SEVEN CITIES OF DELHI

INTRODUCTION
IIIrd Year
THE
HISTORICAL
SEVEN
CITIES OF
DELHI

EIGHT CITY-
LUTYENS
DELHI
CITIES TIME-LINE
1. The Slave Dynasty (1211-1227) Mehrauli (Qila Rai
Pithora)
2. The Khalji dynasty (1296-1316) - SIRI.
3. Tughluq dynasty (1320 AD) TUGHLUQABAD
4. Tughluq dynasty (1327 AD) - JAHANPANAH was built
between Lal Kot and Siri.
5. Sultan Firoz Shah (1354 AD)- FIROZABAD
The Lodi dynasty soon followed and the only interesting architectural
features added by them were the tombs, the best of which may be
seen at the Lodi Gardens.
6. Humayun(1540)- DINPANAH, SHERGARH (1450-55)
7. Mughal dynasty (1628 AD)- SHAHJAHANABAD
1- Qila Rai Pithora
Qila Rai Pithora was
created by Prithviraj
Chauhan, also known as Rai
Pithora, the popular hero
of the stories of Hindu
resistance against Muslim
invaders.
Anangpal, a Tomar ruler
possibly created the first
known regular defense -
work in Delhi called Lal Kot
. Prithviraj took over it and
extended for his
city Qila Rai Pithora.
MEHRAULI
Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated and killed in battle by Mohammed Ghori in 1192,
who left his slave Qutubuddin Aibak as his viceroy in India. In 1193, Qutubuddin
Aibak captured Delhi, which was still in the hands of the Chauhans. After the death
of Mohammed Ghori in 1206, Qutubuddin enthroned himself as the first sultan of
Delhi - Delhi thus became the capital of Mamluk or the Slave dynasty, the first
dynasty of Muslim sultans to rule over northern India.
Qutubuddin set about to create Mehrauli, by destroying Hindu temples and
building Islamic structures in their place. One of these was the tower of victory -
the 72.5 m tall Qutab Minar, finally completed in 1220 AD
2- SIRI
The 'Slave' dynasty of Qutubuddin was followed by the line of Khilji rulers .
The Saljuqian (dynasty in west Asia) influences are the most remarkable feature in
the buildings from this period.
A large reservoir called Hauz Khas was another accomplishment of city of Siri.
Siri is represented by stretches of thick stone walls.
3- TUGHLAQABAD
In the 1320s Ghiasuddin Tughlak , a Turk governor invaded
Delhi.
He created a fort here (the splendid ruins still remain ) with
high battlements and his descendant Mohammad Tughlak
went on to capture much of India.
He also raised a city, Jahanpanah, which largely comprised
a walled enclosure between Qila Rai Pithora and Siri. This is
sometimes called the fourth city of Delhi. Tughlakabad,
however, continued to be the main city.
There were eleven rulers from the Tughlak dynasty but only
the first three generations were interested in architecture-
raising mosques, caravansarais, madrasas and laying canals.
4- JAHANPANAH
Jahanpanah was the fourth medieval city of
Delhi established in 13261327 by Muhammad
bin Tughlaq (132151), of the Delhi Sultanate.
Type: Forts, Mosques and Tombs
Architectural style: Toghluqi
Client: Tughlaq Dynasty
Started: 1326 A.D.
Completed: 1327 A.D.
Floor area: Fort area -20 ha (49.4 acres)
5- FIROZABAD
One of the Tughlak rulers,Firoze Tughlak created the fourth city of Delhi , Firozabad
or Kotla Firoze Shah next to the river Yamuna. This was a large enclosure of high
walls , containing palaces , pillared halls , mosques, a pigeon tower and a water
tank. On the top of his palace, Firoze planted an Ashokan pillar from 1500 years
ago.
Apart from raising new buildings, Firoze Shah also repaired old ones,such as Sultan
Ghori's tomb,Qutub Minar,Suraj Kund and Hauz Khas. ( Firoze Shah's tomb, a lofty
structure, lies in Hauz - Khas. )
6- DIN-PANAH/ SHERGARH
Known as the Purana Qila.
Humayun in 1540, built his capital
Dinpanah.
Sher Shah razed Dinpanah to the
ground and started building his own
capital introducing ornate elements
in architecture.
Delhi was won back by Humayun not
very many years later in 1555 and he
completed parts of the Purana Qila
left unfinished by Sher Shah. He built
the fort DIN-PANAH - the 6th city on
the banks of the Yamuna, which in
present day Delhi is known as the
Purana Qila.
7- SHAHJAHANABAD
Shah Jahan created the city of Shahjahanabad,
the seventh city of Delhi - in the area that is
now known as Old Delhi.
The Jama Masjid and the Red Fort are two
excellent examples of the architectural
splendour of the 17th c.
In Shah Jahan's rule, Delhi witnessed the
construction of some of the finest pieces of
Mughal architecture.
EVOLUTION OF SULTANATE
ARCHITECTURE
INTRODUCTION
The beginning of this
dynasty is a great
transition in the history
of Indian architecture
gave rise to a new school
of architecture.
It brought new styles of
architecture which were
soon absorbed into the
existing set up.

