Hauz Khas
Also called: Hauz-i-Alai · Topic: Turkic Invasions and the Delhi Sultanate · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Hauz Khas means "royal tank". It is a large water reservoir in Delhi. Alauddin Khalji built it, which is why it was first called Hauz-i-Alai. It supplied water to his new city of Siri. In the 14th century, Firuz Shah Tughlaq had the tank cleaned of silt. He built a madrasa (an Islamic college) and his own tomb on its bank. The site shows how Sultanate rulers planned water supply for their cities.
Example
The madrasa building on the tank's bank in south Delhi was built under Firuz Shah Tughlaq. It stands in an L-shape around the tank, and Firuz Shah's tomb stands at its corner.
Don't confuse with
- Hauz-i-Shamsi: this is a separate tank at Mehrauli in Delhi, built by Iltutmish in the 13th century, not by Alauddin Khalji.
Related concepts
- Khilji dynasty
- Jalaluddin Khalji
- Alauddin Khalji
- Mongol invasions of India
- Siri Fort
- Alai Darwaza
- Market reforms of Alauddin Khalji
- Diwan-i-Riyasat
- Shahna-i-Mandi
- Dagh and chehra