What impacts can be seen on India’s Art and Architecture by European Influence?

Europeans had come to the Indian peninsula to expand their trade at the end of the 15th century. Eventually, they started to control the administration of the country and in later phases, they colonized the entire of South Asia. India’s Art and Architecture are influenced by many other invaders, Traders, and many more powers like Greek, Turks, and Mughals. In later phases, Europeans had also put a strong contribution to it.

The influence can be seen in the following points-

It is said that Printing technology in India is introduced by the Portuguese. In later phases, this technology got expanded into various other forms like newspapers, novels, and books. In the era of the national movement, it had played a vital role in the emergence of nationalist feelings among the Indians by providing newspapers to them.

Europeans had introduced a new style of painting like an oil painting. In later phases, these styles had been imbibed in local paintings as in Kalighat Painting which had themes from Indian Mythology.

The maximum influence of Europeans is seen in Architecture. Several forms of architecture such as Iberian style by Portuguese, Gothic Architecture by Britishers and planning of colonies by French.

In the construction of the house of viceroy they had introduced Gothic style which have tall pointed arches by combining it with indo- mughal and Mauryan Architecture. In Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus they had introduced Sarsenic style.

Britishers had introduced an upturned dome in the architecture which can be seen in the Rashtrapati Bhawan and in the Supreme Court. Sir Edwin Lutyens had designed the imperial capital in Delhi. Therefore the area which had largely been constructed by him is known as Lutyens Delhi.

Thus, It is seen that apart from other powers, Europeans had also impacted and influenced Indian Art and Architecture. It also contributed to make India a land of Unity in Diversity.