ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

SLAVE AND KHILJI DYNASTY

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 HISTORY OF ISLAMIC
ARCHITECTURE
• Islamic architecture encompasses a wide range of
both secular and religious styles from the
early history of Islam to the present day
• It originated from Mecca, Saudi Arabia where
Prophet Muhammad was born
• It is influenced by Roman, Byzantine, Persian and
all other lands which the Muslims conquered in
the 7th and 8th centuries
• Further east, it was also influenced
by Chinese and Indian architecture as Islam spread
to Southeast Asia
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TYPES OF MOSQUES

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 THE HYPOSTYLE MOSQUE
• The first place of
worship for muslims,
the house of the
Prophet Muhammad,
inspired the earliest
type of mosque - the
hypostyle mosque.
This type spread
widely throughout
Islamic lands.

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THE GREAT MOSQUE OF
KAIROUAN

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 THE FOUR IWAN MOSQUE

• An iwan is a vaulted
space that opens on
one side to a courtyard
• It developed in pre-
Islamic Iran where it
was used in
monumental and
imperial architecture

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Great Mosque of Isfahan, Iran

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THE CENTRALLY PLANNED
MOSQUE

Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus,

Hagia Sophia, 537, Istanbul

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 SLAVE DYNASTY
• The slave dynasty was the first Muslim dynasty to
rule India.
• It lasted for about a century. (1206-1290)
• Founded by Sultan Qutbuddin Aibak.
• The term slave here means, its members do not
belong to a royal community, they were slaves
who can be bought or sold. Slave system was an
accepted practice with the majority of
Mohammedans of high rank.

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 HOW SLAVE DYNASTY STARTED RULING

• Eastern Persian king Mohammed Ghuri appointed

his slave Qutb-ud-din Aibak as governor to take
care of his possessions around Delhi in 1191 C.E.
• When Muḥammad was assassinated in 1206,
Quṭb took power in Delhi.
• Qutb-ud-din Aibak established his prominence in
Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan and became the first
Muslim ruler at Delhi.
• Qutb- ud-din and his son-in-law Shams-ud-din
Iltutmish were the active patrons of building art.
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• The main monuments covered by this dynasty are:

1. Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque
2. Alai Darwaza
3. Qutub Minar
4. Arhai Din ka Jhompra
5. Tomb of Nasir-ud-Din Mohammed
6. Tomb of Shams-ud-Din Iltutmish

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QUTUB MINAR

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• Minarets are a
distinct islamic
architectural MINARETS
feature, akin to a
tower found in
mosque
complexes.
• Minarets provide
a visual focal point
and are
traditionally used
for the Muslim call
to prayer
• Minarets have Char Minar Iswari Minar Jaipur
Hyderabad
been described as
the "gate from
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heaven and earth“
 QUTUB MINAR
• The Qutub Minar was
made in the 12th century
(started in 1192) and is
the tallest minaret in the
world made up of bricks.
• It was established
by Qutab-ud-din Aibak,
the first ruler of the Delhi
Sultanate as a memorial
tower to show his
growing power.
• It is situated in the
southern part of delhi, in
Mehrauli.
• It is a part of the Qutub
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Complex
 QUTUB COMPLEX
N

• Qutub Minar
• Quwwat-ul-islam >
mosque
• Alai Darwaza
• Alai Minar
• Tomb of Iltutmish

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• Qutub Minar is a 73-metre tall tapering tower of
five storeys, with a 14.3 metres base diameter,
reducing to 2.7 metres at the top of the peak. It
contains a spiral staircase of 379 steps.
• Qutab-Ud-Din-Aibak, started construction of the
Qutub Minar's first storey around 1192.
• In 1220, Aibak's successor and son-in-
law Shamsuddin Iltutmish completed a further
three storeys.
• In 1369, a lightning strike destroyed the top storey.
Firoz Shah Tughlaq replaced the damaged storey,
and added one more.

