Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/291

 CHAP. VI. MALWA MANDU. 347 except for their disposition and the prayer-niches that adorn the western wall, it might be taken for a Hindu building. In this instance, however, there seems no doubt that there is nothing in situ. The pillars have been brought from desecrated temples in the town, and arranged here by the Muhammadans as we now find them, probably before the transference of the capital to Mandu. The other mosque is similar to this one, and only slightly smaller. It has long, however, ceased to be used as a place of prayer, and is sadly out of repair. It is called the Lat Masjid, from an iron pillar which lay half-buried in front of its gateway. This is sometimes supposed to have been a jayastambha or pillar of victory, like that at the Qutb ; but this can hardly be the case. If it were intended for an ornamental purpose, it would have been either round or octagonal, and had some orna- mental form. As it is, it is broken into three pieces, the longest measuring 24 ft. 3 in., the end being about n in. square, but above 2 ft. from it, is about lof in. square ; the second section is ii ft. 7 in. long, about three-fourths of which is square and the remainder octagonal ; and the third piece is of 7 ft. 6 in. and octagonal with the exception of a circular collar at the end. 1 My impression is, that it was used for some useful constructive purpose, like those which supported the false roof in the Sun- temple at Kanarak (ante, page 107). There are some holes into it, which might tend to make this view of its origin probable. But, be this as it may, it is another curious proof of the employment of large masses of iron by the Hindus at a time when they were supposed to be incapable of any such mechanical exertion. Its date is probably that of the pillars of the mosques where it is found, and from their style they probably belong to the loth or 1 1 th century. The site on which the city of Mandu is placed is one of the noblest occupied by any capital in India. It is an extensive plateau, detached from the mainland of Malwa by a deep ravine about 300 to 400 yards across, where narrowest, and nowhere less than 200 ft. in depth. This is crossed by a noble causeway, defended by three gateways, and flanked by tombs on either hand. The plateau is surrounded by walls erected on the brink of the cliff it is said 28 miles in extent. This, however, conveys a very erroneous idea of the size of the place, unless qualified by the information that the walls follow the sinuosities of the ravines wherever they occur, and many of these cut into the hill a mile or two, and are only half a mile across. The plateau may be 1 H. Cousens in ' Archaeological Survey Annual Report, 1902-1903,' pp. 2056.