Firmly rooted in Indian religion, cosmology and society, this book describes the evolution of architecture on the Indian sub-continent and the neighbouring countries of south-east Asia from the earliest times to the rise of Islam at the end of the 11th century in the north and in the 17th century in the south.

The Vedic and native traditions of the 2nd millennium BC, modified by the changing demands of worship, stand behind the characteristic forms of Buddhist and Hindu temples, palaces, and even town planning. Describing a complex line of development — from the monumental excavated shrines at Ajanta to such late southern temple complexes as Madurai and the palace fort at Gwalior — India and South-East Asia also covers the exported tradition in Java, Cambodia, Burma and Thailand, which resulted in such stupendous monuments as Angkor Was and the Shwe Dagon Pagoda in Rangoon.