The present book offers an exhaustive treatment of the political, social, economical and cultural history of Malwa from the earliest times to 1305 A.D. Herein for the very first time the author has arrenged systematically and discussed and relevant historical material in the form of archaeological antiquities, inscriptions, coins and literature.

This is a more advanced and comprehensive volume on the subject which portrays fully, the concept of rural settlements. The author has gone in detail through his field and personal surveys rather than official sources to present the chronological evolution, toponomy, regional distributions size, spacing, density, dispersion, morphological structure, dwellings and problems and planning of rural settlements. Various physico-cultural and techno-economic variables which exert the spatial distributions of rural settlements, have been dealt with the latest available statistical and cartographic techniques upto a micro-level set up. Copiously illustrated with original maps, diagrams and tables, the study describes in simple language the concepts and recent trends in the subject.

This volume focuses on the religious shrine in western India as an institution of cultural integration in the period spanning 200 BCE to 800 CE. It presents an analysis of religious architecture at multiple levels, both temporal and spatial, and distinguishes it as a ritual instrument that integrates individuals and communities into a cultural fabric. The work shows how these structures emphasise on communication with a host of audiences such as the lay worshipper, the ritual specialist, the royalty and the elite as well as the artisan and the sculptor. It also examines religious imagery, inscriptions, traditional lore and Sanskrit literature. The book will be of special interest to researchers and scholars of ancient Indian history, Hinduism, religious studies, architecture and South Asian studies.