QURANS OF INDIA : A MEDIEVAL MARVEL

Islam was initially introduced to India by Arab traders. Kerala is home to the oldest mosque in India, constructed in 629 CE by an Arab trader. The Holy Book, the Quran, was brought with the faith but did not become much more than a book until much later, beginning in the 13th century CE, when the Islamic dynasties were established in the North. Large, ornate Qurans were produced for the elite class of Muslims.

These Qurans were frequently ornately decorated with diamonds, fine calligraphy, and fine craftsmanship.India is proud to have produced some of the world's best Qurans. Here are a few examples of The Rampur Raza Library in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, is home to one of the most distinctive collections of Qurans in all of Islam. This Quran is a special manuscript ascribed to Hazrat Ali, the Prophet Muhammad's first cousin and husband of Fatima, the Prophet's daughter.

Claimed to have been composed by Hazrat Ali in the 7th century CE, it was carried from his Haj journey in 1872 CE by Nawab Kalbe Ali Khan of Rampur (1865–1887). Written on parchment, which is a writing surface created from animal skin that has not been tanned, is a straightforward document.The Quran's dimensions are only 2 by 3 cm.The small handwritten Quran at the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad is another fascinating artefact. The illustrious Salar Jung family of Hyderabad amassed rare Quranic texts over three generations. Because it is a miniature, the Quran, which dates to the ninth century CE, is an extremely notable example of rare calligraphy!

It features intricate workmanship and is printed in 31 folios. These little Qurans are unique to the globe; one is housed in Iran and the other in the Salar Jung Museum.Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor, had a great Quran, unlike the plain Quran at Rampur. It was rumoured that Emperor Aurangzeb copied the Quran by hand and donated the proceeds to charitable organisations. However, a private collector offered a Mughal Quran, purportedly owned by Emperor Aurangzeb, for sale at an auction in the United Arab Emirates in 2010.

The Quran was inscribed with garnet, lapis lazuli, and ruby ink derived from priceless materials. It is thought that Aurangzeb had numerous sections of the book engraved by himself and had set aside a certain area in his palace for the artisans who finished it. The manuscript was composed of sheets of homemade paper made from natural minerals and rice, with insets of gold. This Quran is still in an individual's possession.Another uncommon Quran is one that is painted on fabric and is regarded as a singular piece of Mughal artistry.

A scribe known as Munshi Abd Khan al Qadiri painted Quranic passages on a fabric. He needed two years to prepare this Quran. The precise dates, from July 31, 1718, to July 11, 1720, are also known to us. Amir 'Abdallah, the Mughal governor of Allahabad at the time, was given the Quran.

This Quran was beautifully and largely painted on fabric. This 9.5-foot-by-5-foot cloth—the Quran—was inked with gold, silver, powdered diamonds, semi-precious stones, and even mother-of-pearl. This is an extremely intriguing discovery.

The Aga Khan Museum in Toronto currently has this Quran on exhibit.These are only a handful of the magnificent Qurans that we are aware of and that have survived. Numerous others might exist in individual collections.