Report of the Archaeological Survey. xxxiii 



later inscriptions in modern Nagari, both of which bear the same date 

 of Wednesday, 13th, waning moon of Chaitra in Samvat 1581, or A. D. 

 1524. The longer inscription contains the name of Suritdn Ibardhim, 

 or Sultan Ibrahim Lodi, who reigned from A. D. 1517 to 1525. 



61. The second of Asoka's Delhi Pillars is now lying in five pieces 

 near Hindu Bao's house, on the top of the Hill to the north-west of 

 Shahjahanabad. The whole length of these pieces was 32f feet, but 

 the upper end of the middle piece, which was inscribed with Asoka's 

 edicts, was sawn off some years ago, and sent to Calcutta, where it 

 may now be seen in the Asiatic Society's Museum. The portion of 

 the shaft that was below the inscription still measures 18 feet, and 

 that which was above it, 12 feet. As the end of the shaft is still 

 rough, it seems probable that the polished portion could not have been 

 more than 32 feet in height, which is somewhat less than that of the 

 other known pillars of Asoka. Indeed, this pillar is described by 

 Shams-i-Siraj as being smaller than, the other, a description which can 

 apply only to its height, as its diameter is somewhat greater. From 

 its broken state it is not easy to obtain correct measurements of its 

 thickness. At the point where the inscribed piece was sawn off, the 

 diameter is 33.44 inches ; and my measurements make the upper 

 diameter 29-|- inches, and the lower diameter of the smoothed portion 

 35.82 inches. The rough thick end is about 38 inches in diameter. 

 These measurements make the diminution of the pillar just one-fifth of 

 an inch per foot. 



62. According to Shams-i-Siraj this column was brought from 

 Mirat by Firuz Shah, and erected near its present position in the Koshah 

 Shikar, or " hunting palace." The position of the palace has already 

 been determined by the researches of Messrs. Cope and Lewis ** but 

 the following statements of William Finch will place this identification 

 of site beyond all dispute. In A. D. 1611 he describes the city (that 

 is, of Shir Shah,) as being two koss, or 2| miles, in length from gate 

 to gate, and about two koss from thence he places " the ruins of a 

 hunting seat or mole (Mahal) built by Sultan Bemsa, a great Indian 

 Sovereign."! This description agrees exactly with the position of the 

 broken pillar, which is about 2| miles to the north-west of the 

 Lai Darwdza, or north gate of the old city of . Shir Shah, which is 



* Journal of Archaeological Society of Delhi. 

 f Kerr's Voyages and Travels, VIII, 292, 



