Curious seen : Baolis of the Delhi Sultanate
Date
1995
Authors
Lort, Jennifer Elizabeth
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Abstract
Hydraulic structures are a significant component of the architecture of the Delhi Sultanate (c.1200-1526). The uncertainty of the water supply in the extremes of the monsoon climate made construction of waterworks necessary for the urban population of Delhi. Royal patronage of major hydraulic structures such as dams and large reservoirs can be linked to historical records of shortage of rainfall and droughts during the Sultanate.
Stepwells or baolis are unique hydraulic structures, consisting of wells with attached stepped tanks, found in northern and western India. Eighteen Sultanate period baolis have been identified in Delhi. These are important in the architectural history of the period because they represent the adaptation of an indigenous Hindu architectural form by Muslim patrons. Architectural construction and details indicate that these structures were influenced by the same trends and regional variations in architecture as other buildings of the period.
A variety of patrons including aristocrats, both men and women, and merchants commissioned the construction of baolis. Epigraphical evidence shows that the baolis were more than simple water storage facilities, and that they served important social and religious functions for both the Muslim and Hindu communities.