The Madrasa of 'Alauddin Khalji'
| dc.contributor.author | Cohn, Jeffrey B. | en_US |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-08-13T18:12:00Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-08-13T18:12:00Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 1984 | en_US |
| dc.date.issued | 1984 | |
| dc.degree.department | Department of History in Art | |
| dc.degree.department | Department of Art History and Visual Studies | |
| dc.degree.level | Master of Arts M.A. | en |
| dc.description.abstract | The Quwwat al-Islam Mosque at Delhi is usually included in discussions on Indo-Islamic architecture, however, the small building situated at its southwest corner has remained virtually ignored. This is the Madrasa of 'Alauddin Khalji, one of the earliest extant Islamic col leges in India. Not only does the structure offer architectural information, but it also clarifies the position of Muslim education in Medieval India . Constructed about 1315 A.D., the 'Al ai Madrasa measures approximately 90 x 42 metres, and was entered through a monumental portal on the north side, which opened onto a large courtyard. The west wall of the court is lined with small cells; the wall opposite is no longer extant, but is believed to have been a simple screen wall. On the south stands a line of three tombs, the central one presumably that of 'Alauddin. The lack of inscriptions and incomplete documentation have hindered identification of the building's patron. A look at the patronage and personality of Sultan 'Alauddin will help to secure this attribution. Although the 'Alai Madrasa is now in a ruinous state, it is still vital to a study of Indo-Islamic architecture as it is one of the few remaining monuments from the Khalji Period ( 129 6-132 0 A. D.). Until now, scholars have viewed the ruined structure as being unnoteworthy, yet a firstĀhand examination of the site has revealed a gross misjudgment on the part of these historians and archaeologists. The madrasa follows many of the building techniques and forms employed in the adjacent mosque, but also exhibits a number of new developments combining indigenous and Islamic elements . Here one sees an assimilation of trabeate and arcuate methods, as well as the first extensive use of the voussoired arch and the "true" dome in India. Also, the decorative muqarnas and the four eyvan (iwan) plan are introduced into the vocabulary of Islamic architecture of the subcontinent. The 'Alai Madrasa is a clear link between the early Indo-Islamic style based on Hindu craftsmans hip, and the more distinctly Islamic architecture in the later years of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire. | |
| dc.format.extent | 182 pages | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1828/17525 | |
| dc.rights | Available to the World Wide Web | en_US |
| dc.title | The Madrasa of 'Alauddin Khalji' | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |
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