184/.] Account of the Town and Palace of Feerozabad. 973 



of the various capitals of the Indian empire, that have nourished, under 

 the several names imposed upon them by the caprice or vanity of their 

 founders, and a short review of these records may not be out of place in 

 this paper, introductory, as it is hoped it may prove, to further research- 

 es on this interesting subject. All allusion to traditional evidence is omit- 

 ted. We find it recorded that Kootub-ood-deen Eibuk the first perma- 

 nent Mahomedan conqueror, and his almost immediate successor, Shums- 

 ood-deen Altumsh or Altumish, both inhabited the fort which the first 

 of them wrested from Rajah Peethowra or Peerthee Raj (from 1191- 

 1236) ; we find that Gheias-ood-deen Bulbun (1266-1286) erected ano- 

 ther fort and built another town " in which were magnificent build- 

 ings ;" amongst them the celebrated " Ruby" or " Red Palace;" this 

 town will prove, in all probability, to have been the one so long 

 designated in after ages, and when new cities had sprung up, as " Old 

 Dehli," and the site of this place may perhaps be traced through the 

 existence at this day of the village of Gheiaspoor, near Hoomaioon's 

 tomb and the Deenpunnah fort. We find that Kaikobad, his grand- 

 son, (1286-88) fitted up a Palace at Kelokheree (Gunglookheree, 

 according to the Ayeen Akhberee) the site of which is clearly indicated 

 by a remark in that work to the effect that Hoomaioon's tomb was 

 within its limits, and this indication is confirmed by the existence of a 

 place of that name, a little beyond Gheiaspoor. The palace built by 

 Kaikobad was then so close to the river that his body was thrown out 

 of one of the windows into the stream.* We find that his successor, 

 Julal-ood-deen Feroz (1288-95), having no confidence in the loyalty of 

 the people of Dehli (the Delhi of Gheias-ood-deen Bulbun ?) continued 

 to reside at Kelokheree ; this he strengthened with fortifications, and 

 beautified with five gardens, and terraced walks by the side of the 

 river. It is said that the owners followed their king's example, and 

 built houses around his palace, so that Kelokheree became known as the 

 new city (of Delhi), and that Julal-ood-deen having been induced, by 

 the conduct of the neighbouring citizens his subjects, to place greater 

 confidence in them, went on an appointed day to " old Dehli," where he 



* The Jumna has taken a considerable turn eastward since then. There is pretty 

 conclusive evidence that, at onetime, the main stream flowed by Feerozabad, Deen- 

 punnah, Kelokheree and Mobarikabad, forming- doubtless, on account of the huge bund 

 inland or westward, a very fine and attractive sheet of water.— H. C. — H. L. 



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