Indian Historical Architecture

Anyone who has travelled or lived in the Indian subcontinent for more than a few days is likely to be impressed by the surprising diversity of the region. Not only are there many different languages, scripts, religions, dresses, physical features, and cuisines, but within each type there are to be found many further sub-types. For example, each language has many distinct dialects, and Hinduism, the dominant religion, has hundreds of subsects whose adherents follow very different rituals and methods of worship.

This theme of diversity is reflected in Indian Architecture. We may begin with noting that buildings of the main religions (Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity) are very different, but again within each religion the styles of each region or dynasty are fundamentally different. For example, the late-medieval brick temples of Bengal are adapted from Islamic architecture and are therefore very different from earlier Pala temples or contemporary Orissan temples. Similarly, 16th century Mughal mosques and tombs are totally different from structures built at a similar time in the Adil Shahi and Qutb Shahi empires in the Deccan.

Although some religious buildings (especially in South India) received pilgrimage and patronage through the centuries and were thus preserved and expanded, the more common fate of buildings was loss of patronage and subsequent desolation and ruin. To make matters worse, the architects and artisan guilds who built these complex structures only communicated their techniques verbally, which meant that with loss of patronage and dispersal of artisans, all these techniques were lost forever. All we are left with are magnificent, tantalizing examples of architecture, such as the Sanchi stupa or the Khajuraho or Konarak temples, but little knowledge of how this monumental architecture evolved or was conceived.

The first serious attempt to document India's architectural heritage was made in the late 18th and early 19th century by British soldiers, administrators, and civil servants. Spurred by a resurgence of renaissance ideals in contemporary Europe, men like Colin McKenzie and Arthur Cunningham travelled widely through the subcontinent documenting architectural and sculptural remains. Their specific interests varied but there was a general tendency to consider earlier Indian architecture superior, while the exuberant sculptural detail of later Hindu temples was considered degenerate. In the 200 years since those first attempts at serious research, there have been considerable advances in understanding the origins, patronage, and evolution of the many regional Indian architectural styles. However, it is fair to say that in comparison with our knowledge of European architecture, our understanding of Indian architecture is still very basic and many hundreds of monuments and many dozens of regional styles wait to be studied and analysed in detail.