A Glance at the Design and Execution of Charbagh in Safavid Iran and Mughal India

The Persian garden design or the Charbagh layout is a cultural, historical, and fabric phenomenon in the land of Iran and displays the philosophical relationship between human beings and God’s nature. In Iranian culture, a garden is considered to be an enclosed area housing some plants, waterways, and buildings which are designed based on a particular architectural system offering a desirable, secure, and peaceful environment to its guests. One can recognize and find a meaningful relationship among all the components of Persian gardens in the light of the knowledge of the original Iranian culture. From an architectural point of view, besides their fences and buildings, the plan of Charbagh, which is recognized as a Persian and Islamic quadrilateral garden layout, is one of their main elements. When Babur, one of Timur’s grandsons, attacked and captured India, he employed the Persian garden design there, and it can justifiably be claimed that most of the gardens made during the Mughal period enjoyed the layout of Charbagh. During this era, Mughal Kings and their interest in Persian gardens played the main roles in the emergence of this style in India. At the same time, Safavid Kings and the political conditions of Iran contributed greatly to the process of transferring architects, artists, and craftsmen to India.