Quwwatul-Islam Masjid - Qutb Complex, Delhi

Delhi, India's capital, is renowned for its wealth of monuments, boasting around 1300 of them. Among the city's iconic landmarks, Qutb Minar stands out as a popular favorite. In the vast Qutb Minar complex, numerous other historical gems await exploration, with one such significant monument being Quwwatul-Islam Masjid.

History

The origins of Delhi are linked to Anangpal Tomar, a figure from the Tomar Rajputs dynasty. Nothing much is known about his period or other details. He belonged to the Tomar Rajputs dynasty. They were probably feudatories of Gurjara-Pratihara rulers. Tomars established themselves in the Aravalli hills south of Delhi. The period must be sometime in the 10th century CE (It cannot be 8th century as claimed by Wikipedia or other websites).

Anangpal, believed to be the founder of Delhi, is credited with building Lal Kot, the foundational defense structure of Delhi. Lal Kot is the core of the first city of Delhi. 

In the 12th century CE, King Vigraharaja IV of the Chauhan dynasty (who was also known as Visaladeva or Bisaldeo) captured Delhi from the Tomars, marking a crucial turning point in the city's history. Vigraharaja's grandson, Prithviraj Chauhan III, who was also called Rai Pithora, extended Lal Kot, creating Qila Rai Pithora. He is the popular historical figure and is the hero of the stories of Hindu resistance against the Muslim invaders. However, subsequent invasions led to the establishment of the Slave Dynasty in Delhi under Qutbud-Din Aibak.

Muhammad bin Sam of Ghur invaded Qila Rai Pithora twice. In his second attempt, he defeated Prithviraj and captured Qila. His slave Qutbud-Din Aibak was made as the Viceroy of Delhi. He enthroned himself as the Sultan of Delhi in 1206 CE and thus started the rule of slave dynasty in Delhi. 

Qutbud-Din Aibak built not only the famous Qutb Minar, but also Quwwatul-Islam Masjid, which is a historically important monument. 

Quwwatul-Islam Masjid

Constructed by Qutbud-Din Aibak after the capture of Delhi in 1192 CE and completed in 1198 CE, Quwwatul-Islam Masjid is one of India's oldest surviving mosques. Iltutmish expanded the mosque in 1230 CE, and thus Qutb Minar came within its enclosure. Alaud-Din Khalji later extended the mosque and added two gateways. One of them is the renowned Alai Darwaza gateway. Originally named Jama Masjid, it later became known as Quwwatul-Islam, signifying the "Might of Islam."

(It cannot be considered as the oldest mosque although there are various sources which claim so. There are some pre-Sultanate monuments in Kutch (Gujarat), Cheraman Juma Mosque in Kodungallur (Kerala) and Pazhaiya Jumma Palli in Keelkarai (Tamil Nadu) which are claimed to be older than Quwwatul-Islam Mosque. A separate write up is needed to discuss in detail about the actual oldest extant mosque in India. Let me not deviate from the subject and concentrate only about Quwwatul-Islam Masjid in this article.)

The mosque is built on a raised courtyard, surrounded by pillared corridors added by Iltutmish. Symmetrically arranged pillars with carvings from original temples mark the entrances, while the ceilings and domes in the corridors bear evidence of repurposed materials from the 27 destroyed Hindu temples and Jain shrines.

The wall indicating the direction of Mecca is called as Mihrab. The large arches that once formed the part of the mihrab are seen today. 

The 3rd/4th century CE period iron pillar was probably taken from an unknown Vishnu temple and was installed by Anangpal in his city. That iron pillar can be found in front of a large arch today. In addition, there are many tombs that are found in the mosque enclosure. 

Tombs within the mosque enclosure and the architecturally stunning Alai Darwaza at the southern gateway add to the historical richness of Quwwatul-Islam Masjid.

Happy travelling.