The Indo-Islamic architecture subject of this book is not the result of a ‘clash of civilizations’, but to be seen as innovations of the local architectural tradition, a product of local craft traditions.
Alka Patel here brings together two architectural corpora in a careful analysis of the 12th- through 14th-century Islamic ritual buildings of southeastern Sindh, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The new social and ritual demands of Islam led local craftspeople to initiate rejuvenation and expansion of their skills and knowledge.
Moreover, the commonality of building practices among "religions" led to the intertwining of various Muslim and non-Muslim communities.
The work's analysis of epigraphical evidence will be seminal to reorientations of historical methods investigating interactions among socio-religious groups in the region.
Alka Patel, Ph.D. (2000) in History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University, is currently Senior Fellow with the American Institute of Indian Studies, conducting fieldwork toward her next book, The Ghurid Architecture of Northern India and Historiography at the Ends of the Islamic World.
'This publication sets new standards for the interpretation of Islamic ritual architecture in India...an innovative and critical approach to the subject that emphasizes architectural evolution and change of meaning. This approach is satisfactorily combined with a secure and insightful grounding in local history.'
George Michell, Journal of Asian Studies, 2006.
All those interested in medieval Indian history, Indian Ocean trade, the architectural history of India and parts of the Islamic world.