the 1890s to the 1910s, the style has been reused for newer governments buildings of the late-20th century and 21st century, such as several public buildings in
PutrajayaPutrajaya is a planned city, located south of Kuala Lumpur, that serves as the federal administrative centre of Malaysia. The seat of government was shifted in 1999 from Kuala Lumpur due to the overcrowding and congestion there. Nevertheless, Kuala Lumpur remains as Malaysia's national capital...
.
Characteristics
Fundamentally, Indo-Saracenic designs by predominately
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
imperialist colonizers, promoting their own sense of “rightful self-glorification”, and eventually, nonetheless, came to appeal to the aesthetic sensibilities of continental Europeans and Americans, whose architects came to astutely incorporate telling indigenous "Asian exoticism" elements (as compiled in the architectural vocabulary list below), whilst implementing their own engineering innovations supporting such elaborate construction, both in India and abroad, evidenced to this day in public, private and governmentally owned buildings. Of which, the latter were often rendered on an intentionally grand scale, reflecting and promoting a notion of an unassailable (but for some, of a disparaging bent, a vainglorious)
British EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
.
Again, structures of this design sort, particularly those built in India and England, were built in conformance to advanced British structural engineering standards of the 1800s, which came to include infrastructures composed of iron, steel and poured concrete (the innovation of reinforced cement and pre-cast cement elements, set with iron and/or steel rods, developed much later); the same can be said for like structures built elsewhere, making use of the same design vocabulary, by local architects, that would come to be constructed in continental Europe and the Americas: Indo-Saracenic’s popularity flourished for a span of some 30-years.
Notable, too, is that Britons, in fact Europeans generally, had long nurtured a taste for the aesthetic exuberance of such “Asian exoticism” design, as displayed in innovative Indo-Saracenic style.
Similarly, up to that point, Chinoiserie had already been manifest and cherished throughout Britain, Europe and the Americas. Its centuries long history witnessed the incorporation of "Asian exoticism", of the earlier manifestation which, of course, referenced Sino origins (and to a far lesser extent the Japanese aesthetic) was known as
ChinoiserieChinoiserie, a French term, signifying "Chinese-esque", refers to a recurring theme in European artistic styles since the seventeenth century, which reflect Chinese artistic influences...
, with the appellation Japanned. when referring to, for example, a lacquered
ChippendaleChippendale may refer to:*Thomas Chippendale, or his furniture*Thomas Chippendale, the younger, son of Thomas Chippendale*Chairface Chippendale, a supervillain*Chippendales, a chain of clubs and troupe of performers*Chippendale, New South Wales...
desk, bookcase or tallcaseclock, painted ornately (
decoratedDecorated can have several meanings:*In architecture, the Decorated Period refers to a period and style of mediaeval Gothic architecture....
) with figures and scenes, was dubbed, Japanned. Visual queues and elements, of those two exotic Asian styles manifested into a broad array of artifacts, such as these:
needlepointNeedlepoint is a form of canvas work embroidery, in which yarn is stitched through an open weave canvas in which vertical and horizontal threads are formed to make precise holes between the thread and then hand painted or printed with a design. Stitchers use different coloured yarn or thread to...
, petti-point and
embroideryEmbroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
as well as
silkSilk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
fabrics manufacture, pigments, mural paintings, interior design elements, exterior design elements, writing materials,
porcelainPorcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
, furniture fabrication and furniture upholstery, clothing fashions,
cosmeticsCosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, [hair sprays] and gels,...
et cetera.
Supported by various disciplines' skilled artisans' imagination,
exoticismExoticism is a trend in art and design, influenced by some ethnic groups or civilizations since the late 19th-century. In music exoticism is a genre in which the rhythms, melodies, or instrumentation are designed to evoke the atmosphere of far-off lands or ancient times Exoticism (from 'exotic')...
promulgated itself across a broad demographic of British, European and Americas’ citizenry, while contemporaneous advances in refined mass-production methods, technologies and distribution channels, supported numerous price point reductions, spurring mass consumerism: wants and sales across broad demographics world-wide. Later this mass consumer lust for Asian exoticism found expression and unfortunate direct linkage with
Newport, Rhode IslandNewport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about 30 miles south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States...
