The style of architecture that developed in India from the 13th century onward under the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughals, blending Islamic features (the arch, dome, and minaret) with indigenous Indian craftsmanship and motifs.
- Distinctive features include the true arch (arcuate construction), the dome, the minaret, the use of the mihrab and mimbar in mosques, and decoration through calligraphy, geometric patterns (arabesque), and pietra dura (inlay) rather than human figures.
- Delhi Sultanate landmarks: the Qutb Minar and the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque (begun by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, completed by Iltutmish), the Alai Darwaza (Alauddin Khalji), and Tughlaqabad.
- Mughal architecture matured under Akbar (Fatehpur Sikri, the Buland Darwaza, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, which prefigured the garden-tomb style) and reached its peak under Shah Jahan with the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort and Jama Masjid at Delhi.
- The charbagh (four-quartered Persian garden) layout and the bulbous dome with a constricted neck are hallmarks of mature Mughal building.
- Provincial styles also flourished, for example in Bengal, Gujarat (Ahmedabad), Bijapur (the Gol Gumbaz, with its huge dome), and Mandu.
Monument-to-builder matching (Qutb Minar, Alai Darwaza, Humayun's Tomb, Fatehpur Sikri, Taj Mahal, Gol Gumbaz), the arch-dome-minaret features, and the charbagh garden are heavily tested architecture facts.
The Qutb Minar was begun by Qutb-ud-din Aibak but completed by Iltutmish; the trabeate (beam-and-lintel) indigenous style differs from the arcuate (true arch) Islamic style.
Arch-dome-minaret style from the 13th century; Qutb Minar and Alai Darwaza (Sultanate) to Humayun's Tomb and the Taj Mahal (Mughal), with charbagh gardens.