Indo-Saracenic (from Saracen, an archaic name for Muslims used by the British), also known as Indo-Gothic, was a style of architecture used by British architects in the late 19th century in India. It drew elements from Mughal architecture, and combined it with the Gothic revival style favoured in Victorian Britain.
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Background
When the British first came to India, they considered themselves the legitimate rulers of India rather than its conquerors, so they sought to justify their presence by relating themselves to the previous rulers, The Mughals. By doing this they kept elements of British and European Architecture, 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 British tried to encapsulate India's past within their own buildings and so represent Britain’s Raj as legitimately Indian, while at the same time constructing a modern India of railways, colleges, and law courts. It was a step forward without the controversy that usually follows modernism.
Characteristics
As mentioned before, it is fundamentally British with Indian characteristics including
- onion (bulbous) domes
- overhanging eaves
- pointed arches, cusped arches, or scalloped arches
- vaulted roofs
- domed kiosks
- many miniature domes
- domed chhatris
- pinnacles
- towers or minarets
- harem windows
- open pavillions or pavillions with Bangala roofs
- pierced open arcading
The chief proponents of this style of architecture were Robert Fellowes Chisholm, Charles Mant, Henry Irwin, William Emerson, George Wittet and Frederick Stevens. Buildings built in this style were usually grand public buildings such as clock towers, courthouses, civic and municipal buildings, government colleges, town halls, railway stations, museums and art galleries.
In India
 Victoria Terminus, now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus |
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 Madras Museum in Madras |
 Ripon Building part of the Chennai Corporation in Chennai |
In Pakistan
In Great Britain
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| Neo-Classicism | Directoire · Empire · Regency · Egyptian Revival · Greek Revival and Neo-Grec |
| Neo-Romanesque and Byzantine Revival | Richardsonian Romanesque · Neo-Byzantine · Russo-Byzantine · Muscovite Revival |
| Gothic Revival | Scottish Baronial · Tudorbethan · Moorish Revival · Indo-Saracenic |
| Neo-Renaissance | Italianate · Second Empire · Châteauesque · Jacobethan |
| Neo-Baroque and 18th century | Beaux-Arts · Edwardian Baroque · Queen Anne · Georgian Revival · Colonial Revival |
