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The origins of Qutub Minar are shoruded in controversy. Some believe that it
was built as a tower of victory to signify the beginning of the Muslim rule
in India. Others say it served as a minaret to the adjoining mosque and was
used by the muezzins to call the faithful to prayer. However, no one
disputes that the tower is not only one of the finest monuments in India,
but also in the world.
Qutab-ud-din Aibak, the first Muslim ruler of Delhi, commenced the
construction of the Qutub Minar in A.D. 1193, but could only complete its
basement. His successor, Iltutmush, added three more stories, and in 1368,
Firoz Shah Tuglak constructed the fifth and the last storey. The development
of architectural styles from Aibak to Tuglak are quate evident in the minar.
The relief work and even the materials used for construction differ. The 238
feet high Qutub Minar is 47 feet at the base and tapers to 9 feet at the
apex. The tower is ornamented by bands of inscriptions and by four
projecting balconies supported by elaborately decorated brackets. Even in
its ruin, the QUWWAT-UL-ISLAM(Light of Islam) MOSQUE in the Qutub complex is
one of the most magnificent in the world.
The main mosque comprises an inner and outer courtyard, of which the inner
one is surrounded by an exquisite collonade, the pillars of which the inner
one is surrounded by an exquisite collonade, the pillars of which are made
of richly decorated shafts. Most of these shafts are from the 27 Hidus
temples which were plundered to construct the mosque. Close to the mosque is
one of Delhi's most curious structures the Iron Pillar. Dating back to 4th
century A.D., 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). How the pillar moved to its
present location remains a mystery. The pillar also highlights ancient
India's achievements in metallurgy. The pillar is made of 98 per cent
wrought iron and has stood 1,600 years without rusting or decomposing.
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