3 Review(s)

Magnificent palaces, forts and fortresses, victory towers and memorials among others are the living symbols of imperial lavishness in India. The book describes and illustrates royal edifices from Agra, Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi, Fatehpur Sikri, Hydrebad, Lahore, Madras, Poona, Rawalpindi, Quetta and Simla. The physical history of the above architecture is juxtaposed with social history of the time; for example, segregation of the British rulers from their subjects, and habits and customs of the colonial rulers and Indian and Burmese princes. The cultural history of the times is captured by the establishment of Shakespearean theatre, musical comedies and drama in the Indian sub-continent. Transport history is addressed through a discussion and illustration of Indian railways, among the largest transport networks in the world. My private and rare collection of vintage postcards published in Germany and the UK between 1905 and 1910 is the main source of illustrations in the book.