484 AN ACCOUNT OF THE. INSCRIPTIONS. 
inthe Hijri year 707, A. D. 1307; and the-same with: every, other I have. 
- seen. It is also plain, that it was never finished, for the plan will shew 
that a portion of the old Hindu arcade passes through the line of arches,, 
and into what would-have been the interior of the mosque. Some of the 
Hindu pillars are even built into the western side of the-centre piers... 
Tue plan will shew, that the Cootuh Minar is distant about: 160) feet, 
from the centre of, the southernmost large arch, to which it is directly op-. 
posite. This position alone is quite sufficient to prove that it never was in-. 
tended to be a part of the mosque, for Minars, are almostalways placed at. 
-some angle, and are in general joined to the mosque;.and if we. choose to, 
suppose that the range of arches is the western insteadof 
the eastern fourth, and that it was intended the latter | 
should be a tangent to the Minar, that buildmng will _ | 
compleatly block up one of the principal entrances in ~™, 
this manner, instead of being as usual at the entrance : of the 
front. I do not recollect a single instance of a Minar attached to a, ; 
mosque, being insctiied: with. dates as this. is, more particularly called 
C yies, as ifit was an independent. building. It is also worthy of remark,. 
that in general the stairs of Minars commence from the roof of the ieee 
aud not from the ground, as those of the Cootub. 
T BELIEVE it was by no. means uncommon for the; first Mohdinpcsion 
emper ors to erect Minars of more than ordinary magnitude on the sites of 
Hindu temples. There is part of one at Coel, about 20 feet in diameter 
and 35 high: it has evidently always been an independent building, and as. 
