Page:The Architecture of Ancient Delhi Especially the Buildings Around the Kutb Minar 1872 by Henry Hardy Cole.djvu/123

 The Kutb Minar. 81 Sultan Shams-ud-din Altamsh, and on one side the builder's name is inscribed, — Muhammad Amircho. Over the doorway to the west, on the gallery, are inscribed the praise of Shams-ud-din. Over the doorway in the fourth story there is an inscription recording that the Minar Fourth Story. was ordered to be erected during the reign of Altamsh. The doorway inscription in the fifth story is in Arabic letters and Persian dialect : — Fifth Story. " This minaret was damaged by a thunderbolt and repaired by Firuz Shah in a. h. 770 (a. d. 1368). " This inscription (the fifth story) has an important bearing upon the history of the minaret itself, though it merely tells us that Firuz repaired the damage caused by lightning ; but, taken in connection with the Sultan's own words in his Autobiography (see page 88) we gather a distinct affirmation that the minaret was commenced under the auspices of Moiz-ud-din Muhammad bin Sam, which fully bears out the suggestive reading of the name of Kutb-ud-din Sipah Salar, as still legible upon the bands of the lower story." l Many Muhammadan writers call the pillar the Minar of Altamsh, but it is obvious, as has already been pointed out, that it was commenced by Muhammad Ghori. The mention of one of the titles of Kutb-ud-din makes it highly probable that he was the officer directly concerned hi carrying out the wishes of his sovereign. And additional Builders of the Tower. probability is lent to this by the fact of the Minar being called the Kutb-minar. I myself believe that Kutb-ud-din commenced the work. It is known for certain that the Emperor Shams-ud-din Altamsh continued and completed it between a. d. 1229 and 1236. Firuz Shah had it repaired in a. d. 1368 ; and the Sultan Sikander Bhalol again repaired it in the year a. d. 1503. Finally, the British Government in 1826 had it thoroughly put in order by Major Robert Smith, of the Engineers, who put up the balustrades round each gallery, repaired the lower entrance, and constructed the cupola of the Minar now on an artificial mound between the Minar and the Dak Bungalow ; but all are quite unsuitable in style to the original ornament, and the cupola was removed by order of Government (under Lord Hardinge) from the top of the Minar in 1847 or 1848. Syud Ahmed maintains that originally there were seven compartments, and that the 1 Thomas, " Pathan Kings of Delhi," p. 284. M