History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c35.s22.17

v3.c35.s22.17

From "the Seven Cities of Delhi" of Gordon and from ancient Mahomedan accounts and Indian records, as well as from a personal inspection of the locality, an idea may be formed and given of the old city of Delhi ruled by Prithvīrāja. Indraprastha appears, from Mahomedan records, to have existed separately in the time of Kutubuddin and at a distance from the Delhi of Prithvīrāja. This is probably the same place which is now known as Indrapat. To the south-west of it, at a distance of about two miles, Anangapāla Tomara built a fort called even then Lalkot, and founded a city which may be the same as the modern small town of Mehrauli. This Lalkot is the same place as where now stands Kutubuddin's mosque; the ancient iron pillar, believed to have been brought from Mathura and set up by Anangapāla, being in the centre of the court-yard of this mosque. At present the western wall of the Kutub mosque is not standing. In Anangapāla's fort, there must have been many Jain and Hindu temples. These were thrown down by Kutubuddin and their beautifully carved pillars were utilized by him for building the four sides of the court-yard of the mosque. That Kutubuddin preserved the carvings of these pillars and allowed the iron pillar to stand where it was set up, shows the greatness of that first Mahomedan Indian emperor. "How the iron pillar (dating probably from the 5th century A. C.) so long remains without rusting is a thing which manufacturers of the present day long to explain. It is a single shaft about 17 tons in weight. It was originally raised to Vishnu (by a king named Chandra as an inscription on it states) and probably had a Garuda upon it". "All honour is due to Kutubuddin for leaving it in front of the mosque (and taking it in the centre of its court-yard while the Moslem conquerors of Rhodes sold the Colossus there to a Jew for the brass," (Fergusson). "There are pillars of Jain temples of the same order as those on Mt. Abu"—(Fergusson) but "there are others of Hindu temples with carvings showing cow and calf and Krishna and his mother" (Fanshawe). There can be distinctly seen the head of Kirtimukha with rows of teeth clearly markable, who is a well-known servant of Śiva. The fort of Anangapāla was extensive enough apparently to contain many palaces and temples.