SSC Stenographer 2026 – 15 September 2026 Shift 1 · Sultanate architecture
Q1. Which of the following statements correctly describes the historical and architectural significance of the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque?
- (a) Built by Iltutmish as a Shia mosque with Persian inscriptions
- (b) Constructed by Alauddin Khalji using granite from South India
- (c) Commissioned by Qutb-ud-din Aibak using materials from demolished Hindu and Jain temples
- (d) Built by Balban as a tomb complex for Sufi saints near Ajmer
Answer & solution
Answer: (c) Commissioned by Qutb-ud-din Aibak using materials from demolished Hindu and Jain temples
Answer: Option 3 — Commissioned by Qutb-ud-din Aibak using materials from demolished Hindu and Jain temples
The Quwwat-ul-Islam ("Might of Islam") mosque, begun in 1192–93 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, is the earliest surviving mosque in Delhi.
Its own inscription records that it was built from the material of 27 demolished Hindu and Jain temples — the carved pillars in the colonnade still show the temple work.
Revision note — The Qutb complex, Mehrauli (Delhi)
• Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque — Aibak, 1192–93; enlarged by Iltutmish (1230) and again by Alauddin Khalji; the mosque courtyard holds the Iron Pillar of Chandragupta II (Gupta period, rust-free wrought iron).
• Qutb Minar — begun by Aibak in 1199, completed by Iltutmish; the top storeys were repaired by Firoz Shah Tughlaq after lightning damage; height about 72.5 m, five storeys.
• Alai Darwaza (1311) — the southern gateway added by Alauddin Khalji, the first building in India with a true arch and true dome.
• Alai Minar — Khalji's unfinished tower meant to be twice the Qutb Minar's height.
• The complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1993); the style is early Indo-Islamic (Mamluk / Slave dynasty) architecture.
• Aibak's other mosque, Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra at Ajmer (about 1199), was likewise built over a Sanskrit college.
Do not mix these up
• Quwwat-ul-Islam vs Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra — both are Aibak's, but the first is in Delhi, the second in Ajmer.
• Qutb Minar vs Alai Minar — the Qutb Minar was finished by Iltutmish; the Alai Minar was never finished.
Also asked from this topic: the builder of the Alai Darwaza (Alauddin Khalji, 1311); the style of the Qutub Minar, begun by Aibak and completed by Iltutmish (Indo-Islamic, Mamluk); the dynasty that built Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra, Ajmer (Slave dynasty).
The Quwwat-ul-Islam ("Might of Islam") mosque, begun in 1192–93 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, is the earliest surviving mosque in Delhi.
Its own inscription records that it was built from the material of 27 demolished Hindu and Jain temples — the carved pillars in the colonnade still show the temple work.
Revision note — The Qutb complex, Mehrauli (Delhi)
• Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque — Aibak, 1192–93; enlarged by Iltutmish (1230) and again by Alauddin Khalji; the mosque courtyard holds the Iron Pillar of Chandragupta II (Gupta period, rust-free wrought iron).
• Qutb Minar — begun by Aibak in 1199, completed by Iltutmish; the top storeys were repaired by Firoz Shah Tughlaq after lightning damage; height about 72.5 m, five storeys.
• Alai Darwaza (1311) — the southern gateway added by Alauddin Khalji, the first building in India with a true arch and true dome.
• Alai Minar — Khalji's unfinished tower meant to be twice the Qutb Minar's height.
• The complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1993); the style is early Indo-Islamic (Mamluk / Slave dynasty) architecture.
• Aibak's other mosque, Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra at Ajmer (about 1199), was likewise built over a Sanskrit college.
Do not mix these up
• Quwwat-ul-Islam vs Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra — both are Aibak's, but the first is in Delhi, the second in Ajmer.
• Qutb Minar vs Alai Minar — the Qutb Minar was finished by Iltutmish; the Alai Minar was never finished.
Also asked from this topic: the builder of the Alai Darwaza (Alauddin Khalji, 1311); the style of the Qutub Minar, begun by Aibak and completed by Iltutmish (Indo-Islamic, Mamluk); the dynasty that built Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra, Ajmer (Slave dynasty).