Acknowledgements
My sincere and profound gratitude to my mentor and dear friend Professor Samer Akkach, Founding Director, Centre for Asian and Middle Eastern Architecture (CAMEA), School of Architecture, the University of Adelaide, in the preparation of this work. I am deeply indebted to him for encouraging me to look beyond the field. His constant and continued support, intellectual generosity, guidance, and encouragement has made this journey one of pure delight.
It is a joy and a pleasure to acknowledge help from many quarters. I would like to warmly thank Zahra Ranjbari for her time and assistance with Middle Farsi translations, and Margaret Galbraithe and the librarians at the University of Adelaide. In India, my thanks to Bhaskar Ghose and Ashish Arora in New Delhi. Also Sethu Nambiar in Hyderabad; Fatima Tanveer, Telengana State Manuscript Library of Osmania University Library; Shreyas Zalariya, Aligarh Muslim University; Professor P. P. Joglekar, editor of Man and Environment in Pune; and staff of the Indian Museum, Kolkata. In Pakistan, I would like to warmly thank Anjum Zafar in Lahore for all his help over the years.
To Susan Stronge, Senior Curator in the Asian Department of the Victorian and Albert Museum in London, who has been incredibly supportive of my work all these years, thank you for all your kindness and generosity. My warm thanks also to staff at Chester Beatty in Dublin, British Library, Royal Asiatic Society, and HathiTrust; and Karen Lawson and Lauren Stark at the Royal Collections Trust.
Many academics have been extremely helpful and supportive and have so very kindly shared their research which has enriched my work. It is a pleasure to acknowledge their help and generosity: Professor Emeritus Daniel C. Waugh, University of Washington, Seattle; Dr Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis, Curator Emerita, the British Museum; Dr David Bainbridge, Clinical Veterinary Anatomist, University of Cambridge; Professor Emeritus Robert McChesney, New York University; Dr Peter Alford Andrews, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Bristol; Professor Garth Fowden, Emeritus, University of Cambridge; James L. Wescoat, Aga Khan Professor Emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Associate Professor Vahid Aryadoust, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. To Keren and Tami Stronach, my gratitude for your graciousness and generosity. Grateful thanks to Teddi Dols and Fem Eggers at Brill. A warm thank you to Harry Neale for being an insightful copyeditor.
On a personal note, my profound thanks to Elizabeth Kelly for years of inspiration, encouragement, and warm friendship. My deepest gratitude to Riddhi Hathiramani for her help with images, and also Zenith Chan. Most of all, my gratitude and appreciation goes to my family without whom this work would never have been possible: Aimie, you have been a fabulous pillar of support, love, and help, and I am eternally thankful and appreciative; Faizi, a big thank you for your love and offbeat help; Mika and Emil, for blessing me with love, joy, and laughter always, thank you; warm thanks to Steve, and also to Faiza for all her help. Above all, to Altaf, my heartfelt gratitude and love for believing in this project and your gracious and steadfast encouragement. This book is for you.