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 Each of its five stages is a different pattern in section:
• Lowest stage has wedge shaped flanges alternating with rounded flutes
• Second stage has circular projections
• The third stage is star shaped and has wedge shaped flanges.

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• Fourth is simply round and plain made of marble and sandstone.
• Over the fourth tower a circular portion is present with window
openings.

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• The most artistic and elegant features of the
monument are the balconies and the method of
supporting them. The balconies are supported by
means of cluster of miniature arches or small
alcoves with brackets in between.

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• Beautiful Islamic calligraphy which is a
reproduction of the verses from the Quran is done
on the Qutub Minar.

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 QUWWAT-UL-ISLAM MOSQUE

• Quwwat-ul-Islam
mosque was built
by Qutb-ud-din Aibak
to mark his victory
over Rai Pithora.
• The construction of
this Jama Masjid
(Friday Mosque),
started in the year
1192 and was
completed in 1998
• It is the earliest extant
mosque in India having
a rectangular court. 31
• Joint venture between
Hindu Builders and
Islamic overseers.
• Pointed arch for
spanning openings in
the wall.
• Enclosed rectangular
court by cloisters.
• Cloisters erected with
carved columns from
27 demolished Hindu
and Jain temples

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 PLAN OF
QUWWAT-UL-
ISLAM

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 ALAI DARWAZA
• It is the southern gateway
of the Quawwat-ul-islam
mosque and it is a gem of
Islamic architecture in
india.
• It was build by alla-ud-din
Khilji in 1311.
• It is 17.2 m sq and pierced
by arched openings that
echo the contours of the
covering dome.
• It has intricate carvings in
red sandstone and marble
• It has red stone jail screens
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• The arch to the north is
semi-circular while the
others are pointed
horse shoe shape.
• The arched entrance
and jalis are decorated
by fingers of lotus buds.
• Low height
hemispherical dome.
• Blend of slender white
marble along with red
sandstone.

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ADHAI DIN KA JHONPRA

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• Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra is a mosque in Ajmer.
• Built by Qutb-ud-Din-Aibak. (1192-1196CE).
• The mosque was constructed on the remains of
a Sanskrit college, with materials from
destroyed Hindu and Jain temples.
• It is one of the oldest mosques in India, and the
oldest surviving monument in Ajmer.
• An early example of the Indo-Islamic architecture,
most of the building was constructed by Hindu
masons, under the supervision of Afghan
managers.
• The site is now maintained by the Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI).
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 STORY BEHIND IT’S NAME

• A legend states that a part of the mosque was built in

two-and-a-half days. Some Sufis claim that the name
signifies a human's temporary life on the earth.
• According to the ASI, the name probably comes from a
two-and-a-half-day-long fair that used to be held at
the site. The current name is not mentioned in any
historical source. Before the 18th century, the mosque
was simply known as a "Masjid" since it had been the
only mosque in Ajmer for centuries. It came to be
known as a jhonpra when fakirs started gathering here
to celebrate urs (death anniversary fair) The urs lasted
for two-and-a-half days, resulting in the modern name
of the mosque.
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• The mosque is among the earliest examples of the Indo-
Islamic architecture. It was designed by Abu Bakr of Herat.
• The exterior of the building is square-shaped, with each side
measuring 259 feet.
• Two entrances: one at the south and another at the east.
• The prayer area (the actual mosque)is located in the west
while the north side faces a hill rock.
• The actual mosque building on the western side has 10
domes and 124 pillars; there are 92 pillars on the eastern
side; and 64 pillars on each of the remaining sides. Thus,
there are 344 pillars in the entire building. Out of these,
only 70 pillars remain standing now.

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 WEST

NORTH
SOUTH

EAST
Plan of the building

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• The Mihrab is built with white marbles.
• Mihrab is a semicircular niche in the wall of
a mosque that indicates the qibla; that is, the
direction that Muslims should face when praying.

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• It is believed that Iltumish added the seven arch
screen by 1230, is considered to be an
architecturally most notable feature of the
mosque.
• The large central arch is accompanied by two small
fluted minarets.

