Jignasa Journal Of History Of Ideas And Culture Part 02

Author(s): Vibha Upadhyaya and Others
Publisher: University of Rajasthan

Page 71

From Cultural Routes to Cultural Roots
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distinguished as the residence of Sultan Muhammad Shah, emperor of India at present, whose court we visited. It is he who built it. He wished to combine the four cities in one rampart, and he built this in part, but left it incomplete on account of the great
outlay which its construction would entail". Then he praised the rampart round the city of Delhi, and described the store house and granaries where rice, millet etc. were preserved from the time of Sultan Balban and were not damaged during last 90 years. Then he describes the gates and tells that these were called darvaza. He further writes, "Delhi has a fine cemetery in which domes are built: and every grave must have an arch, even if there is no dome on it". He concentrates on congregational mosque and writes,
"The congregational mosque is of great extent; its walls, its roof and its pavement are all of white stone, excellently cut; and the pieces are artistically cemented together by means of lead. There is no wood at all in the entire structure. There are in it thirteen pavilions of stone, as well as a stone pulpit, and there are four courtyards. In the centre of the mosque stands an awfully enormous pillar. It is not known of what metal it is made. Some of the Indian savants told me that it was made of seven metals mixed together. A space equal to the fore-finger on this pillar has been polished, and it is very bright. Even iron produces no effect on the pillar. The length of the column is thirty cubits; as I threw my turban across it, its circumference came to eight cubits. Near the eastern gate of the mosque lie two very big idols of copper connected together by stones. Every one who comes in and goes out of the mosque treads over them. On the site of this mosque was a butkhana, that is an idol-house. After the conquest of Delhi it was turned into a mosque". Then he concentrates on Qutub Minar and writes, "In the courtyard of the mosque is a minaret which is without parallel in the Muslim countries. It is niade of red stone in contrast with the rest of the mosque, which is white. The stones of the minaret are sculptured and it is very high. Its spire is of pure white marble, and its apples are of pure gold. Its staircase is so wide that elephants can go up there. A reliable person told me that while its construction was in progress, he saw an elephant carrying stones up to its top. It was built by Muizzuddin, son of Nasir
al din, son of Sultan Ghiyas ud din Balban". Further he writes, "Sultan Qutb ud-din had intended to build another and a higher minaret in the western courtyard of the mosque. He had built one-third of it when he passed away leaving it incomplete. Sultan Muhammad wished to complete it, but he changed his mind considering its construction as an ill-omen. As for its thickness and the breadth of the staircase, this minaret is one of the wonders of the world. The staircase is so wide that three elephants at once can mount it side by side. This one-third is as high as the entire minaret of the northern courtyard. Once I ascended it whence I commanded a view of the most of the houses; and I sighted the city walls which in spite of their height and altitude appeared suppressed, and the people below looked like small children. He who looks at the minaret from below does not take it to be so high on account of its great bulk and extent".
"Sultan Qutb-ud-din (1316-1320 A.D.) had also intended to build a congregational mosque at Siri called dar ul khilafa. But he could not build more than an arch and a wall facing Mecca. The portion that he constructed was of white, black, red and green stones, and if the building had been completed it would have been matchless in the world. Sultan Muhammad Tughlaq intended to complete this and deputed master