Once upon a time sometime in 1150 BC ... Somewhere in central Asia,
a baby boy was born to a Turkmenish couple of the Aybak tribe in Afghanistan,
Central Asia. This little boy, in all likelihood, like most little boys was his
mother’s darling and grandmothers pet. Perhaps he was a playful prankster or
maybe he was an introspective little soul.
One day, while still in his childhood this little boy was abducted and
captured by the marauders, and put up for sale in a distant slave market. On
that day it so happened, that the chief Qazi of Nishapur was passing by a slave
market and saw the little boy up for sale and bought him. He took him home and
both he and his wife brought him up along with their own sons, like a son. The good
Qazi educated him and trained him well in martial arts as well. Moreover, he
developed a skilled horsemanship.
But then came a day the old Qazi died. The fortunes once more changed
for the young slave. He was sold again to a slave merchant by the old Qazi’s
son. But then again this young man was destiny’s protégé, and fate this time took this
slave to a warlord Mohammed Ghori, and he went on to become, the ‘Slave
general’ of this Ghori army. Not only that, it can be said that waggishness of fate
unravelled greatest military successes for this Slave boy as the much feted
Slave-General while he was under the direct tutelage of Sultan Ghori for guidance and leadership.
Accordingly, this was the biography of
Qutb-ud-din Aybak as of then, and he was in-charge for expansion and
consolidation of Sultan Ghori's conquests in most of northern India.
Not too far ahead in time he was be appointed as his viceroy to Delhi.
After Sultan Ghori’s death, this slave the boy from the Aybak tribe became the Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aybak, and
was the founder of the ‘Slave dynasty’ and Delhi Sultanate in India.
It seems he was also fondly acknowledged as Lakh Baksh in short because he was a most generous patron
and donor. It was with his special kind of resourcefulness that brought to fore in his charities for the poor to help them along.
This
tower of victory was completed by his successor.
In some ways, could we just say that
Qutb-ud-din Aybak may possibly be the thirteenth century’s ‘the slave dog’ millionaire story.
 |
| Chaugan |
Qutb-ud-Din
died accidentally in 1210. While he was playing a game of ‘Chaugan’ on horses
and sticks running the ball on to four corners, quite akin to Polo. His horse
lurched and Qutb-ud-din was impaled on the pommel of his saddle. He
was buried near the Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore.
 |
| Death of Sultan Qutub ud Din and the Mausoleum in Lahore |
Shams-ud-Din
Iltutmish, another ex-slave of Turkic ancestry who was married to Qutb-ud-din's
daughter succeeded him as Sultan of Delhi and continued to complete the vision
of his projects
Qutub Minar, Delhi’s most imposing
monument stands tall even today as a sentinel of history. It has seen centuries
slip through under its watch, and by and by Mehrauli the city, became Mehrauli a
suburb of Delhi. Last few decades have seen Delhi become a huge heaving
metropolis, with an influx of humanity from all over India.
Today, on this hot summer day of 2010, Qutub
Minar again silently stood witness to a history of sorts being made from its
imposing heights... Metro, an icon of modern Delhi quietly slipped out from the
underground on to its elevated columns to meander through citadels of glass and
ancient monuments.
 |
| First Metro cars on elevated Qutub Line |
An interesting paradox but do imagine, just imagine, if this slave boy from a remote Aybak tribe of Central Asia, born in the 12th century, the Sultan of Delhi were to appear and look around and to see his much changed lost kingdom, 'The Sultanate of Delhi'.
What would he see, what would he be thinking?
Imaginably what he saw would be an alien much
changed and urbanised landscape. A vastly divergent and differing way of life… be
it the language, the clothes, or the way of life of the populace. In fact, an aura
totally at variance from the times of his Sultanate...His Delhi.
Where all would he go for sure?
Qutub Minar for certain it would be,
after all, it was his victory tower and it still stood tall towering the lay of
the land. The nearby metro would surely catch his eye, and then it is possible that the name on the
Metro signage may just intrigue him enough, and lead him on to the Qutub Metro
Station.
 |
| Qutub Metro Station |
So now a perplexed Qutubudin Aybak,
erstwhile Sultan of Delhi would perhaps stop to think....’ Not bad ...not bad at
all! Now I have an elevated Metro station named after me as well’.
He may also stop to ponder on the shared the juxtaposition in numeric of the dates after centuries, and it may resound an
echo to possibly evoke memories from 1210 AD to 2010 AD.
June 21st 2010 South
Delhi had its first disconnected Metro run from Qutub to Gurgaon. It has been a
long wait and today we saw the 4 metro cars glide past on its elevated tracks.
Early days yet, but let’s hope that it
helps ease the road traffic.
Updated in 2019
This blog was first written by me in
August of 2010. It was a sudden inspiration that compelled me to put my frolicsome thoughts to blog on the momentous inaugural Metro run more or less under the shadow of Qutub
Minar.
Travel back to Ghor County
It seems that Minaret of Jam in Central Asia and its commonality
with architectural features and
structure of Sultan Qutub ud Din’s
Victory Tower exists for all to see.
It was only perchance I read about this beautiful minaret, a World
Heritage Site is an incredible work of architecture from 12th
century. It stands 213 feet tall up in the air, as against 240 feet of Qtub Minar in Delhi. The minaret of Jam is made completely
of tan baked bricks and is intricately carved with Koranic inscriptions of
multiple colours.
However, the true miracle lies in its survival to date. And that itself
is awesome.
For the last many decades, Afghanistan has been almost in a constant
state of conflict and the war-torn fabric of the country is the reality of
today. Taliban, terrorism and frightening political instability.
But that was not so centuries ago, societies flourished and left
behind imprints with a story to tell.
Firozkoh, the Turquoise Mountain was the legendary lost Afghan capital of the
Middle Ages, located where the River Hari meets the River Jam.
The minaret of Jam is one of the few surviving legacies from that long lost city of the Turquoise
Mountain, It was once part of a great mosque along the riverbank, several indications
of structures and a huge courtyard have also been found near the site.
Firozkoh was reputed to be one of the greatest urban civilizations of
its time, and a bastion of tolerance, where all religions were acknowledged in
this seat of learning.
It remains as a lasting legacy of the period in which Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived side-by-side in harmony, united by their commonalities rather than divided by their differences.
It remains as a lasting legacy of the period in which Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived side-by-side in harmony, united by their commonalities rather than divided by their differences.
This lost city perished during Mongol invasions Ögedei Khan, son of Genghis Khan, destroyed
the capital i in the early 13th century. Conceivably, only the minaret stood as a mute witness of
this obliteration of history.
After staying intact for 1000 years, the minaret still faces threats
from war perils today, and the harsh climate of Afghanistan. The Minaret of Jam
is also currently listed as a site in danger, and many fear that another harsh
winter or earthquake could topple the only legacy of the city of Turquoise
Mountain of Ghorid Empire from the Ghor Province of Central Asia.
However, we can celebrate this cross-cultural architectural bridge as it
still survives as a testimony between Qutub Minar of the Delhi Sultanate with Minaret
of Jam of Ghor Province.
Comments
Post a Comment