Qutub Minar

The controversy which has for some time been carried on by two parties, one of whom ascribed this magnificent pillar to the Hindus and the other to the Muhammadans, may be said to have been brought to an end, and the better opinion is decidedly in favor of the Muhammadan origin of the Minar. General Cunningham’s arguments in favor of this view of the question are unanswerable, but I am unwilling to reiterate them, as the general accord of opinion on the subject leaves no necessity for such a course. I am tempted, however, to quote the remarks of Nawab Zia-uddin of Laharu, in a paper read to the Archaeological Society of Delhi about 25 years age; after adducing historical proofs in support of the Muhammadan origin of the Minar, he concludes: “No stronger roof can be adduced, except the builder were to rise from the dead and attest his own work on oath.”

This Minar is a tapering shaft, 234 feet and 1 inch high, with a base diameter of 47 feet and 3 inches, and an upper diameter of 9 feet, divided into five storey’s of balconies and decorated with ornamental bands.

The base of the Minar is a polygon of 24 sides, each side measuring 6 six feet 1 ½ inches, standing on a plinth about 2 feet from the ground, from which to the base of the dismantled cupola of Firoz Shah Tughlaz. The Minar is 238 feet and I inch high. The basement storey is 94 feet 11 inches high; it is built of fine red sand stone and is a polygon of 24 sides like the base; the faces of which are formed by alternate angular and semi-circular flutes, the shaft being decorated with six ornamental bands. General Cunningham happily remarks, that “the history of the Qutb Minar is writer in its inscription.” The lowest band which has been much injured by time and “ignorant restoration,” I have carefully examined, but I have not been able to add to the information which Syud Ahmed Khan has furnished on the subject, nor have I been able to verify has reading. According to him the inscription runs as follows:-

The next bana contains the name and praises of Muhammad Bin Sam, better known to history as Muhammad Ghori:-

The great King; the exalted Emperor; Master of the necks of the people; Lord of the Kings of Arabia and Ajm sustaining the Kings of the world; great in the world and in faith; the redresser of Islam and the Moselmin; the Crown of Kings and princes; the spreader of justice and peace in the two world; the shadow of God from one corner [of the world] to the other; the shepherd of God’s servants; the defender of the countries of God; they helped from the sky; the conqueror of his enemies; great among the conquering powers; great among the people of Light; the refuge of the sountries of the Earth, the revealer of the glorious words of God; a second Alexander: Abul Muzaffar, Muhammad Bin Sam, ally of the Amir-ul-Momenin, may God perpetuate his reign and his kingdom, and exalt his power and his prestige.

The third band contains a verse from the Quran;

The fourth band contains the following inscription:-
The great King; the exalted Emperor; master of the necks of the people; Lord of the Kings of Arabia and ‘Ajm; King of the Kings of the earth; redresser of the world and faith; a glory to islam and the Moslemin; reviver of justice in the world; great among the conquering power; the firmament of the creed of the pure; great among the people of Light; bright star of Sovereignty; spreader of peace and mercy in both the worlds; shadow of God from one corner [ of the world ] to the other; defender of the countries of God; shephered of the servants of God; the refuge of the countries of the earth; the revealer of the glorious words of God: Abul Muzaffar Muhammad Bin Sam; ally of the Amir-ul-Momenin, may God perpetuate his kingdom; The fifth band contains the ninety-nine Arabic names of the Almighty.

The sixth band contains some verses from the Quran.

On the entrance doorway of this storey is the following inscription:-
The Prophet, on who be God’s blessing and peace, says; He who builds a mosque for God, God will build for him a similar place in Paradise. This auspicious Minar of the Hazrat; King of Kings; the sun of the world and of faith; of [those who have] mercy and forgiveness; may God make his dust sacred; may Paradise be appointed his place of repose was injured. In the reign of the great, the illustrious, and the exalted Sekandar Shah, the son of Bahlol Shah, Sultan may God perpetuate his reign and his kingdom, and exalt his power and prestige, and also under the superintendence of Fateh Khan, the son of Masnad Ali, Khewas Khan, Jona, the dome and the breaches of the upper storeys which required repair were repaired, on the new moon of Babi-ul-sani, 909 [1503 A.D.]

Near the doorway, there is also another inscription to which I shall have hereafter to refer, and which has also evidential importance in reference to the date of this portion of the Minar:
Fazl, son of Abul Maali, was the Mutawali of this Minar.

The top of the basement storey is surmounted by a projecting gallery, encircling the tower, supported by large stone bracklets, decorated with honey comb work, the finish and elaboration of which is not surpassed by anything of its kind in Delhi. The balustrade round this gallery is 3 ½ feet high; like the balustrades of the other four storeys, it is the work of Major Smith; the original balustrades, which were battlements, were removed and the present “flimsy style of garden-house architecture” was substituted in their place. That they are not in keeping with the massive elaboration of the brackets which supports them will be evident to the most uninitiated eye.

