CAPF AC 2021 Q66: Medieval History – Delhi Sultanate
- (a) Balban
- (b) Alauddin Khalji
- (c) Muhammad Tughlaq
- (d) Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Answer: (d) Firoz Shah Tughlaq
Explanation
Who built which part of the Qutb Minar
How to think: three Sultans are linked with the tower.
Aibak began it, Iltutmish finished it, Firoz Shah Tughlaq repaired and raised it.
| Ruler | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Qutbuddin Aibak | Began the minar about 1199; built the first storey |
| Iltutmish | Added three storeys and completed it as a four-storeyed tower |
| Firoz Shah Tughlaq | After lightning damaged the top in 1368-69, replaced the fourth storey with two, giving the fifth storey |
| Sikandar Lodi | Later repairs |
How to spot his work: the lower storeys are of red sandstone.
The top two storeys use white marble with sandstone.
Alauddin Khalji's link: he built the Alai Darwaza and started the unfinished Alai Minar nearby.
Answer: (d) Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Balban made no addition to the Qutb Minar.
- (b) Incorrect. Alauddin Khalji built the Alai Darwaza and began the Alai Minar, not the fifth storey.
- (c) Incorrect. Muhammad Tughlaq is not linked with the minar's storeys.
- (d) CORRECT. Firoz Shah Tughlaq repaired the lightning damage and added the fifth storey.
Key point
Qutb Minar: Aibak (first storey), Iltutmish (three more), Firoz Shah Tughlaq (repaired, added the fifth). Height about 72.5 metres. Named after the Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki. UNESCO World Heritage Site (1993).
Remember
Aibak began, Iltutmish completed, Firoz Tughlaq added the fifth storey.
Common mistakes
- Marking Alauddin Khalji because of the Alai Darwaza and Alai Minar in the same complex.
- Thinking Iltutmish built all five storeys of the tower.
- Forgetting that lightning damage led to the rebuilding of the top.
Exam tip
Educated guess: Firoz Shah Tughlaq is the Sultan famous for repairing old monuments, canals and even moving Ashokan pillars to Delhi. A repair job on the Qutb Minar fits him best.
Sources
- Archaeological Survey of India — Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi
- NCERT Class VII History — Our Pasts II, Chapter 5: Rulers and Buildings