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Introduction
The beautiful and modern city of Delhi that we live in now has gone through thrilling challenges of time and destiny. The transformation of the city had started way before the year 1931 and the transformation directly comes after the Delhi Sultanate. Before understanding the sources of information and expansion of the Delhi Sultanate, let us understand the Delhi Sultanate first. The Delhi Sultanate was the major Muslim Sultanate from the 13th century to the 16th century in India and started with the campaigns of Mu’izz al-Din Muhammad ibn Sam and his lieutenant Qutb al-Din Aibak primarily between the years 1175 and 1206. The Delhi Sultanate was established to portray the Mughal’s victory over the Rajputs. The Delhi Sultanate was established and managed as per the law of the holy Quran.
The major sources of information of the Delhi Sultanate are the inscriptions that are found on old coins, historical monuments, milestones, and tombstones. Monuments are also a remarkable source to know about the Delhi Sultanate. The people also gather information about the Sultanate from the history written in the Persian language known as Tarikh.
Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque
The Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque was established by the Qutb-ud-Din Aibak who was the founder of the Mamluk Dynasty. After the assassination of Muhammad Ghari in 1206, Qutb ud-Din Aikab took the throne and announced himself as the Sultan of the Mamluk Dynasty. He was a fanatical Muslim and ordered to destroy 27 Hindu and Jain temples to extract building materials for Delhi’s first mosque, Quwwat-ul-Islam. The mosque is widely popular for its tower of victory which celebrates the Mughal’s conquest of India. The monument is built with red sandstone, white marble, and gray quartz. It is greatly inspired by the iron “Pillar of the Law” which stands on the site. The mosque was built in the 6th century and is the only holy monument that still stands proudly in its original location. The beautiful mosque is one of the perfect sources of information and expansion of the Delhi Sultanate as it is the perfect evidence of the Mauryan’s metallurgical skills. The expansion of the mosque continued even after the death of Qutb as his son-in-law further took care of the development of the mosque.
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BegumPuri Mosque
The beautiful mosque is nestled near Aurobindo Ashram on Sri Aurobindo Road near Delhi and is one of the largest mosques in the city. The mosque was established by Khan-i-Jahan, the son of the prime minister of Firoz Shah, Muqbal Khan in the 12th century. It clearly portrays the story of popular Begampur which once served as an administrative center, a place of worship, and a madrasa. Now, the mosque is abandoned and one of the offbeat destinations to explore in Delhi. The monument perfectly defines the expansion of the Delhi Sultanate with its establishment story. The architecture was built with gray quartzite and mortar and covered with lime plaster. The walls of the mosque are quite huge and some of the walls even have rooms too. These rooms were used to store weapons and other war equipment. The premises of the mosque is really big and once accommodated the entire Begumpur village during the chaotic years of British rule in the country.
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Moth ki Masjid
The Moth ki Masjid was built in the year 1505 by Wazir Miya Bhoiya, who was the PM during the leadership of Sultan Sikandar Lodi. The name of the holy architecture literally means the “Mosque of Lentils” as it was built with the money earned from the cultivation of lentils in a vast area. The foundation of the mosque was established by Sultan Sikandar Lodi himself and it is considered to be the private mosque of Wazir Miya Bhoiya. The mosque is widely known for its Indo Islamic architecture and is made in red stone. It has windows with intricate latticework screens, octagonal cenotaphs, a semi-circular dome, open arches, and double-story towers. The monument is one of the best sources of information and expansion of the Delhi Sultanate which proudly boasts the history of the Mughal’s reign.
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Alai Darwaza
The Alai Darwaza was named after the first Khalji Sultan, Ala-ud-Din Khalji (Khilji) of the Khalji dynasty in 1311 AD. The Alai Darwaza gate was built with a dome-shaped gate which is made up of red sandstone with spectacular stunning features made of white marble and ancient inscriptions. The Alai Darwaza is also considered to be the first monument that daunts true Islamic architecture and one of the significant buildings established during the expansion of the Delhi Sultanate. The monument was constructed to facilitate the entrance pathway leading to the courtyard of the Quwwat-Ul-Islam Mosque. Soon after the development of the Alai Darwaza, Sultan Ala-ud-Din Khilji died. Alai Darwaza is the oldest gate and is one of the first buildings in India to be built using an Islamic architectural style.
