1865.] Report of the Archaeological Survey. 277 



could not have been less than 3| times its base, or 147 feet in height, 

 and that its floor being 35 feet above the ground the whole height of 

 the building would have been 182 feet, it is strange that no more 

 detailed traditions should exist regarding the builders of so magnificent 

 an edifice. I am of opinion that the temple must have been the work 

 of one of the earlier Bachhal Rajas, but unfortunately the records of this 

 race are too imperfect to afford any clue to the ancient history of the 

 country. 



XXVIL— KABAR, OR SHIRGARH. 

 370. The old town of Kdbar is situated on a lofty mound, 20 miles 

 to the north of Bareli, and 26 miles to the west of Pilibhit. The ruins 

 consist of a circular mound, 900 feet in diameter and 25 feet in height, 

 which is still surrounded by a deep ditch from 50 to 100 feet in width. 

 This was the old fort of Kdbar in the time of the Hindus, and there are 

 still some remains of the walls of a large oblong building on the top of 

 the mound, which the people say was a temple. The old city, which 

 surrounded the fort on all sides, is now divided into four separate 

 villages, called Kdbar, Isldmpur, Dongarpur, and Shirgarh. All these 

 are situated on old mounds which are nearly as lofty as the fort mound 

 itself. The place is usually called Kdbar by the Hindus, and Shirgarh 

 by the Musalmans. It is said to have been taken from the Hindu 

 Rajas 550 years ago, or in A. D. 1313, during the reign of Ala-ud-din 

 Khilji. Falling again into the hands of the Hindus after the death 

 of Firuz Tughlak, it was again captured by Shir Shah, who built the 

 fort of Shirgarh to the south of the old fort, for the purpose of keeping 

 the townspeople in check. To the south of Shirgarh there is a fine 

 tank, called Khawds-Tdl, which no doubt belongs to the same period, 

 as Khawas Khan was the name of Shir Shah's most trusted General. 

 That portion of the town, called Islampur, is said to have been built by 

 Islam Shah, the son of Shir Shah, but it was more probably only 

 re-named by Khawas Khan in honour of his master's son, during the 

 lifetime of Shir Shah himself. On the north side there is a shallow 

 sheet of water called the Ram Sagar, and on the north-west there is 

 an old tank called Rani Tal, which is attributed to Ketaki Rani, the 

 queen of Raja Ben, the founder of the dynasty of Bachhal Rajputs. 

 The extreme length of the whole mass of ruins from east to west is 

 3,500 feet, and the breadth 2,500 feet, the complete circuit being 9,800 



