INDIAN HISTORY AND CULTURE

GROUP TRIP

TO QUTUB COMPLEX

Group members

Satakshi Bhardwaj 4025 Priya Pathak 4026Marshika Chauhan 4028Payal Rathi 4030Vicky Kaushik 4031Priyank Jain 4032Sunidhi Rai 4033Aastha Sharma 4035

Qutub complex The Qutub complex is an array of monuments and buildings at

Mehrauli in Delhi, India, the most famous of which is the Qutub Minar.

First constructed by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the first ruler of the Slave Dynasty, and his successor Iltutmish (aka Altamash) .

The complex was added to by many subsequent rulers, including Iltutmish and Ala ud din Khilji as well as the British.

The most famous monument situated in the complex is the Qutub Minar; other important constructions in the complex are the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, the Ala-I-Darwaza, the Alai Minar and the Iron Pillar.

Twenty-seven previous Jain temples were destroyed and their materials reused to construct the minar and other monuments of the complex.

Qutub Minar

• At 72.5 metres high, the Qutub Minar is the tallest brick minaret in the world.

• It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with surrounding buildings and monuments.

• The purpose for building this beautiful monument was that of calling people for prayer in a mosque- in this case the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque.

• The Qutab Minar is made of red sandstone covered with intricate carvings and verses from the Qur'an

Alai Minar• The incomplete Alai Minar.

• Ala ud din Khilji started building the Alai Minar, which was conceived to be two times higher than Qutub Minar.

• The construction was abandoned, however, after the completion of the 24.5 meter high first storey; soon after death of Ala-ud-din.(1316 AD)

• The Alai Minar depicts that very high ambition, pompous attitude and ferocity of Ala-ud-din Khilji.

 

Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque

Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque (Might of Islam) (also known as the Qutb Mosque or the Great Mosque of Delhi) was built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak.

The mosque construction started in the 1190s when Aibak was the commander of Muhammad Ghori's garrison occupied Delhi.

His successor Iltutmish extended the original prayer hall screen by three more arches.

The arches added under Iltutmish are stylistically more Islamic than the ones erected under Qutb's rule.

Later, in 1315 AD, Ala-ud-din Khalji (Khilji) added the outer courtyard to extend the area size of the mosque

 

Ala-I-Darwaza

The Ala-I-Darwaza is a magnificent gateway in the complex, built by Ala ud din Khilji.

The gateway is decorated with inlaid marble decorations, latticed stone screens and showcases the remarkable craftsmanship of the Turkish artisans who worked on it.

With its horse shoe shaped arches it adds a grace to the quw'at'ul islam mosque to which it serves as an entrance.

Iron pillar of DelhiIt has attracted the attention of archaeologists and metallurgists as it has withstood corrosion for the last 1600 years, despite harsh weather

The pillar is a testament to the high level of skill achieved by ancient Indian iron smiths in the extraction and processing of iron.

The iron pillar is one of the world’s foremost metallurgical curiosities. The pillar, almost seven metres high and weighing more than six tonnes, was erected by Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (375–414 CE)

Imam Zamin’s tomb The tomb of imam Zamin alias Imam Muhamad ALi is also

known tomb of Hasanpal minar. He built this tomb during his life time was buried in it after his

death. There are three screens of lattice work in three out of its four

walls in its southern wall is the entrance, the frame of which of marble and on either side of it is a screen corresponding with those on the opposite side.

Iltutmish’s tomb

The tomb was built in 1235 AD, only five years after the construction of Sultan Ghari’s tomb.

The west wall faces the direction of the Mecca, the upper chamber of the tower opens up to the sky & the sqinches on the top suggest that there may have been an existence of a dome. 

Various geometric designs adorn the western Mihrabs (niches) but the highlight is the inscriptions of the Kufic, Tughra & Nakshi scripts that illustrate the chapters from the Quran. 

Beautifully carved lotuses, tassels, diamonds & bells on chains add to the charm and magnificence of the monument.

Smith’s Folly

In 1803, an earthquake hit Qutub Minar. The damage was significant enough to destroy Firoz Shah’s cupola permanently.

Major Robert Smith, had replaced an Indo-Islamic cupola with a Bengali style chatthri.

Lord Hardinge eventually had it taken down in 1848 and placed it on the outer lawns of the Qutub Complex, where it still lies, like an impure.

THE END