XXXVlU 



Report of the Archceological Survey. 



have belonged to the Iron Pillar is rendered certain by his referring 

 it to the period of "the conquest of the country by the Musalmans," 

 About the same time also a similar story was heard by Major Archer,* 

 who records that " as long as the pillar stood, so long would 

 Hindustan flourish." At a later date, a similar story was repeated to 

 Mrs. Colin Mackenzie,! who says that the Iron Pillar bears a Sanskrit 

 inscription, " the purport of which is, that as long as this pillar 

 stands, the Rdj or kingdom has not finally departed from the 

 Hindus." Lastly, Syad Ahmad relates that the pillar was driven into 

 the head of Vdsuki, king of the snakes, to make his empire lasting. 



71. If I am right in ascribing the origin of this tradition to a late 

 period in the history of the Tomars, when the long duration of their 

 rule had induced people to compare its stability with that of the Iron 

 Pillar, I think that the saying may be referred with considerable 

 probability to the prosperous reign of Anang Pal 2nd, whose name is 

 inscribed on the shaft with the date of Samvat 1109 or A. D. 1052. 



72. The remaining inscriptions on the Iron Pillar are numerous, 

 but unimportant. There are two records of the Chohan Raja CJiatra 

 Sinha, both dated in S. 1883, or A. D. 1826. They state that the 

 Eaja was descended from Prithivi Raja in 29 generations, which is 

 quite possible, although the period allowed for each generation is under 

 23 years. The date of Prithivi Eaja is given as S. 1151, or A. D* 

 1094, which is just 99 years too early, an amount of error which agrees 

 with the false dates in the Prithi Rdj Chohan Rasa of the Bard 

 Chand. There is also another modern Nagari inscription of six lines, 

 dated in S. 1767, or A. D. 1710, of the Bundela Eajas of Ohdnderi. 

 Below this there are two Persian inscriptions, dated in A. H. 1060 and 

 1061, or A. D. 1651-52, which merely record the names of visitors. 



73. The only other remains of Hindu Delhi are the numerous pillars 

 which form the colonnades of the Court of the Great Masjid close to 

 the Kutb Minar. The Arabic inscription over the eastern entrance of 

 this Court-yard, states that the materials were obtained from the 

 demolition of 27 idolatrous temples, each of which had cost the sum 

 of 20 lakhs of Dilials. I agree with Mr. Thomas J that the Dilial 

 must have corresponded with the original billon currency of Prithivi 

 Eaja. Now the value of the Dilial was as nearly as possible the same 

 as that of the Jital or Chital of Ala uddin Khilji, 50 of which, as we 



* I. 121. f 2nd edition, p. 46. % Prinsep's Essays, I, 326. 



