Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s2.t1.1

c7.s2.t1.1

of the ancient Hindu mind.¹ The distinctive features of a typical Hindu city were the choice of its site and two wide streets running through the city, intersecting at right-angles. The Hindu buildings were conspicuous for their mass and durability.² There was a profuse display of gold plate in the royal mansions. These were built many storeys, the two upper storeys sometimes measuring as many as fifty yards in height. Green tile work was used for roofs, and the encircling walls of a fortress or the circumvallation of a city were marked with towers, massive gates and statues of elephants or men at the entrance. Where it was available, stone was used in construction. Among other features of Hindu buildings, we may note the construction of aqueducts, the exquisite carvings of the doors and windows and the fine workmanship displayed in building temples and idols.³