Jxviii 



Mepori of the ArcJiceological Survey* 



partly from the strategical consideration that it must have been on 

 the north-east side facing towards the enemy, and covering the city* 

 On this side the suburbs of old Delhi extended for a considerable 

 distance. We know, also, that they were without walls, because the 

 Moguls plundered them during their stay, and because they were 

 afterwards enclosed by Muhammad Tughlak, when they received the 

 separate name of Jahan-panah. Immediately in front of these suburbs 

 and facing towards the enemy, is the old ruined fort of Shahpur, and 

 Inside the western half of this fort there still exist the remains of a 

 very extensive Palace. This Palace I believe to be the celebrated Kasr- 

 ffazar-Situn, or " Palace of the thousand pillars," which Ala-uddin 

 built on the spot where he had entrenched himself. This Palace 

 was also called JLazar Minar, or "the thousand minarets." 



126. There is yet one more evidence which I can bring forward in 

 favour of the identification of Siri with Shahpur. In the Ayin 

 Akbari it is related that Shir Shah destroyed the city built by 

 Ala-uddin, which was called Siri, and founded another. Again? 

 in the Araish-i-Mahfil it is recorded that Shir Shah pulled down the 

 Koshak Suhz, or the " Green Palace," and built a new city. Syad 

 Ahmad repeats the same story, adding that the materials of the old 

 fort and Palace of Siri were used in the construction of the new fort 

 of Shir- Shall- KoL Prom these accounts it is quite certain that Siri 

 cannot be identified with the citadel that surrounds the Kutb Minar 

 for the walls of Siri were pulled down, and the materials removed by 

 Shir Shah, while the walls of the Kutb Minar Citadel are still 

 standing. And further it seems almost certain that Shahpur must 

 be Siri, because of its vicinity to the new site of Shir Shah's fort, for 

 it is hardly possible to believe that the King would have brought his 

 building stones from the Kutb Minar, a distance of 7 miles, when he 

 could have obtained them from Shahpur, which is only half the dis- 

 tance. That he did obtain his materials from the latter place, and 

 not from the former, may be regarded as almost certain, for the very 

 sufficient reason that the walls of Shahpur have actually been removed^ 

 while those of the Kutb Citadel are still standing. 



127. The only evidence in favour of the identification of Siri with 

 the Kutb Citadel is the fact which Ferishta records, that the citadel 

 of old Delhi was re-built by Ala-uddin, and the existence near the 

 Kutb Minar of the remains of an old Palace, which still bears this 



