Chor Minar (The Thief Tower)
An Exciting Slice Of Indian History From The 13th Century
“Paths are made by walking “ — Franz Kafka author 1883–1924. And this holds so true even today. For a knowledge seeker, walking and exploring is bliss. Every corner of your block, city, the state has a story to tell. I had written about “The Cursed Capital” in an earlier article, which resulted from mindful walking.
This fascinating slice lies nestled amongst one of the most upmarket societies in Delhi, India. Rather Sadly is now not even a landmark, just a stone structure where children and elders find pleasure in meeting each other. If they realize the use of the tower, most might be scared to set foot on the premises at least post-sunset.
Well, the fact about the tower is that it wasn’t built as an adobe for the nasty chors(thieves) to rest or stay. It was a tower with 225 holes to hang the heads of thieves, traitors and other that the kingsmen slay.
It was built by Alauddin Khilji or Alauddin Ghilji, a Turco-Afghan emperor of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the Indian subcontinent. During the period (1290–1320).
Historians suggest that the Alauddin Khilji slaughtered 8,000 Mongol prisoners to stop them from joining their brethren in another Mongol settlement in Delhi to the present-day called ‘Mongolpuri’. The Mongol warlord’s heads were displayed on the tower while others piled in a pyramid outside the tower.
Imagine 225 heads hanging from their hair from each of these pigeon holes with blood dripping. Now owls nest in these holes.
