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THE 




NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 



BY CAPTAIN A. HARCOURT, 

i^ssisTANT comm:issio:n^er 

DELHI. 



[Copyiifl^ht Secured] 

(Registered under Act XXV of 1867.) 



THIRD EDITION. 



REVISED Al^D EXIjARaEIX 




PRINTED AT THE VICTORIA PRESS, BY AZIZUDDIS, 

1873, 



craN— .^^ 



«Ma 




J 




f •■ 




PREFACE. 



A PEW words may be said by way of preface. 1 
commenced this book, understanding that the other 
works on the subject were out of print, and, feeling 
at the same time that there was much to tell which 
had been left untold, I determined to devote any 
spare time I might have to the compilation of a 
New Guide to Delhi. It can possess but slight claims 
to literary merit, being, as it is, composed principally 
of extracts from the writings of able and scientific 
authors, as General Cunninghata, Archaeological 
Surveyor of India ; Mr. Cooper, o. b., Commissioner, 
Lahore, whose work on Delhi has just been re- 
printed ; Mr. Beresford, who wrote a guide to Delhi 
some ten years ago, &c., &c. Acknowledgment has 
always been made when anything from the above- 
written works has been inserted. 

It may be remarked that what I have entered in 
the historical portion sometimes appears again in 
the description of buildings elsewhere, but I have 
adopted this plan purposely, for there are those who 
may never care to look at the history, and yet would 
like to know the facts regarding the tomb or build- 
ing of which they are reading, so that if I have erred, 
it is for the convenience of the reader. 



a 



( iv ) 

Many wbo visit the wonderful remains of ancient 
grandeur scattered round the city of the Great Mo- 
gul, may be inclined to think, as others have already 
thought, that the traces we should leave in India, if 
we were to quit the country, would be as naught to 
these stately monuments of a more ancient regime. 
To all such cavillers, I would answer in the words of 
De Quincey : — " Another argument against England 
'* urged by the EngUsh people at this time was that 
*' she, in no eminent sense, has been a benefactor to 
India, or expressing it in words of later date, the 
only memorials of our rule, supposing us suddenly 
ejected from India, would be vast heaps of cham- 
pagne bottles. I, on the other hand, allege that 
** our benefits, like all true and lasting benefits (reli- 
*^ gious benefits for instance,) must not be sought in 
*^ external memorials of stone and masonry. Higher 
" by far than the Mogul gift of lime-stone or travel- 
" ling stations, or even roads and tanks, were the gift 
" of security, of peace, of law and settled order." 
What the great essayist states with regard to the 
benefits of the British rule may be verified by any 
one who chooses to impartially look around him. If 
a hundred years of law and order, of justice tp the 
oppressed, of freedom to the subject, and of liberty 
of action and of speech to the people that we go- 
vern, confers any right of reigning on the holders of 
power, then, true it is, we have that right. 



( V ) 

Visitors to Delhi may find it convenient to visit the 
different places of interest as below : — 

Ist day* — The Jumma Musjid. 

The Fort, including the Dewan A'am, the Dewan 
Khass, the King's Bath and Peral Mosque (Note. — 
Drive to the Dewan Khass, the guide there will show 
all that is to be seen— a trifle may be given to him, 
say 4 annas) ; the EiJan Musjid near the Turcoman 
Gate of the City, but this is only interesting to anti- 
quarians. 

Snd day. — Drive out by the Delhi Gate of the City, and 
en passant look at Feroz Shah's Lftt or Stone Pillar, 
and the views of the City of Firozabad, just outside 
the gate to the left of the road ; go on to Humayon's 
Tomb, and while there visit Nizam-oodeen's Tomb (a 
fee of 4 annas for each person is generally given), the 
Chousut Kumba, and the other ruined Mosques, &c., 
adjacent. On way back leave the carriage outside 
the Fort of Purana Keela, and walk (about half a 
mile) to Shir Shah's Mosque, which is well worth 
seeing. 

Srd day. — Drive towards the Kootub, passing the ruins of the 
Junter Munter or Observatory on the left, and Sufter 
Jung's Mausoleum on the right, both well worth 
seeing. The various Tombs and Galleries at the 
Kootub will employ the rest of the day. In the 
evening walk round the top of the wall of Lalkot Fort 
to the left of the Minar ; ladies could hardly manage 
this, as the pathway is composed, on the West and 
most interesting and best preserved side, of large 
loose stones : sleep at the Kootub Dslk Bungalow. 



