 | The Syncretic Traditions of Islamic Religious Architecture of Kashmir (Early 14th –18th Century) Subjects: Museum and Heritage Studies; Area Studies; Built Environment; Humanities; Theory & Religion; Cultural Studies; Asian Studies; Architecture; Religion; Asian Studies (General); South Asian Studies; Architect Monographs; Architectural Design Drawing and Presentation; Architectural History; Structure Materials and Detailing; Theory of Architecture; Islam - Religion; This book traces the historical identity of Kashmir within the context of Islamic religious architecture between early fourteenth and mid-eighteenth century. It presents a framework of syncretism within which the understanding of this architectural tradition acquires new dimensions and possibilities in the region. In a first, the volume provides a detailed overview of the origin and development of Islamic sacred architecture while contextualizing it within the history of Islam in Kashmir. Covering the entirety of Muslim rule in the region, the book throws light on Islamic religious architecture introduced with the establishment of the Muslim Sultanate in the early fourteenth century, and focuses on both monumental and vernacular architecture. It examines the establishment of new styles in architecture, including ideas, materials and crafts introduced by non-Kashmiri missionaries in the late-fourteenth to fifteenth century. Further, it discusses how the Mughals viewed Kashmir and embellished the land with their architectural undertakings, coupled with encounters between Kashmir's native culture, with its identity and influences introduced by Sufis arriving from the medieval Persianate world. The book also highlights the transition of the traditional architecture to a pan-Islamic image in the post-Independence period. With its rich illustrations, photographs and drawings, this book will interest students, researchers, and professionals in architecture studies, cultural and heritage studies, visual and art history, religion, Islamic studies and South Asian studies. It will also be useful to professional architecture institutes, public libraries, museums, cultural and heritage bodies as well as the general reader interested in the architectural and cultural history of South Asia. Hakim Sameer Hamdani is Design Director, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Kashmir Chapter, Srinagar, Kashmir, India. With his primary research focused on Islamic architecture, he has published his work in various journals and book chapters. Among his major conservation projects are the Reconstruction of 18th-century Wooden Shrine of Peer Dastgeer Saheb (2020-12) and Conservation of Aali Masjid at Eidgah, Srinagar (2007) -- both of which were longlisted for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Others include the Conservation of the Khanqah-I Shah Hamdan, Srinagar (2018); Restoration of Mughal Monument of Thag Baba Saheb at Srinagar (2011); and Conservation of Historic Mughal Gardens of Kashmir (2007-10). |
