The Qutb Minar
With the conquest of Delhi in 1192 by the Afghani
Sultan Muhammad of Ghur, northern India entered a long period of
on-again/off-again Islamic rule that finally ended in 1857 when the
British deposed Bahadur Shah II. Muhammad entrusted his newly
conquered land to his army commander Qutbuddin Aibek who founded the
Delhi Sultanate — the Mughal Empire we usually associate with
Islamic India did not begin until 1526. The new ruler immediately
began construction of the Quwwat-ul-Islam (“Might of Islam”)
mosque and adjoining Qutb Minar, which may have served as its
minaret.
The Qutb Minar was not completed until the reign of Iltutmish,
Qutbuddin’s successor. It was repaired, after being damaged by
lightening, by Firoz Shah Tughlug (r. 1351–88), who added the top two
stories — note the transition to a different architectural
style in the photograph. Also visible in the photograph is the entryway
to the mosque added by Alauddin Khalji (r. 1296–1316).
At 238 feet the Qutb Minar is the tallest stone-faced brick building in
India, though its height is easily surpassed by several skyscrapers in
Mumbai.
Photo taken: January 16, 2008
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