The Slave Dynasty ruled northern India from 1200-1290 CE. They were former slaves who rose to power. Key buildings from this period include the Qutub Minar, Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra, and tombs of Iltutmish, Balban, and others. The Slave Dynasty made advances in architecture, using true arches for the first time in India in the tomb of Balban. The dynasty ended when the Khilji dynasty took power in 1290.

1. SLAVE DYNASTY
AKANSHA AWASTHI
ANURAG VERMA
HIMANSHU VERMA
MAHAK GUPTA
SLAVE DYNASTY- 1200 A.D.-1246 A.D.
• THE FIRST DYNASTY, KNOWN AS THE SLAVE KINGS OF DELHI. THIS NAME HAS BEEN GIVEN TO AS ITS MEMBERS WERE
NOT OF ROYAL BLOOD, BUT BELONGED TO A SYSTEM OF SLAVERY
• MOHAMMED GHAURI'S SLAVES, QUTB-UD~.AIBAK, WHOM.THAT EASTERN PERSIAN PRINCE APPOINTED AS GOVERNOR OF
HIS POSSESSIONS IN INDIA IN A.D., 1191, WAS THE FIRST RULER OF THIS DYNASTY.
• HE WAS EVENTUALLY CONFINED TO BEING A PURELY INDIAN SOVEREIGN. HE DIED IN 1210 AS A RESULT OF A POLO ACCIDENT,
AND THE CROWN SHORTLY PASSED TO SHAMS-UD-DIN ILTUTMISH, HIS SON-IN-LAW.
• AFTER THE DEATH OF ILTUTMISH, HIS ABLE DAUGHTER RAZIYYA SULTAN ATTEMPTED TO SERVE AS SULTAN BUT WAS
DEFEATED BY OPPOSING TURKISH SLAVE NOBLES. AFTER 1246 THE SULTANATE WAS CONTROLLED BY GHIYĀS- UD-DĪN
BALBAN, WHO WAS TO BE SULTAN HIMSELF FROM 1266 TO 1287.
• THE SLAVE DYNASTY ENDED WHEN JALĀL AL-DĪN FĪRŪZ KHALJĪ STAGED A SUCCESSFUL COUP ON JUNE 13, 1290, AND
BROUGHT THE KHALJĪS TO POWER.
THE SLAVE KINGS OF DELHI
IMPORTANT BUILDINGS BUILT DURING SLAVE
DYNASTY
• THE QUTUB COMPLEX
• QUTUB MINAR
• KUWAIT – UL- ISLAM MOSQUE
• ADHAI DIN KA JHONPARA
• TOMB OF ILLTUTMISH
• TOMB OF NASIR- UD- DIN MOHAMMAD
• TOMB OF BALBAN QUTUB MINAR
KUWAIT –UL- ISLAM MOSQUE ADHAI DIN KA JHONPARATOMB OF ILLTUTMISHREGION OF RULE OF SLAVE DYNASTY

2. • BUILT ON A TERRACE LEVELLED OUT OF THE SANDSTONE HILL-SIDE, PROBABLY THE SITE
OF AN OLD ESTABLISHED MELA OR FAIR GROUND, WHICH LASTED TWO-AND-A-HALF DAYS,
HENCE ITS NAME IS ADHAI DIN KA JHONPARA (HUT OF TWO-AND-A-HALF-DAYS).
• COVERS MORE THAN TWICE THE SPACE OCCUPIED BY THE KUWAIT- UL- ISLAM MOSQUE.
• IT HAS GRACEFULNESS IN ITS SLENDER PILLARS, FINER PROPORTIONS IN ITS COLUMNED
AISLE, AND A MORE FINISHED ADJUSTMENT OF ITS ROOFING.
• INCREASED HEIGHT WAS 'OBTAINED BY SUPER- IMPOSING NOT TWO, BUT THREE OF THE
HINDU SHAFTS TO FORM EACH PILLAR, SO THAT THE CEILINGS ARE TWENTY FEET FROM
THE PAVEMENT.
• MAIN ENTRANCE HAS FOUR FLIGHT OF STEPS FLANKING TO AN ENTRANCE PORTICO WITH
FLUTED MINARETS FOR ENTERING EASTERN CLOISTER.
• FOR SOME TIME THE INTERIOR OF THE MOSQUE CONSISTED OF MERELY AN OPEN
COLONNADE SURROUNDING ITS COURTYARD, BUT AFTERWARDS, AS AT DELHI, AN ARCHED
SCREEN WAS BUILT ACROSS THE FRONT OF THE SANCTUARY TO FORM A FACADE. AS
THIS FACADE WAS ADDED DURING THE REIGN OF ILLTUTMISH.
LOCATION
AERIAL VIEW OF ADHAI DIN KA
JHONPARA
INTERIOR VIEW OF COLLONADES FRONT FACADE OF ADHAI DIN KA
JHONPARA
DETAIL OF INSCRIPTIONS ON ARCH
QURAN INSCRIPTIONS ON ARCH VIEW OF ROOF FROM
VERANDAH
ADHAI DIN KA JHON PARA- 1200 A.D.-
SLAVE DYNASTY
AKANSHA AWASTHI
ANURAG VERMA
HIMANSHU VERMA
MAHAK GUPTA
COLUMN DETAIL
CORBELLED DOME FRONT FAÇADE

