It is one of the most comprehensive works on the architecture and urban settlements of the Nizam Shahs of Ahmadnagar, who ruled in the sixteenth century.

The primary focus of the book is the architecture of the Nizam Shahi sultanate (1490–1636), also known as the kingdom of Ahmadnagar, the least well known of the three major polities in the Deccan prior to the Mughal conquest.

As noted by Laura Parodi, "the book fills a notable gap in the cultural and architectural history of South Asia and the Islamic world.

"[1] The book was well-received, and was reviewed in several places, including the magazine Frontline where it was cited as being valuable for "the much-needed nuance it provides to the story of medieval India.

[9] The book was featured as the subject of a lecture in a series called From Malabar to Coromandel: The Future of Deccan Heritage, Art, and Culture organised by the Deccan Heritage Foundation, the Centre for Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge and the HH Sri Srikantadutta Narasimharaja Wadeyar Foundation in November 2020.