Re-examining the Civilizational Layers of Mehrauli
Delhi’s Qutub Minar complex is globally recognized as an early monument of the Delhi Sultanate. Yet, the historical landscape on which it stands predates the 13th century by several centuries. Archaeological evidence, inscriptions, architectural remains, and archival documentation confirm that the site formed part of an earlier Hindu urban and ritual center — the fortified complex of Lal Kot, later associated with Qila Rai Pithora, capital of the Chauhan ruler Prithviraj Chauhan.
Understanding the Qutub complex requires examining these earlier Hindu layers.
I. Lal Kot: The Tomar Rajput Foundation
The earliest fortified settlement in the Mehrauli region is attributed to the Tomar Rajputs, who constructed Lal Kot between the 8th and 11th centuries CE.¹ The extant ramparts and defensive walls, still visible in parts of Mehrauli Archaeological Park, are identified by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as remnants of this pre-Sultanate Rajput stronghold.²
Lal Kot was later expanded under the Chauhans and came to be remembered as Qila Rai Pithora, associated in medieval memory with Prithviraj Chauhan.³
Thus, the Qutub complex stands within what was originally a Hindu political capital.
II. Temple Architecture Within the Qutub Complex
The Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, constructed under Qutb-ud-din Aibak beginning in 1193 CE, incorporates numerous carved pillars and architectural fragments from pre-existing Hindu and Jain temples.⁴
An inscription at the mosque records that materials from 27 temples were used in its construction.⁵ The carved columns within the mosque display iconographic features characteristic of temple architecture:
- Floral motifs
- Bell-and-chain ornamentation
- Anthropomorphic and mythological carvings
- Hindu symbolic designs
These features are stylistically distinct from early Islamic architectural forms and clearly predate the mosque structure.⁶
This architectural reuse (spolia) provides physical evidence of temple structures that existed at the site before the Sultanate construction.
III. The Iron Pillar: Gupta-Era Sacred Presence
Standing within the Qutub complex is the Iron Pillar of Delhi, dated to the 4th–5th century CE and attributed to the reign of Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) of the Gupta dynasty.⁷
The Sanskrit inscription on the pillar invokes Vishnu and refers to a king named “Chandra.”⁸ Scholars widely agree that the pillar originally stood in a Hindu ritual context before being relocated to its present site during the early medieval period.⁹
Its presence in Mehrauli confirms that the site functioned as a sacred Hindu space long before the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate.
IV. Qila Rai Pithora and Prithviraj Chauhan
Medieval traditions and later historiography associate the expanded fortifications of Lal Kot with Prithviraj Chauhan.¹⁰
While historians debate the precise architectural boundaries of Qila Rai Pithora, there is consensus that the Chauhans ruled from this region prior to the Ghurid conquest in 1192 CE.¹¹
Cynthia Talbot’s analysis of Chauhan memory demonstrates how Prithviraj’s capital became embedded in historical and regional identity.¹²
Thus, the Qutub complex emerged not in an empty landscape, but in the aftermath of a major Hindu political center.
V. British-Era Archival Records and Observations
Nineteenth-century British archival photographs of the Qutub complex sometimes labeled parts of the structure as “Rao Petarah’s Temple” (a reference to Prithviraj Chauhan).¹³
These captions reflect how colonial observers recognized temple-like architectural elements in the complex — particularly the carved pillars and sculptural fragments.
While modern archaeology distinguishes between temple remnants and Sultanate constructions, these early observations reinforce awareness of the site’s pre-Islamic architectural fabric.
VI. Civilizational Layering Rather Than Singular Origin
The Qutub complex represents successive historical layers:
- Gupta-period sacred artifact (Iron Pillar)
- Tomar Rajput Lal Kot
- Chauhan expansion (Qila Rai Pithora)
- Ghurid conquest and mosque construction
- Later Sultanate additions
Archaeological evidence confirms:
- Pre-Sultanate fortifications
- Temple architectural fragments
- Sanskrit inscriptions
- Gupta-era ritual artifacts
The Hindu foundations of the site are therefore historically and materially demonstrable.
Conclusion
The Qutub Minar complex is not merely a monument of the Delhi Sultanate. It stands within the fortified Hindu capital of Lal Kot and Qila Rai Pithora. The reuse of temple materials, the presence of Gupta-era sacred artifacts, and the surviving Rajput fortifications collectively testify to a substantial pre-Islamic Hindu presence at Mehrauli.
Recognizing these layers does not erase later history. Rather, it restores continuity to a site that reflects multiple phases of Indian civilization — with its Hindu foundations clearly embedded in stone.
Footnotes
- Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India (New Delhi: Pearson, 2008), 466–470.
- Archaeological Survey of India, “Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi,” ASI Official Site.
- “Qila Rai Pithora,” Wikipedia (summary of scholarly consensus and archaeological findings).
- ASI, “Qutb Minar and its Monuments.”
- Ibid.
- Catherine B. Asher, Architecture of Mughal India (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992), discussion on spolia traditions.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Iron Pillar of Delhi.”
- Ibid.
- Michael D. Willis, The Archaeology of Hindu Ritual (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009).
- Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India, 468.
- Ibid.
- Cynthia Talbot, The Last Hindu Emperor: Prithviraj Chauhan and the Indian Past, 1200–2000 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016).
- John Murray, photograph titled “Rao Petarah’s Temple, Delhi,” 1858 (British Library Archives).
Bibliography
Asher, Catherine B. Architecture of Mughal India. Cambridge University Press, 1992.
Singh, Upinder. A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India. Pearson, 2008.
Talbot, Cynthia. The Last Hindu Emperor. Cambridge University Press, 2016.
Willis, Michael D. The Archaeology of Hindu Ritual. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Archaeological Survey of India. “Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi.”
Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Iron Pillar of Delhi.”