The second storey, which is 50 feet 8 ½ inches high, is decorated with semi-circular flutes crossed with two bands of inscriptions. The upper band contains verses from the Quran, and the lower, the following in praise of Altamsh:-

The great King; the exalted Emperor; master of the necks of the people; the pride of the Kings of Arabia and Ajm; God’s shadow on earth; the sun of the world and of faith; redresser of Islam and the Moslemin, the crown of Kings and Princes; the spreader of justice among mankind; great among the conquering powers; the light of the people of light; they helped form the sky; the conqueror of his enemies; the bright star of the firmament of sovereignty; the spreader of justice and mercy; the refuge of the countries of the earth; the revealer of the glorious words of God: Abul Muzaffar Altamsh, Sultan, ally of the Amir-ul-Mominin, may God perpetuate his country and his reigh, and exalt his authority and his prestige.

On the doorway, with its “arrow battlements,” a peculiarity which is also noticed in the third storey, occurs the following inscription:-

The completion of this building was ordered by the helped from the sky; the sun of truth and faith; Altamsh, Sultan, defender of the Faithful.

The top of the second storey is also surmounted, like the of the first, by a gallery which goes round the pillar, with the same offensive three and a half feet high balustrade of Major Smith’s construction. The brackets which support the gallery are not so massive as those of the basement storey, but are just as elaborately decorated.

The third storey, which is 40 feet 9 ½ inches high, is case in angular fluting, and is ornamented with two bands; the upper band contains a scroll, and the lower the following inscription:-

The great King; the exalted Emperor; master of the necks of the people; chief amongst the Kings of Arabia and ‘Ajm; King of the Kings of the earth; the protector of the countries of the world; the helper of God’s servants; conqueror of his enemies the helped form the sky; the crown if Islam and the Moslemiin. The redresser of Kings and Prices; protector of the countries of God; shepherd of God’s people; the right arm of sovereignty; spreader of mercy and justice; Abul Muzaffar Altamsh, Sultan, ally of the Amir-ul-Momenin. May God preserve his kingdom and his reign and exalt his power and prestige.

On the door of this storey occurs the following inscription:-
The great King; the exalted Emperor; master of the necks of the people; last of the Kings of Araia and ‘Ajm; they helped form the sky; the conqueror of his enemies; King of God’s earth; the protector of God’s countries and helper of God’s servants; the refuge of God’s countries the revealer of the glorious words of God; the terror of the conquering power; the administrator of the faith and of light; bright star of the world and of faith; red resser of Islam and of the Moslemin; God’s shadow mankind; crown of the people and of sovereignty; master of justice and mercy; King of Kings.

On one side of the door, the inscription gives the name of the architect:-
This building was completed during the superintendence of the slave and sinner, Muhammad Amir Koh.
The top of the third storey is surrounded by a gallery and balustrade like those of the second storey; but the balustrade is only three feet high.

The shaft of the fourth storey, which is 24 feet and 4 inches, is high, round, devoid of flutings and is faced with marble and in some places with red sand stone; it is decorated with four ornamental bands, one of which bears the following inscription:-

The great King; the exalted Emperor; master of the necks of the people; chief amongst the Kings of Arabia and ‘Ajm; King of the Kings of the earth; the protector of the countries of the world; the helper of God’s servants; conqueror of his enemies the helped form the sky; the crown if Islam and the Moslemiin. The redresser of Kings and Prices; protector of the countries of God; shepherd of God’s people; the right arm of sovereignty; spreader of mercy and justice; Abul Muzaffar Altamsh, Sultan, ally of the Amir-ul-Momenin. May God preserve his kingdom and his reign and exalt his power and prestige.

The inscription on the door contains an order of Altamsh:-
This building was ordered in the age and the reign of the great King; the xalted Emperor; master of the necks of the people chief among the rulers of Turkistan, Arabia and ‘Ajm; the sun of the world and faith; the glory of Islam and the Moslemin; master of peace and bounty; the heir of the kingdom of Solomon: Abul Muzaffar Altamsh, Sultan, the ally of the Amir-u-Mominin.

The balcony on the top of this storey is slight in structure; the balustrade is three feet high. The fifth or the last storey is 22 feet and 4 inches high, the shaft is circular and is decorated with ornamental bands of marble and red stone; on the top of it there is an iron railing fixed with iron cramp and lead, with brass kerb set on the railing; On the door is the following inscription:-

This Minar was injured by lightning in the months of the year 770. [Hijri; 1368 A.D.] Firoz [Shah Tughlaq] Sultan, with the grace of the protector; the elect by the mercy of the pure, repaired this building with great care. May the Unknown Creator preserve this building from all dangers.

General Cunningham gives the purport of the two Nagri inscriptions in this storey; the first inscription consists of two lines, and is dated in the Samwat 1425 [ A.D. 1368,] in the reign of Piroj Shah, or Firoz Shah Tughlq. The second inscription is found on the south jamb of the doorway, cut partly in the white marble and partly in the red sand stone; this also gives the name of Firoz Shah, but the Samvat is 1426. Gene Cunningham considers this inscription a very important one, put it was not easily read. “I can make out,” says he, “the words Sri Viswa Karma prasade ruchita, and towards the end I find the title silpi of “Architect.” Applied to the son of Chahada Deva Pa;a named Nana Salha, who reapired the Mina.” In the middle of this inscription there are five numbers given in figures.

