Indo-Islamic Architecture in Jaunpur
Jaunpur is located some 60km northeast of Varanasi. This place is known for a Jaunpur Sultanate of medieval times. The city dates back to 11th century but was devastated by the Gomati River. In 1359, Firoz Tughlaq had created a fortress there and later when the Tughlaqs became weaker due to the attacks of Mongols, one Malik Sarwar, a designated governor of Firoz declared himself independent and established the Dynasty of Sharqi. This Sharqi dynasty was a patron of art but they just demolished the temples and created monuments there. However, it was such grandeur of the monuments out there that Jaunpur was known as Shiraz of India in those times. There was a temple of Atala Devi in Jaunpur, which was broken and a new Atala Masjid was built over there.
The politicos of Jaunpur became so powerful that they challenged the hegemony of Delhi once upon a time. But as the time changed, Jaunpur suffered the destruction by the Lodhi Dynasty in 1495 and its numbers of edifices were demolished in retaliation for the past. Today, Atala Masjid remains one of the few monuments as testimony to the once powerful Jaunpur Sultanate.