( vi ) 

4ih day. — Go to Mausoleum of Sooltan Gari ; the chuprassie 
of the BungaloMT can give every information. In the 
evening drive to Toogluckabad, three miles from 
Kootub, visit the ruined city, and the Tomb of Toog- 
luck Shah, return to Kootub, and next morning come 
back to Delhi. 

These are merely rough hints for those who have not time 
to see much, but should the visitor to Delhi have leisure, he 
could spend seven or eight days in rambling over the various 
buildings and antiquities. 



CONTENTS. 

Prbfack iii 

Directions to Visitors . . . • . . . . v 

Account of the Changes of Capitals . • • • • • 1 

Siege of Delhi . • • • • • 9 

Delhi as it is ... •• •• ^^ 

Resum^ of Sovereigns of Delhi . . * . • • 22 

House of Toogluck . . . . • • 25 

Ditto Lodi 26 

Ditto Timour . • . . • • i^* 

Ditto Sur 28 

House of Timout restored (Akber) c . . . . • 32 

The Smperor Jehangire . • . . . . 37 

Ditto Shah Jehan . . . . . 40 

Ditto Aurungzib (or Alumgire) ' . . . . ^^ 

Invasion of the Persians under Nadir Shah • . . . 64 

Delhi taken by the British 74 

Palace of Delhi . . 75 

Dewan A am • • • • • • • • 76 

Dewan Khass • . • • • • • • '*'^' 

The Pearl Mosque and King's Baths 78 

Jumma Musjid • • • • • • 79 

Selimgurh .. •• •• ^^ 

Kalan Musjid •* •• •• •• ^^ 

Kirkhee •• •• •• •• ^^' 

Sut-pooUa Bund • ?2 

Begumpore Village •. .. •• •• ^3 

Buddee Munxil *^- 

Hous Khass • • • • • • • • ^^• 

Junter Hunter . . • • • • • • *^» 

Eoshun Chirag, Delhi •. .. .. •• *S 



( viii ) 



« « 



^ • 



• • 



City of Toogluckabad 
Huzar Seltoon 

Barber's House 

Toogluck Shah's Tomb 

Feroz Shah's Lat 

Remains of the City of Firoaabad 

Ditto Delhi Shir Shah 

The Jail 

Sufter Jung's Tomb 
Group of four Tombs facing Sufter Jung's Tomb 

The Tir Boorja 

Mobarikpore Kotla 

Purana Keela 

Keela Kona Mosque 

Sher Mundil 

Kala Mahul 

Lai Bungalow 

Arab-ke-Serai 

Neela Boorj. 

Mukburrah Khan Ehanna 

Emperor Humayon's Tomb 

Bara Pool 

Chousut Kumba 

Nizam-oodeen's Tomb 

The Poet Khusroo's Tomb , . 

Mirza Jehangire's Tomb 

Jehanara's Tomb 

Tomb of Mahomed Shah 

Well near Nizam-oodeen's Tomb 

Jumaat Khana Mosque 

Syud Abid's Tomb 

Musjid Eesa Khan 

Tagah Khan's Tomb 



« • 



■• • 



* • 



• • 



Page. 
85 

89 
■ife. 
ih. 
91 
93 
95 
9C 
ib. 

97 

99 

ih. 

ih. 
101 
102 
103 

ib. 

ib. 
10^ 

ib. 
105 
108 

ib. 
109 
110 

ib. 
Ill 

ib. 
112 

ib. 

iia 

ib. 
ib 



( ix ) 





Page 


Tomb In Garden of Humayon's Tomb 


... 113 


Doorga Yoosoof Kutal . . . . . .: 


ib. 


Sooltan Gari's Mausoleum 


ib. 


The Kootub Minar 


... 114 


BhoolJ-Khana, or Idol Temple 


... 119 


Musjid-i-Kootub-ool-IsIam .. •• 


.. 120 


Altomsh s Tomb ... • 


... 122 


Ala-oodeen*s Palace . . 


ib. 


Ditto Gateway 


.. 123 


Emam Zamin's Tomb .., .. .. 


.. 125 


Top of Kootub Minar 


... ib. 


Unfinished Minar . . 


ib. 


Adam Khan s Tomb 


... 126 


The Iron Pillar 


.. 127 


Fort of I^alkot 


... 129 


„ Rajah Pitthora . . 


.• 132 


Bose Beh's Tomb 


• . 133 


Joomalie Koomalie 


ib. 


Musjid of Jelal Khan 


... 134 


Metcalfe House %. .. .. • 


.. ib. 


