Overview for Islamic Tombs in India: The Iconography and Genesis
of their Design The work by an Indological scholar who has
studied different architectural traditions of the world covers
the architecture and iconography of some 36 Islamic tombs in
India spanning a period of over 500 years from c. AD 1230 to
1754. It begins with a brief historical background to the
Islamic rule in northern India and a discussion on burial
practices and tomb types of the time to further understanding of
the underlying concept of construction and functions of the
tombs. Abounding in numerous line drawings of plans and
elevations, and figures, it examines the influence of different
traditions - Buddhist and African and Mediterranean traditions -
on evolution of the form of examination of the Indo-Islamic
tombs under consideration: their description, size, plan and
elevation including the interior space and application of the
mandala patterns over the tomb structures, the techniques of
construction, masonry and artisanship employe