Qutb complex
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Image:Qutub minar.JPG The Qutb complex is an array of monuments and buildings at Mehrauli in Delhi, India, the most famous of which is the Qutub Minar. This complex was first constructed by Qutb-ud-din Aybak, the first ruler of the Slave Dynasty, and his successor Iltutmish (aka Altmash) in his new city called the Qila-Rai-Pithora near Prithivraj Chauhan's older city. 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.
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Qutub Minar
- Main article: Qutub Minar
Qutub Mahal is the tallest brick minaret in the world, and an important example of Indo-Islamic Architecture. The Qutub Minar is 72.5 metres (239 ft) high. The diameter of the base is 2.3 metres wide while the top floor measures 2.7 metres in diameter. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Inspired by the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan and wishing to surpass it, Qutb-ud-din Aybak, the first Muslim ruler of Delhi, commenced construction of the Qutub Minar in 1193; but could only complete its basement. His successor, Iltutmish, added three more stories and, in 1368, Firuz Shah Tughluq constructed the fifth and the last story. The development of architectural styles from Aibak to Tuglak are quite evident in the minaret. Like earlier towers erected by the Ghaznavids and Ghurids in Afghanistan, the Qutub Mahal comprises several superposed flanged and cylindrical shafts, separated by balconies carried on Muqarnas corbels. The minaret is made of fluted red sandstone covered with intricate carvings and verses from the Qur'an. The Qutub Minar is itself built on the ruins of Lal Kot, the Red Citadel in the city of Dhillika, the capital of the Rajput Tomaras and the Chauhans, the last Hindu rulers of Delhi.
The purpose for building this beautiful monument has been speculated upon, apart from the usual role of a minaret - that of calling people for prayer in a mosque- in this case the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. Other reasons ascribed to its construction are as a tower of victory, a monument signifying the might of Islam, or a watch tower for defence. Controversy also surrounds the origins for the name of the tower. Many historians believe that the Qutub Minar was named after the first Turkish sultan, Qutb-ud-din Aibak but others contend that it was named in honour of Khwaja Qutb-ud-din Bakhtiar Kaki, a saint from Baghdad who came to live in India who was greatly venerated by Akhbar.
Alai Minar
Image:India-Qutb-Alai.jpg 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. The first story of the Alai Minar still stands today.
Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque
Image:India-Qutb-Decor.jpg 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 Aybak, founder of the Mamluk or Slave dynasty. The mosque construction started in the 1190s when Aibak was the commander of Muhammad Ghori's garrison occupied Delhi. The mosque is said to be built by the parts taken by destruction of twenty-seven Hindu and Jain temples. It was the first mosque built in Delhi after the Islamic conquest of India and the best surviving example of Ghurid's architecture.
Expansion of the mosque continued after the death of Qutub. His successor Iltutmish extended the original prayer hall screen by three more arches. By the time of Iltutmish, the Mamluk empire had stablized enough that the Sultan could replace most of his conscripted Hindu masons with Muslims. This explains why the arches added under Iltutmish are stylistically more Islamic than the ones erected under Qutb's rule.
The mosque is in ruins today but indigenous corbelled arches, floral motifs, and geometric patterns can be seen among the Islamic architectural structures.
To the west of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque is the tomb of Iltutmish which was built by the monarch in 1235. The construction of this mausoleum clearly represented a departure from the Hindu custom of cremating the dead.
Ala-I-Darwaza
The Ala-I-Darwaza is a magnificent gateway in the complex. The gateway was built by the first Khilji sultan of Delhi, 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.
Iron pillar
Image:India-Qutb-Iron.jpg 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 Kumara Gupta I of the Gupta dynasty that ruled northern India 320-540. The pillar was originally located in the temple of Muttra, with the idol of Garuda at the top. It is the only piece of the Hindu temple remaining, which stood there before being destroyed by Qutb-ud-din Aybak to build the Qutub Minar and Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. Qutub built around it when he constructed the mosque.
The pillar bears an inscription which states that it was erected as a flagstaff in honour of the Hindu god, Vishnu, and in the memory of the Gupta King Chandragupta II (375-413). Made up of 98% wrought iron of impure quality, it is 23 feet 8 inches (7.21 m) high and has a diameter of 16 inches (0.41 m). The pillar is a testament to the high level of skill achieved by ancient Indian iron smiths in the extraction and processing of iron. It has attracted the attention of archaeologists and metallurgists as it has withstood corrosion for the last 1600 years, despite harsh weather.
A fence was erected around the pillar due to the popularity of a tradition that it was considered good luck if you could stand with your back to the pillar and make your hands meet behind it.
Scientific analysis
- See also: Wootz steel
Metallurgists at Kanpur IIT claim, and have also discovered this compund, that a thin layer of "misawite", a compound of iron, oxygen, and hydrogen, has protected the cast iron pillar from rust. The protective film took form within three years after erection of the pillar and has been growing ever so slowly since then. After 1,600 years, the film has grown just one-twentieth of a millimetre thick, according to R. Balasubramaniam of the IIT.
In a report published in the journal Current Science, Balasubramaniam says the protective film was formed catalytically by the presence of high amounts of phosphorus in the iron — this phosphorus is as much as one per cent against less than 0.05 per cent in today's iron. The high phosphorus content is a result of the unique iron-making process practiced by ancient Indians, who reduced iron ore into steel in one step by mixing it with charcoal. Modern blast furnaces, on the other hand, use limestone in place of charcoal, yielding molten slag and pig iron that is later converted into steel. In the modern process most phosphorus is carried away by the slag.
Stating that the pillar is "a living testimony to the skill of metallurgists of ancient India", Balasubramaniam said the "kinetic scheme" that his group developed for predicting growth of the protective film may be useful for modeling long-term corrosion behaviour of containers for nuclear storage applications.
Another theory suggests that the reason that the pillar resists rust is due to its thickness, which allows the sun to heat the pillar sufficiently during the day to evaporate all rain or dew from its surface. The accumulated heat also keeps the surface dry at night.
See also
External links
- Entry in the UNESCO World Heritage Site List
- Quwwat Al-Islam Mosque
- Corrosion resistance of Delhi iron pillar
- Nondestructive evaluation of the Delhi iron pillar Current Science, Indian Academy of Sciences, Vol. 88, No. 12, 25 June 2005 (PDF)
- Photo gallery of the Qutb complex
Gallery
 The Qutub Minar's size makes it visible from far around. |
 There is a wide range of architecture in the complex, some more ornate than others. |
 Open areas such as this are rarely free of visitors now. |
 Some areas of the complex contain few structures still standing. |
 Wildlife thrives in the ruins. |
 Tourists flock to the complex daily. |
 Parts of the complex are reminiscent of a nature reserve, with no buildings around. |
 The Qutb complex is home to many birds, such as these pigeons. |
 Hallway inside the Qutb complex. |
 Intricate engravings surround the crypt. |
 The tower as viewed from the South. |
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