Qutub Minar: Monument of Power, Faith, and Transition
Introductory Paragraph- The Qutub Minar, located in South Delhi, is one of the earliest and most striking monuments of Islamic architecture in India. Standing at 72.5 meters, it is the tallest brick minaret in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Commissioned by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1193, the Qutub Minar complex symbolizes the establishment of Delhi as a major center of political power under the Delhi Sultanate. Its layered history— built, modified, and restored over centuries—reflects the transitions of power, religion, and culture in medieval India. To study the Qutub Minar is to examine how political authority expressed itself through monumental architecture, how religious symbolism was negotiated in a multicultural landscape, and how heritage has been reinterpreted across colonial and postcolonial times. This paper traces its origins, architectural design, cultural significance, colonial preservation, and contested place in contemporary India.
