Quránic epigraphy in the Delhi Sultanate : the Álai Darwaza
Date
1992
Authors
Bain, Alexandra
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Abstract
This paper will discuss the significance of Qur'anic epigraphy on religious architecture by analysing the previously unexamined inscriptions of one of the Delhi Sultanate's major monuments. The inscriptions on the interior and the exterior of the 'Alai Darwaza, appear to constitute a clearly thought out, well articulated program which serves the function of incorporating Khalji sultan 'Ala' al-Din's monumental gateway into the epigraphic program of the Ouwwat al-Islam complex, as expressed by its original builders some 120 years earlier. For example, both sets of inscriptions speak of the destruction of idolatrous temples by the victorious servants of God, an important theme in the early years of the Muslim conquest of India. There are, however, significant differences in the choice of Qur'anic inscriptions that reveal that the selection of these passages was governed by an intellectual process aimed at presenting scriptural support for contemporary politics. My analysis of the 'Alai Darwaza's inscriptions has revealed that 'Ala' al-Din Khalji used Qur'anic verse as political propaganda to legitimise his rule.
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UN SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities