What was the main purpose to build Qutub Minar?
Abul Fida, Amir Khusru, Muhammad Aufi and Shihab al-Din al-Umari calls the Minar the mazina of the Jami Masjid of Delhi.
In addition to the muezzin's tower, it was also a tower of glory. We can find it in a Nagari inscription: "Malikdin ki kirti stambha".
It was a tower of victory as well. We can find it in another Nagari inscription: "Sri Sultrāna Alavadin Vijayastambha".
These Nagari inscriptions were, of course, engraved by Hindu artisans. This inscription may have been intended to praise Ala-ud-din's victories over the Mongols.
Aibak probably constructed the basement as a tower of glory or victory. It was Iltutmish who extended the prayer hall and screen of the mosque to include Qutb Minar within the enclosure as its mazina. Contemporary Persian records as well as an inscription on the second storey proves that during the reign of Iltutmish the Minar served as the mazina.
It seems doubtful that the muezzin would have ascended the whole height of the Qutb Minar five times everyday for his calling. Moreover, the audibility of the person calling from the top of the minar would have been negligible considering the height of the pillar.
We have firm historical proof that the tower was used as mazina in the reign of Iltutmish. The basement window was used for that purpose.
According to the evidence of the inscriptions, the construction of the Qutb Minar was commenced by "The Amir, the commander of the army, the glorious, the great…" Qutub-ud-din Aibak. We can conclude that the basement storey was built by him. It was built while he was the viceroy of Delhi. Iltutmish, the son-in-law of Aibak added three storeys to it and completed the construction of the Minar, which was then turned as a mazina (a tower for sounding the Azan or call for prayers). The 4th storey was destroyed in a lightning and Firoz Shah Tughlaq not only repaired it but also added one more storey to it. The 5th storey and the cupola was added by him. It was subsequently repaired by Sikandar Lodi in 1503. We are not sure about its details. The cupola of Firoz Shah was thrown down in the earthquake of 1803.
May the Unknown Creator preserve this building from all dangers!
Qutb Minar was built by the order of not a single ruler but 3 different rulers in different years. 1st storey was built by Qutub-ud-din Aibak under the supervision of Fazl, son of Abul Maali. 2nd, 3rd and 4th were built by Iltutmish under the supervision of Muhammad Amir Koh. 5th storey was built by Firoz Shah Tughlaq. However, the artisans, masons, carpenters etc. all were Hindus. Nagari inscriptions on the Minar prove this well.
Nowadays anybody can make stories and share it on WhatsApp. Ask them what is the reference and they will keep quiet. I can give you a number of history books/articles written by well researched scholars, translations of contemporary Persian records, translations of Arabic and Nagari inscriptions etc. which can proves that it is a pure Muslim building.
In addition to the muezzin's tower, it was also a tower of glory. We can find it in a Nagari inscription: "Malikdin ki kirti stambha".
It was a tower of victory as well. We can find it in another Nagari inscription: "Sri Sultrāna Alavadin Vijayastambha".
These Nagari inscriptions were, of course, engraved by Hindu artisans. This inscription may have been intended to praise Ala-ud-din's victories over the Mongols.
Aibak probably constructed the basement as a tower of glory or victory. It was Iltutmish who extended the prayer hall and screen of the mosque to include Qutb Minar within the enclosure as its mazina. Contemporary Persian records as well as an inscription on the second storey proves that during the reign of Iltutmish the Minar served as the mazina.
It seems doubtful that the muezzin would have ascended the whole height of the Qutb Minar five times everyday for his calling. Moreover, the audibility of the person calling from the top of the minar would have been negligible considering the height of the pillar.
We have firm historical proof that the tower was used as mazina in the reign of Iltutmish. The basement window was used for that purpose.
The Qutub Minar was reconstructed multiple times. Why?
According to the evidence of the inscriptions, the construction of the Qutb Minar was commenced by "The Amir, the commander of the army, the glorious, the great…" Qutub-ud-din Aibak. We can conclude that the basement storey was built by him. It was built while he was the viceroy of Delhi. Iltutmish, the son-in-law of Aibak added three storeys to it and completed the construction of the Minar, which was then turned as a mazina (a tower for sounding the Azan or call for prayers). The 4th storey was destroyed in a lightning and Firoz Shah Tughlaq not only repaired it but also added one more storey to it. The 5th storey and the cupola was added by him. It was subsequently repaired by Sikandar Lodi in 1503. We are not sure about its details. The cupola of Firoz Shah was thrown down in the earthquake of 1803.
May the Unknown Creator preserve this building from all dangers!
Did Hindus build Qutub Minar?
Qutb Minar was built by the order of not a single ruler but 3 different rulers in different years. 1st storey was built by Qutub-ud-din Aibak under the supervision of Fazl, son of Abul Maali. 2nd, 3rd and 4th were built by Iltutmish under the supervision of Muhammad Amir Koh. 5th storey was built by Firoz Shah Tughlaq. However, the artisans, masons, carpenters etc. all were Hindus. Nagari inscriptions on the Minar prove this well.
What do you think of Hindu groups protesting to rename Qutub Minar as "Vishnu Stambh"?
Nowadays anybody can make stories and share it on WhatsApp. Ask them what is the reference and they will keep quiet. I can give you a number of history books/articles written by well researched scholars, translations of contemporary Persian records, translations of Arabic and Nagari inscriptions etc. which can proves that it is a pure Muslim building.
- The Qutb Minar from Contemporary and Near Contemporary Sources By Ved Parkash- Proceedings of the Indian History Congress Vol. 26, PART II (1964)
- Alexander Cunningham - Archaeological Survey of India: Four Reports Made During the Years 1862-63-64-65, Vol. I
- Carr Stephen - The Archaeology and Monumental Remains of Delhi
- J. A. Page - Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of India - No. 22. An Historical Memoir on the Qutb: Delhi
- The History of the Kutb Minar (Delhi) Being an Inquiry Into Its Origin, Its Author-Ship, Its Appelation and the Motives That Led to Its Erection By Rustamji Nasarvanji Munshi
- Daya Ram Sahni Rai Bahadur - Annual Progress Report of the Superintendent, Hindu and Buddhist Monuments, Northern Circle,. Archaeological Survey, for 1919
- Mohammad Yasin, Madhvi Yasin - Reading in Indian History
- Delhi Past and Present By H. C. Fanshawe
- Concept of the Qutub Minar By R Nath -Islamic Culture Vol 49 (1975)
- A Description of the Cuttub Minar By Ensign James T. Blunt, of the Engineers - The Asiatic Researches; or, Transactions of the Society Instituted in Bengal, Vol IV (1799)
- Visnudhvaja or Qutb Minar by Y. K. Bukhari - Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Vol XLV (1964)
- M. C. Joshi - Some Nagari Inscriptions on the Qutb Minar - Proceedings of the Seminar on Medieval Inscriptions, 6-8th Feb. 1970
- The World Heritage Complex of the Qutub By R. Balasubramaniam
- History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Volume 2 By James Fergusson
- The Manara in Indo-Muslim Architecture By A B M Husain
- Dr. Nandalal Chatterji - Who built the Qutb Minar? - Indian Review, Volume 42
- Delhi and its neighbourhood By Dr. Y. D. Sharma
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