The cupola of Firoz Shah which was in existence in 1794. Added 12 feet and 10 inches to the height of the Minar. In 1803 it was thrown down by an earthquake, but I have not been able to procure a sketch of the pillar old enough to give me an idea of what the cupola was like. In 1829, the report of the Committee which assembled at Delhi to examine the repairs done to the Qutb Minar preserved the history, so far as it can be known, of the cupola and of the “fortesque ornament,” which Major Smith substituted in its place. The cupola is said to have been in the form of a harp.

Major Smith’s additions to the Minar are described by him as its sixth and seventh storey’s. The former consisted of a red sand stone dome, supported “by and enriched cornice,” on eight stone fluted pillars, each 6 ½ feet in height, with a 3 feet high red stone railing and a parapet of spear head blocks of the same material. His seventh storey was less pretentious; it was “ a pavilion of sissoo wood, supporting the flag staff;” the carbed pillars of the pavilion were 8 feet in length and the flag staff was of “saul wood, 35 feet in length.”

In 1848, by the order of Lord Harding, the “grotesque ornament” was removed from the top of the Minar and pitched on the small mound where it now stands, bereft of its flag staff.

The first three storeys are built entirely of red sand stone, though not evenly of the same colour; in the first and the second, the stones are pinkish buff, and in the third, dark-red. The shafts of the upper two stories are incased in marble and red sand stone, although the former is the preponderating material. This distinction is just as re-markable as in the spiral staircase inside it: in the lower stories, the central pillar and the steps round it are made of granite; the steps are carried upon corbels projecting from the walls. The doorways and the openings for light and air have Hindu horizontal arches; in the two uppermost storeys the central pillar, the inner wall and the steps are made of red sands stone, the steps have no corbels, and the arches have voussoirs. That the fourth storey was altered and re-built, or as Mr. Campbell has it, “newly designed,” by Firoz Shah, is evident from the style of the work, although he used the doorway of Altamsh and retained its inscription. The difference between the three lower and the two upper storey of the Minar is so marked, as to preclude the possibility of their being the work of the same builder of the same age.

The spiral staircase consists of 379 steps, 3 of which belong to Major Smith’s pavilion. It is amusing, however, to notice the discrepancies which exist in the reckonings of these steps bu some remarkably intelligent men, who visited the Minar and must have examined the place with care: Thorn makes out 345 steps; Franklin, 308; Von Orlich, 383; Syud Ahmed Khan 388; while visitors of less note are not more precise.

The Minar was never more than five storey’s high; in 1300 A.D., the work of Altamsh had been completed, and the Minar is said to have had then 360 steps; this number would carry us into the 21st step of the fifth story. Sixty-eight years later, 1368 A.D., when the Minar was struck by lightning and repaired by Firoz Shah, he appears to have re-built beth the fourth and the fifth storey’s although in the case of the former he retained the doorway and inscription of the older shaft, and, as stated by the King himself, he “raised it higher” by surmounting it with a cupola. Syud Ahmed Khan does not give his authority for callin the Minar “ Haft Manzari, seven storeyed it never was, in my opinion, more than five storey high, although Firoz Shah added to the height of the pillar.

As regards the founders of the Minar, there cannot now be any difference of opinion. I have very good reason to believe the Qutb-uddin Aibek was the founder of the basement storey firstly, the inscriptions on it undeniably contain the name of his suzerain, Muahmmaed Ghori; according to Syed Ahmed Khan, they also contain the name of Qutb-uddin himself, and lastly, they record the, important fact the Fazl, son of Abul Maali, was the Mutawali of the Minar; we have already seen, that he was also the Mutawali of the Quvval-ut-Islam inosque in the reign of Qutb-uddin Mr. Campbell remarks that the position of the Minar as the Maznah of Qutb-uddins’s mosque is not out of place.

Qutb-Minar, a popular and erroneous description of its founder cannot be allowed to over-ride the evidential force of the contemporary records which the column itself bears. The inscription on Altamsh of the door of the second storey, ordering the completion of the building, is also a proof that he did not commence it. On the other hand, the inscription on the fourth storey which contradicts the earlier inscription on the door of the second storey makes out Altamsh to be the founder of the Minar, and so does the most recent inscription of all, that of Sekandar Lodi, on the door of the basement storey. As regards first of these inscriptions that on the doorway of the third storey there can be no better solution of the discrepancy between that and the inscription on the second doorway than that suggested by General Cunningham that he former referred only to the fourth storey and not to the whole column; as regards the Lodi inscription, I think the mistake is due to the error of the earlier inscription, which it repeats, I am, therefore, satisfied with the evidence which allots basement storey of the Minar to Qutb-uddin Aibek, and the rest of it to Shams-uddin Altamsh not forgetting the alteration made by Firoz Shah. The date of the commencement and completion of the building of the Minar as it stands at present may be said to extend over a space of 21 years: from A.D. 1200 to A.D. 1220.