’s immoral
Old China TradeThe Old China Trade was the name given to the early commerce between the Qing Empire and the United States under the Canton System, spanning from the end of the American Revolutionary War in 1783 to the Treaty of Wanghsia in 1844...
that led to the ever worse Triangular Trade Route, also known as Triangle Trade: featuring rum, molasses and … slavery: set into motion more than the wheels of mere mass consumerism; inextricably, fostered, too, was the ultimate expression of vain-glorious
imperialismImperialism, as defined by the dictionary of human geography, is “the creation and maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural and territorial relationship, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination.” Imperialism, in many ways, is described...
, whose aftermath, including opiate mega-agriculture,
opiumOpium is a narcotic formed from the latex released by lacerating the immature seed pods of opium poppies . It contains up to 12% morphine, an opiate alkaloid, which is most frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade...
drug production and drug distribution plagues the world to this very day.
Adaptation of such design innovations spilled over into and determined the aesthetic direction of major architectural projects, expressing themselves in the
BaroqueBaroque is an artistic style prevalent from the late 16th century to the early 18th century. The popularity and success of the Baroque style was encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church, which had decided at the time of the Council of Trent that the arts should communicate religious themes in...
,
RegencyRegency is the rule of a regent. It may also refer to:* Specific periods when a throne was vacant:** Regency in France, 1715–1723, a.k.a. Régence** British Regency, 1811–1820*The Hōjō Regency during the Kamakura shogunate in Japan.* Businesses:...
and design periods beyond.
Today, that spread of elaborate Asian exoticism design fulfillment remains evidenced in many residential and governmental edifices wrought of the masterpiece initiatives of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries; much had initially been contributed by the stupendously rich and indulgent sea-merchant Venetian Empire, whose existence spanned nearly a millennium, and whose
Gothic architectureGothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
came to incorporate a plethora of Asian exoticism elements, such as the Moorish Arch in its windows, related to the latter "harem window", all stemming back to earlier and later travelers, but most celebrated in the Travels of Marco Polo.
Generally, the insatiable craze for Asian exoticism relished in those earlier periods, testamentary in their parallel Chinoiserie expression, likewise, ushered in this latter colonial British fascination with the luxuriant exoticism found in the indigenous Indian design milieu, whose characteristics includes the following vocabulary list of design elements and motifs (often paralleling and expanding upon the already ornateness of the earlier Venetian’s unique Gothic-Moorish, also known as
Venetian Gothic architectureVenetian Gothic is a term given to a style of architecture combining use of the Gothic lancet arch with Byzantine and Arab influences. The style originates in 14th century Venice where the confluence of Byzantine style from Constantinople met Arab influence from Moorish Spain...
ad-mixture):
- onion (bulbous) domes
An onion dome is a type of uniform architectural dome present across Eastern Europe , Mughal India, the Middle East and Central Asia...
- overhanging eaves
- pointed arches, cusped arches, or scalloped arches
- vaulted roofs
- domed kiosks
- many miniature domes
- domed chhatris
- pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s
- tower
Towers are tall structures that are almost always taller than they are wide, usually by a significant margin. Towers are generally built to take advantage of their height, and can stand alone or as part of a larger structure.- History :...
s or minaretMinarets are distinctive architectural features of Islamic mosques. Minarets are generally tall spires with onion-shaped or conical crowns, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure.-Functions of minarets:The earliest mosques were built without minarets, the adhan...
s
- harem windows
- open pavilions or pavilions with Bangala roofs
- pierced open arcading
Chief proponents of this style of architecture were these: Robert Fellowes Chisholm, Charles Mant,
Henry IrwinHenry Irwin, a renowned architect of British India was born on 21 January, 1841, in Tarbett, County Kerry, Ireland. He is mainly known for his works in Indo-Saracenic style of architecture. He was a member of the Institution of Engineers. He died on 5 August, 1922, at Ooty, India.He had joined...
