Report of the ArcTicdological Survey. lv 



103. The strong evidence which I have brought forward in reply- 

 to the arguments of Syad Ahmad and others, appears to me to be 

 quite conclusive as to the origin of the Kutb Minar, which is essentia 

 ally a Muhammadan building. But the strongest evidence in favour 

 of this conclusion is the fact that the Musalmans] of Ghazni had 

 already built two separate Minars of similar design, whereas the only 

 Hindu pillar of an early date, namely, the smaller column at 

 Chitor, is altogether dissimilar, both in plan and in detail. The 

 entrance to this Hindu tower is at some height above the ground, 

 while that of the Kutb Minar is absolutely on the ground level. The 

 summit of the Hindu tower is crowned by an open pillared temple of 

 almost the same width as the base of the building, whereas the cupola 

 of the Kutb Minar is little more than one-sixth of the diameter of its 

 base. But this small cupola of less than 9 feet in diameter was pecu- 

 liarly adapted for one special purpose connected with the performance 

 of the Muhammadan religion. From this narrow point the Muazzin 

 could summon the faithful to prayer from all sides by simply turning 

 round and repeating the Izan, and on all sides he would be visible to 

 the people. The small size of the cupola which crowns the Kutb 

 Minar, is a characteristic peculiar to Muhammadan towers for the 

 special reason which I have just mentioned. On this account, there- 

 fore, I conclude that the Kutb Minar is a Mazinah or Muazzin's 

 tower. 



104. That the Kutb Minar was actually used as a Mazinah, we 

 may infer from the records of Shamsi Siraj, who, about A. D. 1380, 

 records that the magnificent Minar in the Jama Masjid of old Delhi 

 was built by Sultan Sbams-uddin Altamish. But the fact is placed 

 beyond all doubt by Abulieda, who wrote about A. D. 1300. He 

 describes the Mazinah of the Jama M&sjid at Delhi as made of red 

 stone and very lofty, with many sides and 360 steps. 



Now this description can be applied only to the Kutb Minar, which, 

 as it at present stands, has actually 379 steps ; but we know that the 

 Minar was struck by lightning in the reign of Firuz Shah, by whose 

 orders it was repaired in A. D. 1368. There is therefore nothing 

 improbable in the account of Abulfeda that the Minar in his time had 

 only 360 steps. On the contrary, I accept the statement as a valuable 

 hint towards ascertaining the height of the original Minar as com- 

 pleted by the Emperor Altamish. 





