Delhi Sultanates and Provincial Islamic Architecture in India
This IDEAMOOC will focus on the study of architectural characteristic features of the contribution of various dynasties under the Imperial style (Slave, Khalji, Tughlaq, Sayyid and Lodi ) between the period of 1206 CE and 1526 CE in Indian History is known as the Delhi Sultanate.
Early Advent of Islam in India
By 900 CE, Muslims reached Asia. Muslim military groups invaded Asia. Loot and plunder and forced conversion to the Muslim faith were the main reason behind their travels.
By the 9th century CE, the Islamic Caliphate began fragmenting the Middle East. They enslaved the Turks and enlisted them into the armies. Many of these slaves called the Mamluks, converted to Islam and rose in ranks and became rulers themselves. They conquered large territories from Egypt to Afghanistan. Soon their attention was drawn to the Indian subcontinent. India had a history of invasions in its north-western areas where tribes from Central Asia attacked in the pre-Islamic era. The Muslim invasions were in that sense not dissimilar to those from the 1st century CE. Mahmud Gazni, a Turkic Mamluk military slave raided and plundered the kingdoms of north India from the east of the Indus River to the west of Yamuna River seventeen times between 997 and 1030 CE. Such raids continued even after Mahmud of Gazni but the Muslim raiders were not interested in extending the boundaries of their Islamic kingdoms. They looted and went away with the booty. Still, Gazni had managed to establish some sort of Islamic rule in Western Punjab.
But in 1173 CE, with Ghurid sultan Mu’izz ud-din Muhammad Ghori, commonly known as Muhammad Ghori, began the systematic expansion of Islam in north India. He laid the foundation of the Sunni Islamic Muslim kingdom, calling it the Delhi Sultanate. After his death, one of his Mamluks, the Turkic Qutub ud-din Aibak assumed power and became the first Sultan of Delhi. After Qutub ud-din Aibak, five dynasties came in succession to India. They called themselves the Sultans of Delhi and thus Delhi became the Delhi Sultanate.
The countries through which Islam travelled were already rich in architectural traditions, uses of regional natural materials for buildings and different construction techniques as well as brick-making and so on. Lime and gypsum was already used for mortars and plasters. Stonemasonry and the technique of using stone in buildings were highly developed before the advent of Islam. Decorative marble slabs and grills and mosaics were commonplace. Ceramic and glass was used extensively. Lead, bronze and iron were well-established techniques. Wood and timber was used for doors, windows and furniture.
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