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• The tall and slender pillars are not overcrowded and
the ones in the courtyard are symmetrically placed.

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• The front facade of the structure features a huge
screen with yellow limestone arches, built during
the reign of Iltutmish. The main arch is nearly 60
feet high, and is flanked by six smaller arches. The
arches have small rectangular panels for passage
of daylight.
• The archway
features Kufic and Tughra inscriptions and
quotations from Quran, and is reminiscent
of Islamic architecture from Ghazni and Turkistan.

Ornate carvings and Kufic inscriptions Arches with inscriptions from Koran Floral motif
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 TOMB
OF
NASIR-UD-DIN MAHMUD
(Sultan Ghari)

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In reality Sultan Ghari is a Hindu temple which was
converted to a tomb by Islamic invader Iltutmish to
bury his son Nasir-ud-din Mahmud and is referred to
as the oldest Islamic tomb in bharat.
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Evidences of Sultan Ghari being a
Hindu temple

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 • Hindu lotus floral pattern on
marble in mehrab.

Lotus floral pattern

Marble mehrab on the

western wall of the tomb

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 Colonnade inside sultan ghari

• Colonnade inside Sultan Ghari has different sized

bottom slabs of octagonal - hindu pillars taken from
the hindu jain pillars
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 Plinth Slab
resting on the floor

• One of the burj of Sultan Ghari, plinth slabs lying on

the floor have Hindu – Jain floral designs.
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• Rotating square typical hindu jain temple roof under
one of the burj.

Roof of one of the burj from inside 51

• Rotating square typical Hindu – Jain temple roof
design above the mihrab.

Roof of the mihrab from inside 52

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 Portal (entrance)

Plinth

East side elevation of the tomb

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 Cenotaph is an
underground
chamber,
giving the structure
its name

The structure is
built in the manner
of a walled
enclosure.
The enclosure is
contained within a
massive masonry 55
 Bastions

The exterior is built of grey granite with circular bastions

projecting from each corner of the square.

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Within the enclosure is a courtyard 66’ square.
In the centre of the courtyard is an octagonal platform
which forms the roof of the chamber.

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Underground Chamber below the octagonal platform
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 Two pillared arcades in
white marble are built on
the eastern and western
sides. The western arcade
resolves into a mosque
chamber for private
prayers.

Eastern Western arcade capped with

arcade shallow octagonal dome 59
 TOMB OF SHAMS-UD-DIN
ILTUTMISH
• Built in A.D. 1235 just
outside the Quwwat-ul-
Islam mosque
• First Islamic tomb in India
• A compact square
structure of 42′ side with
entrances at three sides
and western wall
enclosed to
accommodate 3
miharabs(Prayer Niches)

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 Features
• Exterior is relatively plain,
but interior is richly
decorated
• A square hall of 30′ side,
its walls are relieved with
white marble insertions
• Quranic verses in Kufri,
Tugra and Nashtalik
characters with
geometrical patterns
interspersed
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Carving work on the walls

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 SQUINCH
• First appearance in India
of the ‘Squinch’
• Consists of projecting a
small arch across the
upper side of the corners
of the square room,
turning it into an
octagon, then repeating
the process to turn it
into a 16 sided base in
which a dome can rest
• In this case, the squinch
is a half-dome

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 ABOUT THE DOME

• Most of the roof has

collapsed,
• Remains show it to have
been a shallow dome
composed of concentric
rings of masonry which
collapsed due to Roof concept of the tomb
excessive span

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 KHILJI DYNASTY
• The Khalji or Khilji dynasty was a Muslim dynasty
which ruled large parts of the Indian
subcontinent between 1290-1320.
• Founded by Jalal ud din Firuz Khalji
• Second dynasty to rule the Delhi Sultanate of India.

