History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c33.s4.31.3

v3.c33.s4.31.3

“He commanded the fabric to be square with expanding porches and interlacing curvatures.” The pavement was made of white marble and on the sides of every court they delineated golden paintings shaded with lapis-lazuli. “Every one who saw this fabric took the finger of wonder into his mouth and said ‘Oh thou who hast beheld the mosque of Damascus and are maddened thereby and profess that no building like that is possible’ come and see the mosque of Ghazni.’” “In front there was an immense nave for great festivals and congregations in which six thousand servants might fulfil their duties.” “And he built near the precincts a college and supplied it with valuable books and rare volumes of theology and to these pure walls of instruction professors and Imams and students directed their course; and from the endowments of the college they received daily maintenance and necessaries and a salary monthly or yearly was paid to them. And during the reign of the Sultan the extent of Ghazni exceeded all cities in spacious buildings and solid edifices. And amongst other fabrics there were a thousand walled enclosures for elephants with their grooms, the suppliers of food etc. It was God who was the promoter of all this prosperity of the land.” (p. 468-469). Utbi probably finishes his narrative with a further description of the Sultan’s just rule and the rule of his younger brother in Khorasan where he was appointed by Mahmud but unfortunately where he died young.