Diving Wells . . . . 


ib. 


Ruins below Metcalfe House 


ib. 


Royal Tombs in Mebrowlie 


... 135 


Chronological Index to Buildings, &c. 


... 137 



» 



t» 



Sovereigns of Delhi 



.. 14X 



^ I 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI 



PART I. 

1, Delhi with an account of the Changes of Capitals 

from the vanous old Cities. 
S. The Siege of Delhi in 1867. 
3. Delhi as it is. 

1.— An Account of the Changes of Capitals from the 

various old cities. 

The ruins that surround Modern Delhi, or Shahjehanabad, 
" extend from the South end of the present city, to the 
'* deserted Forts of Rae Pitthora and Toogluckabad, a dis- 
" tance of ten miles ; the breadth at the Northern end, oppo- 
" site Firoz Shah's Kotla, is about three miles ; and at the 
" Southern end, from the Kootab Minar to Toogluckabad, is 
" rather more than six miles ; the whole area covered with 
" ruins being not less than forty-five square miles." — (Gene- 
ral Cunningham,) According to a popular and well known 
tradition, Dilli, or Dhili, was built by Rajah Dilu, or Dhilu : 
the date, however, is uncertain : it would probably be about 
57 B. G The city was not resided in by the sovereigns of 
the reigning dynasty for over 790 years, except at intervals ; 
but it seems to have been occupied by Rajah Dhava, who 
erected the iron pillar which stands in the square at th^ 
Kootub, about the year 319 A. D. The ancient city of Dilli 
may be considered to have occupied almost the same site as 
the Fort of Rae Pitthora. With the exception of the iron 



2 THE NEW GUIDE TO DEtHI. 

pillar there are no traces left of this old city. The pillars at 
the~Xootub are certainly Hindoo, but Qeneral Cunningham, 
the Archaeological Surveyor of India, considers there are 
none of these older than the 10th century A. D* 

Dilli was apparently re-built by Anang Pal I., the first 
sovereign of the Tomara dynasty, but is supposed not to 
have been the metropolis of the Kings of upper India, as 
the later Bajahs of the Tomara hmilj seem to have resided 
at Kanouj. The year 736 A. D. saw the commencement of 
the Tomara or Toar dynasty of Dilli, which terminated in, 
the 19th Sovereign (who is variously termed Akr Pal Akhsal 
Mokund Pala, or Ane Pala,) in the year 1130 A. D. From 
A. D. 1130 to A. D. 1151 there is a blank. Anang PallL, 
the successor of Eumara Pala, established himself in Dilli 
in A. D. 1052, and built the Fort of Lalkot, ( to the left of 
the Kootub Minar,) which was probably finished in A. D. 
1060. Anang Pal's name is mentioned in one of the inscrip* 
tions on the iron pillar. The Chohan dynasty commenced 
in A. D. 1152, and continued about forty years. 

The last Hindoo sovereign was Rajah Pitthora, or, as he 
is otherwise termed, the Prithvi Rajah. General Cunning- 
ham reports :— " The only work which is attributed to Rajah 
*' Pitthora, is the extensive fort to the North and East of 
" Anang Pal's Lalkot, which is still called Killah Rae Pit- 
** thora. From the North-west angle of Lalkot the lines of 
•' Rae Pitthora s walls can still be distinctly traced running 
" towards the North for about half a mile. From this point 
" they turn to the South of East for one and a half miles, 
" then to the South for one mile, and lastly, to the We^t 
" and North-west for three-quarters of a mile, where they 
** join the South-west angle of Lalkot, which, being situated 
^ on higher ground, forms a lofty citadel that completely com- 
" mands the Fort of Rae Pitthora, The entire circuit of tho 



THE NEW QXflDE TO DELHI. 3 

" walls of the two forts, is four miles and three furlon<ys. 
** or rather more than half the size of the modem city of 
« Shahjehanabad." 

We thus find that Rajah Dhava was in possession of the 
site of Rae Pitthora's Fort ( that is, the ground around the 
Kootub) in probably 57 B. C. Passing through various 
hands, Dilli was re-built by Rajah Anang Pal I., but Anang 
Pal IL seems to have been the only sovereign of that period 
lyho resided in it The Lalkot was finished by Anang Pal IL 
in A. D. 1060, and no further additions took place till the 
reign of the last Hindoo sovereign, who, to protect the town 
under the Fort of Lalkot, built Killah Rae Pitthora, the 
walls of which are here and there still visible. In A. D. 
1193 Shahab-oodeen Altomsh defeated Rajah Pitthora and 
took his stronghold. The Mahomedan conquerors probably 
continued in Killah Rae Pitthora and the Lalkot adjoining^ 
adding to the works where necessary. 

