ABSTRACT
This chapter studies building construction in the medieval city of Mandu to explore the urbanity in a semi-arid region of central India. Being a semi-arid region, water was regarded as luxury that became integral part of the court-centric pleasures. The author has chosen the Royal Palace enclosure as his area of study and concentrates on the water architecture within the royal buildings. Through his studies he argues that, contrary to the general perception of technological constraints during the pre-modern period, the water structures were scientifically laid down which he substantiated by evidencing from contemporary textual and material sources. The explanation of the structure also looks into the usage of contemporary knowledge in construction and how natural resources were best used to meet the requirements of people of that time. This chapter highlights high-quality urban facilities, particularly the luxury of having water amidst a semi-arid zone as a definite marker of urban living standards as experienced in the medieval city of Mandu.
