Publisher's Synopsis
This book, for the first time instead of looking at Indian architecture from the point of view of dynasties, periods or religions, examines the various functions of Indian architecture and traces the various developments in the field beginning with the Indus Valley Civilization under the heads of settlement patterns, houses, residences, palaces, funerary monuments, and religious structures. Within settlement patterns, the author looks at rural and urban patterns and the linkages between the two. He explains regional and period-specific phenomena, while also quoting from ancient accounts of towns. The residences he looks at vary from the typical urban and rural houses to the Muslim aristocratic residence as also the palace. Funerary monuments form another important part of the study, and this section also looks at the differing social attitudes to ancestors. The author also looks at the religious structures like chaityas, monasteries, temples, mosques, and also the structural material u sed in an area or period. Based on extensive fieldwork, the author also documents family histories, lifestyles, usage of spaces to provide a comprehensive social history of Indian architecture.
