Glimpses of Colonial Architecture in Delhi

Description

Art and architecture are the true manifestations of culture of a period as these reflect the mind and approach of that particular society, Ideas and techniques of a society find visual expression here. The architecture of the colonial period in Delhi has not received much attention by historians of Modern India. Even historians of architecture have focused on Pre-colonial buildings and have generally ignored the construction activity in colonial period. This is a significant Lacuna in Indian history, which the present book fulfills with some satisfaction. By this book author has worked out the connection between architecture and social and political conditions. This work seeks to contextualize the colonial architecture within the social and political milieu of India but also with the entangled relationship between architecture and colonial society. This book has also a significant feature of the British Indian Colonial architecture in Delhi is that, it has combined the utilitarian needs with aesthetic appreciation. Although the British introduced changes in their architecture, it adapted it self with the Indian climate and was influenced by the Mughal and other architectural techniques and as such continuity of the pre – British tradition of architectural was maintained. British Indian colonial architecture was a Symbolic index of Power of the British colonists. Author has, thus broken new grounds in the field of colonial architectural history of Delhi.