148 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [May, 1909. 
towers at the sneer, the panelled carvings sees the ci ypoee 
of rosettes and geometrical patterns in the carvings, all remind 
us of the later tombs mia mosques of Gaur and Pandu sae _ 
regards the roof too, the hut-type, with the base curved, i 
found adopted in the Eklakhi tomb of Pandua and the bungalow 
type (the triangular roof) in Fath Khan’s tomb of Gaur fort.! 
Moreover, the multi-towers on the roof remind one of the kiosk 
groups on the top of the later Afghan tombs, such as of Hassan 
Khan’s in Cainpur, Shahabad, in which the central dome is 
surrounded by four or eight kiosks and is capped by a pinnacle 
or another kiosk. The similarity of the pyramidaltopped 
towers to Orissan porches, and of the arrangement of the multi- 
towers to that of the Benares fashion also bespeak of later times. 
Adaptations from Orissan or Benares style are not unusual, 
oth being Hindu and akin in essence. 
But adaptations from Musalman archi- 
tecture are prima facie surprising, and 
require explanation. No adequate explanation is possible, 
be now so little of the medieval history of Bengal, 
but some of the causes are dimly discernible. Firstly, during 
Bengali Musalman 
Style. 
manship, its bie vaults, wide corridors, 
ous domes, profusely carved brick 
panels and beautifully pee glazed tiles, deeply influenced 
contemporary architects. Its influence is traceable in the works 
of Sher Shah’s dynasty, and still more in Akbar’s edifices. 
Speaking of ‘‘ Agra the Royal residence,” the Ain remarked :— 
‘‘ It contained more than five hundred buildings of masonry after 
the beautiful designs of Bengal and Gujerat which masterly 
sculptors and cunning artists of forms have fashioned as architec- 
tural models.’’? A part of Akbar’s new palace: in the Agra fort 
was called specifically the Bengali Mahal,’ A gpbewsion¢ because it 
was built after that style. Miserable as the present remains in 
Malda pate are, they led Mr. Fergusson to remark :—‘‘ It isnot, 
howeve the dimensions of its buildings, or the beauty of 
their details that the glory of Gaur resides ; it is in the wonder- 
mass of ruins stretching along what was once the high bank 
- the ie: for nearly twenty miles, from Maldah to Madda- 
osques stillin use, mixed with mounds covering ruins— 
toache: Sane. tanks and towers, scattered without order over 
an immense distance, and half-buried in a luxuriance of vegeta- 
tion which = this Bee of India can exhibit.” 
: See fi 
figures 1 4 Akbari, transl., ii, i, p. If 
8 Completed. ix in 710. ti. (1562-3 "A.D. }; sc 888 to Ai Basaon, 
transl., i, p. 74. * Hist. Ind. Arch., pp. 5 
