Tracing the origins of Indo-Saracenic Architecture

Abstract

Indo-Saracenic style of architecture was propagated as the official style for public buildings built in the British Empire after the 1857 uprising (Metcalf, 1989). The Indo-Saracenic style was a hybrid mix of Indo-Islamic and Hindu features combined with European planning (Grover, 2014; Sheeba & Dhas, 2018). The Indian (Hindu, Islamic, Rajput) elements incorporated ni building facades were for public acceptance and to show continuity with previous rulers, i.e. Rajputs and Mughals (Datey, 1996; Stamp, 2017). The style primarily spread through the works of numerous European architects and engineers, who used Swinton Jacob's Jeypore portfolio of architectural details for incorporating traditional Indian elements and features (Metcalf, 1989; Shuja &Junejo, 2020).

The use of the terminology of "Indo-Saracenic Architecture" was introduced as a part of the colonial narrative by James Fergusson through his book "History of Indian and Eastern Architecture" with "Indo" referring to Hindu style and "Saracenic" evidently used for Islamic style (Fergusson, 1876). The term "Saracenic" is considered debatable, derogatory, and a misnomer by researchers (Shahid, 1984). The term is derived from "Saracen", a nomadic tribe from the Middle East (Metcalf, 1989; etymonline.com), and used in historical writings as a synonym for all Muslims (Merriam-Webster.com dictionary; Encyclopaedia Britannica). Surprisingly, a term having originated in Europe that refers to a nomadic tribe of Middle East Asia has made its way into Indian historiography. Historiography is a published narrative of history in a chronological sequence of historical events presented with factual information (Rüsen, 1996; Becker, 1938). Many times, the presence of misnomers can result in many anomalies impacting historical research in a negative way (White, 1973). Several authors have critiqued and questioned the use of the term "Saracen in literature and historiography" (Rezavi, 2019) due to its adverse nuances but no attempt has been made to investigate the etymology of the term in Indian architectural historiography and teaching. Therefore, it is important to trace the origins and meanings associated with the terms "Saracen", "Saracenic", and "Indo-Saracenic architecture" in the Indian context. The main questions that need to be addressed are:

"What is the etymology of the term "Saracenic"?
"What are the reasons for its usage ni Indian architectural historiography"?
An answer to this investigation shall help bring new perspectives in understanding the reasons behind the use of this terminology by establishing connections and understanding contradictions between viewpoints of various authors, which will lead to a deeper understanding of the etymology of the term "Saracenic" in Indian historiography.