Meport of the Archaeological Survey. 



lxiii 



Aibeg in about A. D. 1200, and completed by Altamish in about 

 1220. 



118. The other view which attributes the foundation of the pillar 

 to Altamish is based chiefly, I believe, on the statements of Abulfeda 

 and Shams-i-Sirdj, which are supported by the inscription of Sikan- 

 dar Lodi over the entrance door of the pillar. Syad Ahmad refers to 

 the inscription over the doorway of the second story, which records 

 that Altamish ordered the completion of the Minar, as a proof that 

 he did not commence it. But another inscription over the doorway 

 of the fourth story seems to be equally explicit in assigning the 

 leginning of the Minar to Altamish. Both Syad Ahmad and Nawab 

 Zia-uddin give the same translation of this inscription, namely, that 

 " the erection of this building was ordered during the reign of Shams-, 

 uddin Altamish." It is possible, however, that the order recorded in 

 this inscription may refer to the fourth story only, and as this limited 

 view of its meaning will bring the two otherwise conflicting inscrip- 

 tions into strict accord with each other, I think that it may be accept- 

 ed as the most probable intention of the inscribes The statements 

 of Abulfeda, Shams-i-Siraj, and Sikandar Lodi, all of which agree in 

 calling this pillar the Minar of Altamish, may, perhaps, be explained 

 as conveying only the popular opinion, and are certainly not entitled 

 to the same weight as the two inscriptions on the basement story 

 which record the name and titles of Muhammad Bin Sam, the 

 Suzerain of Kutb-uddin Aibeg, whose name is now attached to the 

 pillar. The absence of Altamish's name in the inscription of the 

 lower story is, I think, a conclusive proof that he himself did not 

 claim it as his own work. 



119. According to Syad Ahmad, the Emperor Altamish erected 

 ^Ye stories in addition to the basement story, and another story was 

 afterwards added by Firuz Shah; thus making, altogether, seven 

 stories, of which he says that " two have fallen down and five remain 

 to this day." But both of these statements I believe to be erroneous 

 for the mention of 360 steps by Abulfeda in about A.. I). 1300, makes 

 it certain that the Minar, as completed by Altamish, could not have 

 been higher than the present one, which has 379 steps. The five 

 stories of Altamish must therefore have included the basement story 

 which, although begun by Aibeg, was most probably completed by' 

 himself. In this state the Minar must have remained until the reign 



