CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY

The Akbari Sarai at Fatehpur Sikri of Agra district in Uttar Pradesh is a Mughal-period caravansarai or rest house constructed during the reign of Emperor Akbar (r. 1556-1605) and is among the earliest surviving sarais of the Mughal era. It is referred to in early seventeenth-century accounts, including those of the European traveller William Finch. Built primarily of red sandstone, the sarai is a substantial four-terraced complex with a double-storeyed gateway and rooms arranged around a central courtyard. The complex also includes a Mughal-period octagonal stepwell, probably constructed between 1572 and 1575 CE, and the Hiran Minar, a watchtower or commemorative structure dating to the same period. All these monuments are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (Agra Circle).

The Hisar district is located on the eastern side of Haryana. During pre-Mughal times the place was known as Hizar-i-Firuza which was located at a strategic point where the old Delhi-Multan route branched to Khurasan. This city was founded by Firoz Shah as a challenging attempt to reclaim this barren tract of desert. Shams Siraj records that Firoz Shah took personal interest in the construction of the town and the excavation of canals. The Palace of Firoz Shah is situated on the northwestern side of the ruined citadel-currently in the main market area of the Hisar city

Located along the Grand Trunk Road (NH 44) in southern Phillaur in Jalandhar district of Punjab, this site originated as a Mughal-period sarai (rest house), likely established in the early seventeenth century and associated with Shah Jahan’s reign (r. 1628-1658). In the early nineteenth century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh converted the sarai into a fortified complex by adding defensive walls, bastions, and a ditch, transforming it into what is now known as Phillaur Fort. The monument was notified as protected by the Archaeological Survey of India in 2010 and presently houses the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Police Academy. Only limited elements of the original sarai survive, notably the Lahori and Delhi gateways, while later Sikh-period and subsequent adaptations dominate the existing fabric.

The Payal fort is a late eighteenth-century fortified structure located near the town of Payal in Ludhiana district of Punjab. Tentatively dated to around 1771 CE and possibly associated with Maharaja Amar Singh, the fort is constructed of lakhori bricks set in lime mortar. The monument is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (Chandigarh Circle).

Frederick M. Asher was a specialist in South Asian art. His research considers the architecture of contested religious space and the issue of copying/originality in Indian art. His scholarship focused on issues related to art as commodity, particularly looking at patterns of trade as they relate to works of art in India, and the site of Bodh Gaya. He also examined present-day artists working in traditional modes both because they are interesting in themselves and because they offer models for pre-modern modes of artistic production; they further offer the opportunity to think about the role of the artist in art history that has focused primarily on the product. He was Editor-in-Chief of caa.reviews, the electronic journal of the College Art Association, President and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the American Institute of Indian Studies. He was also President of the National Committee for the History of Art, and South Asia editor for Archives of Asian Art.

Frederick M. Asher was a specialist in South Asian art. His research considers the architecture of contested religious space and the issue of copying/originality in Indian art. His scholarship focused on issues related to art as commodity, particularly looking at patterns of trade as they relate to works of art in India, and the site of Bodh Gaya. He also examined present-day artists working in traditional modes both because they are interesting in themselves and because they offer models for pre-modern modes of artistic production; they further offer the opportunity to think about the role of the artist in art history that has focused primarily on the product. He was Editor-in-Chief of caa.reviews, the electronic journal of the College Art Association, President and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the American Institute of Indian Studies. He was also President of the National Committee for the History of Art, and South Asia editor for Archives of Asian Art.