Ixii 



JReport of the Archaeological Survey, 



south jamb of the doorway of the fourth story, cut partly on the 

 white marble and partly on the red sand-stone. This also gives the 

 name of Firuz Shah, but the date is one year later than the last, or 

 Samvat 1426. This is the longest and most important of the Nagari 

 inscriptions, but unfortunately it is not in such a state of preservation, 

 ■ — more especially the upper portion on the white marble, — as to be 

 easily legible. I can make out the words Sri ViswaJcarma prasdde 

 rachita, and towards the end I find the title of Silpi, or " Architect," 

 applied to the son of Chdhada Deva Pala, named Nana Salha, who 

 repaired the Minar. But in the middle of the inscription I find no 

 less than five numbers given in figures, all of which are preceded by 

 the word gaj, as gaj 22, gaj 3, gaj 26, gaj 131, and gaj 134. I infer 

 from these measurements that the inscription may probably be of 

 some importance in determining the nature and extent of the repairs 

 that were executed by Firuz Shah. As I read one passage of this 

 inscription, the Architect was obliged to pull down (nvpatit) a con- 

 siderable portion of the pillar. 



117. It now only remains to ascertain who was the actual builder 

 of the Kutb Minar. The learned Syad Ahmad assigns the original 

 building of the basement story to Eai Pithora, and its adaptation by 

 the Musalmans to Kutb-uddin Aibeg. The name and titles of this 

 King were, he thinks, engraved in the lowermost band of inscriptions, 

 as the legible words of this band correspond with portion of Aibeg's 

 inscription over the inner arch of the eastern gateway of the Great 

 Mosque. The completion of the Minar he assigns to Altamish. The 

 claim of the Hindus has already been fully discussed and disposed of as 

 altogether baseless. That of Kutb-uddin Aibeg is founded chiefly on 

 the fact that the pillar is called by his name, and partly on the fact that 

 the name of Muhammad Bin Sam is twice recorded on the lower 

 story of the column. The occurrence of this name makes it highly 

 probable that the name of Kutb-uddin Aibeg was also engraved on 

 this story, as argued by Syad Ahmad. With these two names en- 

 graved on the basement story it seems only natural to conclu.de that 

 the building of the pillar was begun by Aibeg during the life-time of 

 his Suzerain, Muhammad Bin Sam, and in full accordance with this 

 conclusion is the statement recorded over the doorway of the second 

 story, that the completion of the pillar was ordered by Altamish. 

 Under this view ; the building of the Minar may have been begun by 



