Description

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-Set apart from the descriptive guides that exist on the subject, this book analyzes the meaning of the Qutb Complex's monuments and their afterlife from the fourteenth through the twenty-first centuries The Qutb complex is one of Delhi's major tourist attractions and the Qutb Minar is often used as an iconic emblem representing the city. Yet aside from scholarly essays and largely descriptive books on the site, there has been little attempt to write an accessible analysis of the site's monuments, patrons, inscriptions and history. This book will examine not only the site as it was developed in the early Sultanate period, but also probe its life prior to the establishment of Muslim rule in the late-twelfth century and then again after the period of Sultanate patronage of the site up to the present. The aim of this volume is to prove that over time the complex remained considerably more significant in meaning than is generally believed. The surrounding urban area, including dargahs, temples, mosques, tombs and water sources, will be studied in terms of their relation to the core mosque and minaret. A comprehensive analysis of the interwoven histories of the Qutb Complex and its architecture, this book is both visually sumptuous and informative.

About the Author

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Catherine Asher is a specialist in Islamic and Indian art and teaches at the University of Minnesota. She is well known for her work on the Mughal dynasty, and is now increasingly working on the patronage of their successors and predecessors. Her other interest is in the shrines that develop around deceased Sufi saints, and the appeal such complexes have for devotees. Her books include Architecture of Mughal India (2008), India before Europe (co-authored with Cynthia Talbot, 2006) and Perceptions of South Asia's Visual Past (1994).