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The Royal Palaces of India
As early as the fourteenth century, stories glorifying the exotic palaces of Indian rulers began to circulate in the West, stories which closer acquaintance only confirmed. Even today, they are magical places - small towns rather than single buildings, in which the Hindu and Muslim rulers of the subcontinent dispensed their laws and enjoyed their wealth.
The beauty and atmosphere of these palaces is displayed here in Antonio Martinelli's exceptional color photographs, composed with the eye of a painter and a trained architect who enjoyed unrivaled access to the buildings. George Michell, a recognized authority on Indian architecture and art, tells the story of the palaces. He evokes life within these complexes and describes their many defenses, spacious audience halls and courtyards, temples and mosques, private apartments and service quarters.
At the heart of the book are the palaces themselves. The oldest surviving are those erected by the Muslim conquerors who swept down through the country from the 12th century onwards, notably at Mandu and Bidar. In the north, the Mughals built vast imperial palace-cities at Fatehpur Sikri, Agra and Delhi. The Hindu Rajputs in Central and Western India, where many ruling families have lasted into the modern era, created citadels that are comparatively well preserved - as at Gwalior, Udaipur and Amber. Southern India, another Hindu realm, offers a complete contrast in forms, with the towers of Chandragiri and the breezy timber halls of Padmanabhapuram. Finally, there are the lavish palaces built in the era of British domination, such as Mysore, Baroda and Morvi, some Indian in character, others clothed in dazzling Art Deco.
These fascinating edifices are receiving increasing numbers of visitors each year, yet there has been no in-depth survey of them since 1925. Here is a superb record of the palaces, living witnesses to a regal aspiration to recreate heaven on earth.
The beauty and atmosphere of these palaces is displayed here in Antonio Martinelli's exceptional color photographs, composed with the eye of a painter and a trained architect who enjoyed unrivaled access to the buildings. George Michell, a recognized authority on Indian architecture and art, tells the story of the palaces. He evokes life within these complexes and describes their many defenses, spacious audience halls and courtyards, temples and mosques, private apartments and service quarters.
At the heart of the book are the palaces themselves. The oldest surviving are those erected by the Muslim conquerors who swept down through the country from the 12th century onwards, notably at Mandu and Bidar. In the north, the Mughals built vast imperial palace-cities at Fatehpur Sikri, Agra and Delhi. The Hindu Rajputs in Central and Western India, where many ruling families have lasted into the modern era, created citadels that are comparatively well preserved - as at Gwalior, Udaipur and Amber. Southern India, another Hindu realm, offers a complete contrast in forms, with the towers of Chandragiri and the breezy timber halls of Padmanabhapuram. Finally, there are the lavish palaces built in the era of British domination, such as Mysore, Baroda and Morvi, some Indian in character, others clothed in dazzling Art Deco.
These fascinating edifices are receiving increasing numbers of visitors each year, yet there has been no in-depth survey of them since 1925. Here is a superb record of the palaces, living witnesses to a regal aspiration to recreate heaven on earth.
- GenresIndia
232 pages, Hardcover
First published September 25, 1993
About the author
George Michell
84 books19 followersGeorge Michell is a world authority on South Asian architecture, and a founder-trustee of the Deccan Heritage Foundation. He is amongst the most distinguished architectural scholars produced by the University of Melbourne.
He was born in Australia and received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from this university in 1968. He then turned his attention to India and obtained his PhD in 1974 from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, for his dissertation on Early Chalukya temple architecture. In 1976 he played a pivotal role in the ‘Arts of Islam’ exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in London. During the 1970s he directed courses on Asian architecture at the Architectural Association, London, as well as coediting Art and Archaeology Research Papers (AARP), a journal specialising in architecture and art of the Islamic and Indian worlds. In 1978 he edited Architecture of the Islamic World: its History and Social Meaning (republished in 1995).
George lives in London with his partner and splits his time between research trips to the Deccan and writing about its ancient architecture, at home.
He was born in Australia and received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from this university in 1968. He then turned his attention to India and obtained his PhD in 1974 from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, for his dissertation on Early Chalukya temple architecture. In 1976 he played a pivotal role in the ‘Arts of Islam’ exhibition at the Hayward Gallery in London. During the 1970s he directed courses on Asian architecture at the Architectural Association, London, as well as coediting Art and Archaeology Research Papers (AARP), a journal specialising in architecture and art of the Islamic and Indian worlds. In 1978 he edited Architecture of the Islamic World: its History and Social Meaning (republished in 1995).
George lives in London with his partner and splits his time between research trips to the Deccan and writing about its ancient architecture, at home.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 13, 2026
As coffee tables go its quite a readable review of the palaces of india,it does loose it a little towards the end when it covers some of the other palaces. The final section of the art-deco palaces make me wonder how I can get to see them.
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