208^ Notes on the Tnpoyraphy &c. of Delhi. [No. 4, 



ning of the fifteenth century ; and no earlier date can with safety he 

 assigned to them. This confirms the traditional report which assigns 

 their construction to the Sultan Bhailol Lodi, who ascended the 

 throne A. D. 1450, and whose remains are interred close hy; and we 

 are warranted in asserting that Shahpoor was not in existence until 

 150 years after the Mogul invasion, and thus General Cunningham's 

 identification of it with Ala-u-din's palace and entrenchment of A. D. 

 1308 falls at once to the ground. 



Let us next enquire, what remains still exist of*that monarch's 

 numerous huildings. Of these there are two distinct groups, and two 

 only : first, the walls of the Kutb citadel, and the mosque, minar and 

 palace within it; and, secondly, the mosque near Nizam-udin Aulia's 

 tomb, with the palace adjoining it, the remains of which are now 

 known as the " Lall Mahal."* The first of these palaces cannot possibly 

 he the site of Ala-u-din's entrenchment, for we know that this was 

 on the open plain beyond the suburbs of Delhi. In order to ascertain 

 whether the last fulfils any better the requirement of the case, let us 

 examine carefully the history of Turghai Khan's invasion. 



We are told that the Mogul Chief was induced to invade India by 

 learning of the absence from the capital of two large armies which, as 

 events shew, constituted the whole strength of Ala-u-din's forces. One 

 of these, under the king himself, Avas besieging Chittore : the other, with 

 which was the bulk of the Cavalry, was absent in Bengal ; hearing of 

 the Mogul invasion, the king hastily returned with the former, and pro- 

 ceeded to entrench himself, until succour could arrive from Bengal and' 

 the other provinces. 



These succours could only reach him from the Doab, across the 

 river Jumna ; for to the north lay the Mogul army : to the west 

 and south-west were the Mewaties, then, as always, a turbulent and 

 disloyal race ; to the south lay the dense jungle and forest through 

 which, 200 years later, Shir Shah cut the great imperial road 

 between Delhi and Agra. It thus became a matter of vital import, that 

 Ala-u-din should hold in strength the principal crossing of the 

 river. Owing to the range of Hills which lies to the east of the 

 city, this crossing can only have been at one of two points ; either 

 through the gap at Togluckabad, or somewhere near Grhaiaspoor. The 

 * For a description of this, see Note A. 



