Once upon a time, sometime in 1150 BC.... Somewhere in central Asia a baby boy was born to a Turkish couple in the Aybak tribe. This little boy, in all likelihood, like most little boys was his mother’s darling and grandmothers pet. Perhaps he was a playful prankster or maybe he was an introspective little soul.
One day, while still in his childhood this little boy was abducted and captured by the marauders, and put up for sale in a distant slave market. On that day it so happened the chief Qazi of Nishapur was passing by and saw the slave boy and bought him. He took him home and both he and his wife brought him up along with their own sons, like a son. The Qazi educated him and trained him well in martial arts as well. He became a skilled horseman.
But a day came and the old Qazi died. The fortunes once more changed for the young slave, he was sold again to a slave merchant by the old Qazi’s son. But this young man was destiny’s protégé, and destiny took this slave to a warlord Mohammed Ghori, and he went on to become ‘The Slave general’ of his army and later was appointed as his viceroy to Delhi.
The boy from the Aybak tribe was Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aybak and was the founder of the slave dynasty in India.
In some ways it just could be ‘the slavedog’ millionaire story.
Qutub Minar, Delhi’s most imposing monument stands tall even today as a sentinel of history. It has seen centuries slip through ...and by and by Mehrauli the city became Mehrauli a suburb of Delhi .Last few decades have seen Delhi become a huge heaving metropolis, with an influx of humanity from all over India.
Today, Qutub Minar again silently stood witness to a history of sorts being made from its imposing heights.... Metro, an icon of modern Delhi quietly slipped out from the underground on to its elevated columns to meander through citadels of glass and ancient monuments.
Interesting paradox....but imagine a slave boy from a remote Aybak tribe in Turkey , the 12th century Sultan of Delhi were to appear and look around and see his lost kingdom .
What would he see?
A vastly differing way of life .The language ,the clothes, the people, in fact an aura totally at variance from the times of his Sultanate....His Delhi.
Where would he go?
Qutub Minar, for sure .It was his victory tower ... and then it is possible that the name on the Metro signs may just intrigue him.....and lead him on to the Qutub Minar Metro Station.
So now Qutubudin Aybak, erstwhile Sultan of Delhi would perhaps think....Not bad ...not bad at all, now I have an elevated Metro station named after me as well.....
June 21st 2010 South Delhi had its first disconnected Metro run from Qutub to Gurgaon. It has been a long wait and today we saw the 4 metro cars glide past on its elevated tracks ....Early days yet, but let’s hope that it helps ease the road traffic.