,
William EmersonWilliam Emerson is the name of:*William Emerson *William Emerson , Unitarian minister, father of Ralph Waldo Emerson*William Ralph Emerson , American architect*Bill Emerson, , U.S...
,
George WittetGeorge Wittet was born in Blair Atholl, Scotland. He studied architecture with a Mr. Heiton of Perth, Scotland, and worked in both Edinburgh and York before moving to India....
and
Frederick StevensFrederick William Stevens was an English architectural engineer who worked for the British colonial government in India...
, along with numerous other skilled professionals and artisans throughout Europe and the Americas.
Structures built in Indo-Saracenic style in India (and in certain nearby countries, themselves, manifestations of the eventual dissolution of the British imperial colonization suffered in Asia), were predominately grand public edifices, such as
clock towerA clock tower is a tower built with one or more clock faces. The clock tower is usually part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall, but many clock towers are free-standing....
s and
courthouseA courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America...
s. Likewise, civic as well as municipal and governmental
collegeCollege is a term most often used today to denote degree awarding tertiary educational institution. More broadly, it can be the name of any group of colleagues, for example, an electoral college, a College of Arms or the College of Cardinals...
s along with town halls counted this style among its top-ranked and most-prized structures to this day; ironically, in Britain itself, for example, King George IV's Royal Pavilion at Brighton, (which twice in its lifetime has been threatened with being torn-down, denigrated by some as a “
carnivalCarnival is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during January and February...
sideshow”, and dismissed by others as “an architectural folly of inferior design”, no less) and elsewhere, these rare and often diminutive (though sometimes, as mentioned, of grand-scale), residential structures that exhibit this colonial style are highly valuable and prized by the communities in which they exist as being somehow “magical” in appearance.
Typically, in India, villages, towns and cites of some means would lavish significant sums on construction of such "indigenous ethnic architecture" when plans were drawn up for construction of the local railway stations,
museumA museum is a building or institution which houses a collection of artifacts.Museums collect and care for objects of scientific, artistic, or historical importance and make them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary...
s and
art galleriesAn art gallery or art museum is a space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museum can be public or private but what distinguishes a Museum is the ownership of a collection. Paintings are the most commonly displayed art objects; however, sculpture, photographs, illustrations,...
.
Relatively costly, for all their inherent customization, ornament and minutia decoration, regardless of otherwise locally inexpensive labor, moderately priced skilled artisans' ingenuity (stone and wood carving, as well as the exquisite lapidary/inlaid work) and usual accessibility to requisite raw materials, nonetheless, the appearance of the occasional residential structure of this sort, its being built in part or whole with Indo-Saracenic design elements/motifs, were and remain, for the most part, costly then, but, rewardingly, such structures have grown ever more valuable and highly prized by local and foreign populations for their exuberant beauty today.
Either evidenced in a property’s primary unit or any of its outbuildings, such estate-caliber residential properties lucky enough to boost the presence of an Indo-Saracenic structure, are still to be seen, generally, where in instances urban sprawl has not yet overcome them; often they are to be found in exclusive neighborhoods' (or surrounded, as cherished survivors, by enormous sky-scarpers, in more recently claimed urbanized areas throughout this “techno” driven, socio-economic revolutionary era marking India’s recent decade’s history), and are often locally referred to as "mini-palaces". Usually, their form-factors are these: townhouse, wings and/or porticoes. Additionally, more often seen are the diminutive renditions of the Indo-Saracenic style, built originally for lesser budgets, finding their nonetheless romantic expression in the occasional and serenely beautiful garden pavilion outbuildings, throughout the world; especially, in India … and England.