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 HOW KHILJI DYNASTY CAME INTO
RULE
• After the death of Iltutmish, his able daughter
Raziyya attempted to serve as sultan but was
defeated by opposing Turkish Slave nobles.
• After 1246 the sultanate was controlled by Ghiyas
al-Din Balban, who was to be sultan himself from
1266 to 1287.
• Under Balban the Delhi sultanate fought off
several Mongol invasions.
• The Slave dynasty ended when Jalal al-Din Firuz
Khaljistaged a successful coup on June 13, 1290,
and brought the Khaljīs to power.
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 Alauddin Khalji’s Extension to
Qutub Mosque, Delhi:
• Alla-ud-din further extended Qutub mosque
already built earlier. The sanctuary of the mosque
was extended on north and east sides.
• Within the mosque in the spacious northern
courtyard, a colossal Minar with its proportions
double to that of Qutub minar was commissioned.
Construction of such a grand and huge Minar
could not be completed by the death of Alla-ud-
din in 1316 C.E. This Minar was named as Alai
minar after the name of Alla-ud-din. It rose up to
nearly one storey where the work was stopped.
The tower now remains solid as blunt tree trunk.
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How the complex might have looked
had Alauddin’s dream been finished.

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 ALAI MINAR
• Alauddin Khilji started
building it after he had
doubled the size of
Quwwat-Ul-Islam mosque
• Tried to build it two times
higher than Qutub Minar
as a tower of victory
• The construction was
however abandoned, just
after the completion of the
24.5-metre-high (80 ft) first-
story core after the death
of Alauddin

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• Stands North to the Qutub
Minar
• It was to have ramps
instead of stairs
• Windows are at regular
quadrant heights for ramps
to be made
• The first storey of the Alai
Minar, a giant rubble
masonry core

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JAMAT KHANA MASJID

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• The Jamat Khana Masjid or Khilji Mosque is the
earliest mosque in Delhi that continues to be used
for worship
• Built by Khizr Khan, son of Sultan Alauddin Khilji
(Khilji Dynasty) in 1315-1325 AD
• The mosque is the largest structure in the
Nizamuddin Basti Dargah enclosure
• Each of the three bays has a domed roof with the
central one being the largest
• Marble finials adorn the top the domes
• The central bay and the entrance archway are
embellished with bands of exquisite geometric
motifs and Quranic inscriptions.

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Lotus Bud Decoration
on Arches

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 SIRI FORT
• Siri Fort, in the city of New Delhi, was built during
the rule of Alauddin Khilji , the Turk (Afghan) ruler
of the Delhi Sultanate, to defend the city from the
onslaught of the Mongols.
• It was the second of the seven cities of medieval
Delhi built around 1303 (stated to be the first
entirely constructed by Turks), which at present is
seen only in ruins with a few remnants (pictured)

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• Siri Fort was built 5 km (3.1 mi) to the north-east
of the Qutab Minar on an old camp near Delhi
• The first city is considered to be built by Muslims
• It was in an oval shape and its ruins are presently
seen in an area of about 1.7 km 2 (0.7 sq mi)
• High rubble built walls in stretches in the south
and the west, some bastions and flame shaped
battlements are all that is left
• The city derived its name from the Hindi word ‘SIR’
meaning head as heads of 8000 mongol soldiers
were buried in the walls of the city

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 UKHA MASJID
• Located in Bharatpur,
Rajasthan
• The building has two
separate portions. The
portion of the building
on the right side is
known as Ukha Mandir
and the one on the left
side is known as Ukha
Masjid

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• Ukha Masjid was constructed on the relics of the
Hindu and Jain temple
• There are Arabic inscriptions engraved on the
archway of the entrance gate on the right side of
the mosque
• Later the Jat rulers of Bharatpur converted the
mosque into a Hindu temple
• It is 124 feet long and 74 feet wide
• The walls of the building have been built by
squared stones
• Several Hindu and Jain pillars have also been used
for the construction of the corridors usually yellow
and red in colour
• Other pillars of the mosque are made of deep
coloured red stone
• There are two types of pillars. Some of them are
octagonal twelve cornered and some are circular
and cylindrical in shape about 14 feet in height 81
THANK YOU

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