The Tanjavur Marathas: Art, Architecture and Culture

Between the seventeenth and the nineteenth century, the Marathas ruled from different parts of India. The history, art and architecture of the Marathas of northern, western and central India have been fairly well-documented. But the rule of the Marathas of Tanjavur in southernmost India has hitherto not attracted adequate academic attention. This volume presents the first-ever systematic, comprehensive and integrated collation of the different aspects of the art, architecture and culture that flourished in the Tanjavur Maratha kingdom. Based on extensive field explorations, museum and archival research in India, U.K. and the U.S.A., the study encompasses the religious and secular buildings, sculptures, paintings, furniture, textiles, jewellery, coins, toys and dolls, music and dance traditions and the cuisine of this little-known kingdom. Combining theoretical insights with empirical data, the study, again for the first time, investigates the subtle similarities and differences between the art and architecture of the Tanjavur Marathas and that of the Marathas in other parts of India. The study concludes with a set of practical suggestions for the revival of certain Maratha arts and crafts and the development of some of the Maratha monuments and sites as popular tourist destinations. The volume is profusely illustrated with rare photographs, line drawings and maps, many of which are being published for the first time. Written in a narrative style, the publication will be of equal interest to archaeologists, conservation architects, art historians, urban planners, artists, heritage lovers and serious tourists.