3. TOMB OF SHAMS-UD-DIN ILLTUTMISH- 1235 A.D.
• WITH THE TOMB OF ILTUTMISH THE STORY OF INDO-ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE UNDER THE
SLAVE DYNASTY CLOSES, AND FOR A PERIOD OF SOME SIXTY YEARS.
• LIES TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE QUWWATU'L ISLAM MOSQUE IN DELHI.
• 42 FT OUTSIDE AND 33 FT. INSIDE SQUARE AND HAS FINE INSCRIBED PATTERNS AND
BORDERS ON OUTER FAÇADE.
• IT HAS ELABORATELY SCULPTURED INTERIORS AND HAS SANDSTONE WALL WITH WHITE
MARBLE INSERTIONS.
• IT IS THE FIRST EXAMPLE OF TYPICAL ISLAMIC VOCABULARY OF PLACING CIRCULAR DOME
ON A CUBIC MASS.
• IT IS SOME FORM OF SHALLOW DOME, EITHER BEAMS WERE PROVIDED FOR SUPPORT OR
SQUINCH TAKES A FORM OF SMALL VAULT WITH HALF DOME SUPPORTING OVRER.
• ARCHES OF SQUINCH ARE DECORATED WITH INTRICATE PATTERNS, DELICATELY SUNK IN
SANDSTONE AND MARBLE, FINE SCHEME OF MOTIFS , INTERSPERSED WITH GEOMETRIC
PATTERNS.
• IT HAS COARSE NATURE OF THE MASONRY, WHICH IS A RUBBLE FOUNDATION COVERED
WITH CEMENT.
• THE INTERIOR ON THE WEST IS OCCUPIED BY THREE 'MIHRABS' OR PRAYER NICHES, THE
CENTRAL ONE HIGHER AND ORNAMENTED WITH MARBLE, TO SERVE AS A PLACE FOR
PRAYERS, WHILE THE OTHER SIDES ARE PIERCED BY ARCHED ENTRANCES.
• THE TOMB OF ILTUTMISH IN DELHI IS PLAIN ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT IS PROFUSELY CARVED
ON THE ENTRANCES AND IN THE INTERIOR WITH INSCRIPTIONS IN 'KUFI' AND 'NASKH'
CHARACTERS WITH GEOMETRICAL AND ARABESQUE PATTERNS IN SARACENIC TRADITION,
ALTHOUGH SEVERAL MOTIFS AMONG ITS CARVINGS ARE REMINISCENT OF HINDU
DECORATION.
PLACING A CIRCULAR DOME ON SQUARE MASS WITH HELP OF BEAMS MAKING A SQARE
TURNING INTO OCTAGON
GRAVE OF ILTUTMISH IN CENTER OF TOMB EXTERIOR OF ILTUTMISH
TOMB
VIEW OF OCTAGON SUPPORTING THE DOME
SLAVE DYNASTY
AKANSHA AWASTHI
ANURAG VERMA
HIMANSHU VERMA
MAHAK GUPTA
CORBELLED ARCH IN EXTERIOR FOILATED ARCH IN EXTERIOR

