Monumental Matters

The Power, Subjectivity, and Space of India’s Mughal Architecture

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, Architecture, History, Asian, India
Cover of the book Monumental Matters by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer, Duke University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Santhi Kavuri-Bauer ISBN: 9780822393764
Publisher: Duke University Press Publication: September 19, 2011
Imprint: Duke University Press Books Language: English
Author: Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
ISBN: 9780822393764
Publisher: Duke University Press
Publication: September 19, 2011
Imprint: Duke University Press Books
Language: English

Built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, India’s Mughal monuments—including majestic forts, mosques, palaces, and tombs, such as the Taj Mahal—are world renowned for their grandeur and association with the Mughals, the powerful Islamic empire that once ruled most of the subcontinent. In Monumental Matters, Santhi Kavuri-Bauer focuses on the prominent role of Mughal architecture in the construction and contestation of the Indian national landscape. She examines the representation and eventual preservation of the monuments, from their disrepair in the colonial past to their present status as protected heritage sites.

Drawing on theories of power, subjectivity, and space, Kavuri-Bauer’s interdisciplinary analysis encompasses Urdu poetry, British landscape painting, imperial archaeological surveys, Indian Muslim identity, and British tourism, as well as postcolonial nation building, World Heritage designations, and conservation mandates. Since Independence, the state has attempted to construct a narrative of Mughal monuments as symbols of a unified, secular nation. Yet modern-day sectarian violence at these sites continues to suggest that India’s Mughal monuments remain the transformative spaces—of social ordering, identity formation, and national reinvention—that they have been for centuries.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Built in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, India’s Mughal monuments—including majestic forts, mosques, palaces, and tombs, such as the Taj Mahal—are world renowned for their grandeur and association with the Mughals, the powerful Islamic empire that once ruled most of the subcontinent. In Monumental Matters, Santhi Kavuri-Bauer focuses on the prominent role of Mughal architecture in the construction and contestation of the Indian national landscape. She examines the representation and eventual preservation of the monuments, from their disrepair in the colonial past to their present status as protected heritage sites.

Drawing on theories of power, subjectivity, and space, Kavuri-Bauer’s interdisciplinary analysis encompasses Urdu poetry, British landscape painting, imperial archaeological surveys, Indian Muslim identity, and British tourism, as well as postcolonial nation building, World Heritage designations, and conservation mandates. Since Independence, the state has attempted to construct a narrative of Mughal monuments as symbols of a unified, secular nation. Yet modern-day sectarian violence at these sites continues to suggest that India’s Mughal monuments remain the transformative spaces—of social ordering, identity formation, and national reinvention—that they have been for centuries.

More books from Duke University Press

Cover of the book Useful Knowledge by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
Cover of the book World Revolution, 1917–1936 by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
Cover of the book Europe (in Theory) by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
Cover of the book Theodor W. Adorno by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
Cover of the book Plastic Bodies by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
Cover of the book After Ethnos by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
Cover of the book Words in Motion by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
Cover of the book The Nick of Time by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
Cover of the book Now Peru Is Mine by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
Cover of the book Male Call by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
Cover of the book Religious Affects by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
Cover of the book American Indian Persistence and Resurgence by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
Cover of the book Che's Travels by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
Cover of the book Poor People's Politics by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
Cover of the book The Political Sublime by Santhi Kavuri-Bauer
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy