Muslim Slave System in Medieval India c12.5

c12.5

And so thousands of slaves were drafted to construct the edifies (many even now extant as monuments), so as to complete the work in the shortest possible time. Surely, the task could be accomplished only by pressing into service thousands and thousand of slaves captured in early victories who were made to do the job. The congregational mosque at Delhi named, purposefully, as the Masjid Quwwatul Islam (Might of Islam), was commenced by Aibak in 592/1195 within two years of its conquest.² It was built with materials and gold obtained by destroying 27 Hindu and Jain temples in Delhi and its neighbourhood. A Persian inscription in the mosque testifies to this.³ The mosque at Ajmer erected by Qutbuddin Aibak soon after its occupation and known as the *Arhai din ka Jhonpra*, was also built from materials obtained from demolished temples. The Qutb Minar, planned and commenced by Aibak sometime in or before 1199 and completed by Iltutmish,⁴ was also constructed with similar materials, the sculptured figures on the stones being either defaced or concealed by turning them upside down. *In this improvisation*, rightly observes Habibullah, *was symbolised the whole Mamluk history* (emphasis added).⁵