Long and Short Essay on Qutub Minar
A student of any class is supposed to learn a lot about India as well as its heritage. It is the culture of our country that makes it stand out from other countries for generations. While the students are taught about such things a lot, it is usually the great architecture that takes precedence above all else. And hence, Qutub Minar usually makes the cut.
The stone tower is a great example of architecture. It is considered to be one of the best places to visit for school trips, for a visit with the whole family, and much more. While many people may only look at it as part of Indian architecture, or even just a building, there are a lot of things that one can find a mention of Qutub Minar in.
There is a good chance that students of all the schools in India will have to prepare an essay some or the other time during their school life. Essays are very much comprehensive and make way for a better understanding of any topic that a student is preparing for.
That being said, when it comes to preparing an essay on a topic such as the one for Qutub Minar in English, the students need a good reference that can help them.
Qutub Minar is the tower of victory. Its erection started in the year 1199 under the supervision of Qutb-ud-din Aibak. The entire minaret was completed by the contemporary rulers of Delhi. This Qutub Minar essay will tell us about its history and facts. The long and short essay on Qutub Minar in English is written in a simple format for the school students. Study it and write a short note on Qutub Minar easily.
Long Essay on Qutub Minar
One of the fascinating tourist spots in Delhi is Qutub Minar. With a height of 72.5 m, this is the tallest minaret constructed using bricks in the world. It is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This minaret is considered to be the epitome of victory. Qutub-Ud-In Aibak, a deputy employed by Muhammad of Ghor, started establishing this minaret in Delhi as a memoir of victory. It is considered as the sign of the Delhi Sultanate.
The architecture of Qutub Minar was inspired by the construction of the Minaret of Jam. It is 62 meters tall and was constructed in the year 1190. The architect of Qutub Minar is Varahamihira, a Hindu by birth. This is why the architectural aspect of this minaret has both Indo-Islamic and Afghan styles conglomerated to form a unique design. The tower slowly tapers at the top and has 379 spiraling steps.
It has five stories built in different timelines and represents different historical events. The base diameter is 14.32 meters whereas the top diameter is 2.75 meters. There are beautiful balconies projecting from each storey making it a unique minaret. Due to its immense historical significance, it is counted as one of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in India. India’s first mosque named Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid was constructed on the northeastern side of this minaret in 1198.
Qutub-ud-Din Aibak, the founder of the Delhi Sultanate and the emperor of the Ghurid Dynasty, started building this minaret after defeating the last Hindu king of Delhi, Prithviraj Chauhan. His victory earmarked the beginning of the rules of Muslim emperors in India. He built the first base and was used for prayer summons. He was unable to complete more than one level. Shams-ud-Din Iltutmish, the successor of Aibak and his son-in-law constructed three more levels under his supervision.
The tower was made of marble and red sandstone. Its unique red color represents the texture of red sandstones used. After almost 169 years, the contemporary Delhi Sultan named Firoz Shah Tughlak renovated the lighting-hit tower and added two more stories. He also added a dome or cupola at the top and ended the construction. These stories were made of marble and white sandstone. The difference in color is quite significant in this tower.
This dome is not visible today as an earthquake shook the minaret and suffered a fall. In the British era, Major R. Smith, one of the Royal Engineers of the British Empire, restored the top portion with a ‘Chhatri’, a Bengali-style architecture, in the year 1823. This top portion is still visible above the 5th storey.
The significance of this minaret in Indian history is remarkable. It has a long history of construction and restoration were done by so many rulers of India. It is also an example of the diverse Indian culture originating from several dynasties. The perfect mix has created a heritage that all the countries in the world admire.
Small Qutub Minar Essay - Short Paragraph on Qutub Minar
Qutub Minar is the world’s tallest minaret made of brick. Its height is 72.5 meters and its construction was initiated by Qutub-Ud-Din Aibak. The minaret was built following the architecture of the Minaret of jam located in Afghanistan. The construction started in 1199 by Qutub-ud-din Aibak and was completed by Ittutimish in 1220. It is considered as the symbol of victory as it earmarked the beginning of the Delhi Sultanate in India. Aibak was unable to complete the minaret.
Iltutmish, the successor of Aibak, and his son-in-law constructed three more levels under his supervision. After 169 years, the rest of the tower’s levels were constructed by Firoz Shah Tughlaq. It had a beautiful dome above the 5th floor. It got devastated due to an earthquake. Later, the British Engineer, Major R. Smith designed a Bengali cupola or ‘Chhatri’ and restored its glory. In this paragraph on Qutub Minar, you can see how so many cultures shared their knowledge of architecture to build this minaret. This is why it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Every year, thousands of tourists from all over the world witness the magical conglomeration of Afghan and Indo-Islamic architecture. This minaret has a distinct red tinge from the red sandstone in the first three levels and a white tinge in the rest of the levels.
Qutub Minar is one of the oldest minarets in the world. It is the symbol of our diverse culture and heritage evolved from several dynasties of the historical era.
Summary
A few lines about Qutub Minar scribed in the form of a long and small essay describe India’s historical heritage and culture. This monument is the ultimate example of architecture and master craftsmanship. It is a very popular tourist site in India and is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India.
FAQs on Qutub Minar Essay
1. Why was Qutub Minar Constructed?
Qutub Minar is a historical monument that is a symbol of victory for the time when it was constructed. It was a victory of the Ghurid Dynasty. The symbolism that it represents is of the time when Raja Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated by Qutub-Ud-Din Aibak. The former was the last Hindu ruler of Delhi. It was as per the orders of Qutub-Ud-Din Aibak that the construction of this beautiful minaret was undertaken. This marked the immortalization of his initial steps as a ruler in the Indian subcontinent.
2. Who Completed the Construction of Qutub Minar?
Qutub Minar, the historical monument that everybody loves to visit even now, is not one that was built within the rulership of one single ruler. In fact, the monument’s construction was only commenced under rule of Qutab-ud-din Aibak, who passed away before the construction even went beyond the basement. It was then continued by his very successor, Iltutmush, who went on to construct 3 more stories, Then, it was not until more than a century later that all the construction was finished with Firoz Shah Tughlak giving orders for the construction of the final and fifth storey.
3. Why Does Qutub Minar Have a Bengali-Styled Dome on Its Head?
It is an important aspect of any historical monument to be of utter perfection. Same was the case with Qutub minar. Although the construction of the sandstone monument began back in 1200 AD, it was not until the 1820s that it was completed. Even after its completion, there were a few things that needed to be updated such as the restoration of the building after Firoz Shah Tughlaq. It was the work of a British Engineer known as Major R. Smith who put the reference of the Bengali architecture on the dome at the head of the building. It was his work which restored the broken dome made by Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
4. What is so special about Qutub Minar?
Qutub Minar is one of the historical structures in New Delhi. Standing tall at a height of 72.5 meters, the building is a symbol of one of the greatest power shifts in the entire world. It is made of bricks of sandstone which are red and buff. The historical building is basically a tower of stories which many people love to visit. The place has made its way in many visitor’s itinerary, owing to its popularity as well as history.
5. What measures are taken to protect and conserve Qutub Minar?
There are many monuments in India built in the last century and even before that. Due to the fact that they are full of history and symbolize many things about the time that they were built, it is only fair that the authorities take the necessary actions in order to do the needful to protect them. For this purpose, there have been a few measures such as the process of water tightening taken up to protect the red sandstone tower.