DNA Exclusive: Analysis of the historical dispute related to Qutub Minar

First Ram Mandir, then Gyanvapi Masjid and then the Shahi Idgah Masjid of Mathura… The stories of destruction of thousands of temples are buried under the mosques of our country. These are the stories which the historians and governments of our country have never allowed to reach us. And now, when India is about to complete 75 years of its independence, then the awakening has started in the country. You must have read in the history books in school that the Qutub Minar was built by Qutubuddin Aibak. But no one would have told you that another history of suppression of temples is buried under the Qutub Minar. 

In today's DNA, Zee News Editor In Chief Sudhir Chaudhary tries to get to the root of the historical dispute related to Qutub Minar. 

The dispute here is not only about Qutub Minar. This dispute is about a piece of land spread over 24 thousand square meters, which is called Qutub Minar Complex. Apart from the Qutub Minar, there is also a mosque in this complex, which is called Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque. It is also considered to be the oldest mosque in India. Apart from this, there is also the tomb of Emperor Iltu-Tamish of Delhi Sultanate in this complex. And there is also the Alai Minar and the Alai Darwaza, which were built by Alauddin Khilji in the 14th century.

Alauddin Khilji hated Hindus a lot. He established himself on this throne by killing his uncle and the then emperor of the Delhi Sultanate, Jalaluddin Khilji. He was the first Muslim ruler who expanded the Delhi Sultanate to some parts of South India, and defeated many Hindu kings in decisive battles. These kings included the Raja of Chittor, Rawal Ratan Singh, whose wife was Padmavati. And according to Padmavat poetry, Padmavati had committed Jauhar (she jumped into the fire after the death of Raja Rawal Ratan Singh) to save herself from Alauddin Khilji. 

Alauddin Khilji also got many temples demolished in India. And during his tenure, the Qutub Minar complex also expanded. There are many types of monuments in this area of ​​24 thousand square meters, and it is claimed that all of them are built at the place where there used to be 27 Hindu and Jain temples.