ABSTRACT
Along with the English language, and the colonial legal and administrative institutions in which it has remained enshrined, the buildings of British India and Ceylon are arguably among the most tangible and enduring legacies of the European colonization of South Asia. The material evidence of this is ubiquitous. At one end of the architectural spectrum there are the bungalows, barracks, institutional and technical infrastructure originally built to accommodate the everyday operations of the colonial administration and the droves of both “native” and “European” employees that served in its civilian and military branches. Countless examples of these humble structures are still in use today, particularly in smaller towns and settlements, where time and familiarity have woven them into the local fabric as if they had emerged from vernacular building traditions (Figures 1.1-1.5).