Importance & Significance
Historical Background

Mohammad Ghori conquered Delhi after defeating
Prithviraj Chauhan in the second battle of Tarain in1192.
Qutubuddin Aibak was his general and viceroy of the
Delhi province.
After his death, Qutubuddin Aibak came out victorious in
the war fought among his generals.
He established the Delhi Sultanate in 1206 AD.
THUS STARTED THE PHASE OF SULTANATE
ARCHITECTURE.



SLAVE DYNASTY
FEATURES & EVOLUTIONS
Early Muslim rulers used
local Hindu artisans in the
construction of structures.
The lintels, carved-
columns and slabs are
typically of regional
flavour.
The ornamentation work
in early structures was all
indigenous in nature
profusion of human and
animal images.



FEATURES & EVOLUTIONS
The arches of the
screen have been built
by employing the
method of corbelling.
Several indigenous
ornamentation patterns
of serpentine tendrils &
undulating leaves, in
the main arched
screen.
FEATURES & EVOLUTIONS
However, the
borrowed elements
of Hindu architecture
were soon discarded
and relatively little
was retained by the
maturing Indo-
Islamic style.
Though corbelling
could not be
replaced as the
principal structural
technique,
decoration became
almost Islamic in
detail.

FEATURES & EVOLUTIONS
TOMB OF ILTUTMISH
The dome was
raised with the help
of corbelled courses.
It was supported on
squinches built at
the corners of the
square chamber.

TOMB OF BALBAN
It is in ruins now but
occupies an
important place in
the development of
Indo-Islamic
architecture.
FEATURES & EVOLUTIONS
This is so because
it is here that we
notice the earliest
true arch.
KHILJI DYNASTY
FEATURES & EVOLUTIONS
In the evolution of
Indo-Islamic
architecture, this
phase occupies a
key position as a
marked changing
style appears.
It exhibits a distinct
influence of the
Seljuq architectural
traditions such as
the use of white
marble reliefs in
between the local
red sandstone.
FEATURES & EVOLUTIONS
Employment of true arch,
pointed horse-shoe in
shape.
In addition, the decorative
features characterised by
calligraphy, geometry and
arabesque now became
much bolder and profuse.

FEATURES & EVOLUTIONS
Emergence of true
dome with recessed
arches under the
squinch.
Wider arches.
TUGHLAQ DYNASTY
FEATURES & EVOLUTIONS
Stone rubble is the
principal building material
and the walls are in most
cases plastered.
The walls and bastions
are invariably battered,
the effect being most
marked at the corners.
The pointed horse-shoe
arch of the preceding
style was gradually
abandoned because of its
narrow compass and
therefore the inability to
span wider spaces.
FEATURES & EVOLUTIONS
Use of a new shape
of arch- the four
centered arch -
necessitating its
reinforcement with a
supporting beam.
This arch-beam
combination is a hall-
mark of the Tughlaq
style.
During the Tughlaq
period however, the
mood was less
decorative, and more
simple and austere.
FEATURES & EVOLUTIONS
Emergence of a
pointed dome with
clearly visible neck
in contrast with
rather stifled dome
of the preceding
style.
Ornamentation was
confined mostly to
inscribed borders
and medallions
executed in plaster
or stucco.
Tapered columns at
entrances.
Emergence, in the
tombs of this period,
an octagonal plan.
FEATURES & EVOLUTIONS
Presented by: Ar. Iram Aziz

Source: Chritopher Tadgell, The History of Architecture in India
Percy Brown, Indian Architecture
Balasubramaniam, World Heritage Complex of the Qutub
Internet.