4. TOMB OF NASIR-UD-DIN MOHAMMED
•THE TOMB OF NASIR-UD-DIN MOHAMMED ALSO KNOWN AS SULTAN GHARI, OR
"SULTAN OF THE CAVE" BUILT BY SHAMS-UD-DIN ILTUTMISH AS A TOMB FOR HIS SON
IN A.D. 1231 NEAR DELHI.
• THE WHOLE BEING RAISED ON A 3M HIGH PLINTH WITH A MASSIVE PORTAL ON THE
EASTERN SIDE. THIS BUILDING WAS REGARDED AS A SHRINE TO WHICH THE
MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY COULD REPAIR FOR DEVOTIONS ON CERTAIN OCCASIONS.
• THIS EXTERIOR WHICH IS BUILT OF GREY GRANITE WITH CIRCULAR BASTIONS
PROJECTING FROM EACH ANGLE OF THE SQUARE, SERVE AS SOME KIND OF ADVANCED
OUTWORK TO THE MAIN FORTRESS OF THE CAPITAL.
• WITHIN THE WALLED ENCLOSED- SURE IS A SQUARE COURTYARD OF SIXTY-SIX FEET
SIDE, IN THE CENTRE OF WHICH IS AN OCTAGONAL PLATFORM, FORMING THE ROOF OF
THE TOMB CHAMBER BELOW.
• SO INCOMPLETE A CENTRAL FEATURE CAN ONLY BE EXPLAINED BY THE FACT THAT
THIS PLAT- FORM WAS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT A SUPERSTRUCTURE, PROBABLY A
PILLARED PAVILION WITH A PYRAMIDAL ROOF, THE WHOLE OF WHICH HAS
DISAPPEARED.
•THESE CONSIST OF TWO PILLARED ARCADES ON THE EAST AND WEST SIDES, THAT ON
THE LATTER BEING THE MORE IMPORTANT AS IT RESOLVES ITSELF INTO A SMALL, BUT
VERY COMPLETE MOSQUE SANCTUARY.
• IT WAS PROBABLY USED AS MILITARY SURVILLENCE OR CEREMONY ACCOMODATION
AS IT LOOKS LIKE A FORTRESS.
OCTAGONAL PLATFORM
3M HIGH PLINTH
BASTIONS
INSIDE GRAVEFLUTED &BRACKET COLUMNS
THE EXTERIOR IS BUILT OF GREY GRANITE WITH CIRCULAR BASTIONS
PROJECTING FROM EACH CORNER OF THE SQUARE. THE ENCLOSURE
IS CONTAINED WITHIN A MASSIVE MASONRY ARCADE.
THE MOSQUE SANCTUARY HAS A CENTRAL
DOMED NAVE WITH A FOLIATED ARCH AS
MIHRAB AND AISLES ON EITHER SIDE
THE WHOLE IS FRONTED BY A
COLONNADE OF MARBLE PILLARS
WITH BRACKET CAPITALS.
THE TOMB IS ADORNED BY CORBELLED
OPENINGS CHISELLED AND FINISHED TO
RESEMBLE TRUE ARCHES.

5. SLAVE DYNASTY
AKANSHA AWASTHI
ANURAG VERMA
HIMANSHU VERMA
MAHAK GUPTA
TOMB OF GHIYAS -UD -DIN- BALBAN (1265-1286)
• THE TOMB OF GHIYAS UD DIN BALBAN (1287 AD), SITUATED WITHIN WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS
THE MEHRAULI ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK, OCCUPIES A POSITION OF IMMENSE IMPORTANCE IN
THE EVOLUTION OF ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA.
• IT WAS IN THIS STRUCTURE, THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME, TRUE ARCHES WERE EMPLOYED IN THE
SPANNING OF OPENINGS.
• ALL ISLAMIC BUILDINGS BUILT BEFORE THIS TOMB CONTAIN ‘FALSE’ CORBELED ARCHES.
• THE TOMB ITSELF IS SQUARE IN PLAN, WITH THE WALLS TRANSLATED INTO AN OCTAGON
THROUGH SQUINCHES AT A HIGHER LEVEL.
• THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A TRUE DOME, THE FIRST OF IT’S KIND IN THE SUBCONTINENT,
CAPPING THE TOMB, BUT ONLY RUINED VESTIGES REMAIN TODAY.
• THE GRAVE SITS AT THE GEOMETRIC CENTRE OF THE STRUCTURE.
• TWICE THE SIZE OF ILTUTMISH’S TOMB AND HAS ARCHWAY ON EACH OF ITS FOUR SIDES.
A‘TRUE ARCH’ SPANNING THE MAIN
ENTRANCE TO THE TOMB
THE TOMB IN ITS ENTIRETY
ONE OF THE ‘TRUE ARCHES’ OF THE TOMB. FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN INDIA, ARCHES BEGAN TO BE
CONSTRUCTED BY RADIAL ARRANGEMENTS OF
THE VOUSSOIRS, AS OPPOSED TO ‘FASLE’
CORBELED ARCHES USED EARLIER.
THE INTERIOR OF THE TOMB. NOTICE THE VESTIGES
OF THE SQUINCHES TRANSLATING THE SQUARE
PLAN TO AN OCTAGON.
THE GRAVE OF BALBAN OCCUPIES THE
GEOMETRIC CENTRE OF THE STRUCTURE, AS IS
THE CASE WITH MOST ISLAMIC TOMBS.
TRUE ARCHES
SQUINCHESVIEW FROM EXTERIOR