Sultan Ala-oodeen founded the city of Siri to the North- 
east of the Kootub, as it were an off-shoot of the old Dilli. 
In this reign the Moguls under Turghai Khan invaded India 
in A. D. 1303, and advanced on Ala-oodeen. The latter 
intrenched himself apparently at Siri (now Shahpore,) and on 
the sudden retreat of the Moguls, caused a palace to be built 
on the spot where his camp had been. "JOn this side," says 
General Cunningham, " the suburbs of the old Dilli extended 
*' for a considerable distance. We know also that they were 
" without walls, because the Moguls plundered them during 
" their stay, and because they were afterwards enclosed by 
" Mahomed Toogluck, when they received the separate name 
" of Jehan Punnah. Immediately in front of these suburbs 
*' and facing towards the enemy, is the old ruined Fort of 
" Shahpore, and inside the West half of this fort there still 
" exist thi3 remains of a very extensive palace. This palace 
** I believe to be the celebrated Kasr-Hazar Situn, or Palace 



4 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

" of the thousand Pillars, which Ala-oodeen built on the 
" spot where he had intrenched himself. This palace was 
" called Hazar Minar, or Thousand Minarets." — " Siri," 
adds General Cunningham, " cannot be identified with the 
" citadel that surrounds the Kootub Minar, for the walls of 
" Siri were pulled down and the material removed by Shir 
"Shah ( between A. D. lo^O and 1545 ), while the walls 
" of the Kootub Minar citadel are still standing. And, fur- 
" ther, it seems almost certain that Shahpore must be Siri, 
" because of its vicinity to the new site of Shir Shah's 
" fort, for it is hardly possible to believe that the King 
" would have brou^jht his buildinoj stones from the Kootub 
" Minar, a distance of seven miles, when he could have 
" obtained them from Shahpore, which is only half the dis- 
" tance. That he did obtain his materials from the latter 
" place, and not from the former, may be regarded as almost 
" certain,, for the very sufficient reason that the walls of 
" Shahpore have actually been removed, while those of the 
" Kootub ditadel are still standing." — " The next city built 
" was Toogluckabad, a half hexagon in shape, with three 
" faces of rather more than three-quarters of a mile in length 
" each, and a base of one mile and a half, the whole circuit 
*' being only one furlong less than four miles." It was 
commenced in A. D. 1321, and finished in A. D. 1325, during 
the reign of Toogluck Shah. " His son, Mahomed Toogluck 
" Shah, fortified the extensive suburbs of Old Delhi, lying 
" between the Hindoo fort of Rae Pitthora and the Mus- 
" sulman citadel of Siri. These suburbs had been plundered 
" in the early part of the siege of Ala-oodeen, and their 
" unprotected state fully justified the vast outlay which the 
" King must have incurred upon their defence. The North- 
" west wall is one mile and three-quarters in length, and 
" the South wall is two miles, the whole length of the walls 
" being just five miles, or somewhat more than the circuit 



THE NEW GDIDE TO DELHI, 5 

*' of the Fort of Rae Fitthora. A considerable portion of 
" the South wall still exists, but the East and North-west 
" walls have been pulled down, and are now only traceable 
" by their ruins. Sharif-oodeen states that Jehan Punnah 
" had thirteen gates, six being to the North-west and seven 
*' to the South-west." — ( General Cunningham,) 

The city of Adilahbad, opposite Toogluckabad, was also 
commenced by Mahomed Toogluck, but very few traces of it 
are now to be seen. 

The seven forts of Old Delhi are given as below by General 
Cunningham:— 

1. Lalkot, built by Anang Pal II. about A. D. 1032. 

2. Killah Rae Pitthora, built by Rae Pitthora „ 1180. 

3. Siri, or Eillah Alai, built by Ala-oodeen „ 1304. 

4. Toogluckabad, built by Toogluck Shah „ 1321. 

5. Citadel of ditto, built by Toogluck Shah „ 1321. 

6. Adilahbad, built by Mahomed Toogluck „ 1325. 

7. Jehan Punnah, built by Mahomed Toogluck „ 1325. 
The next city of importance was Firozabad, commenced 

by Firoz Toogluck Shah in A. D. 1354. " It extended from 
*' the Fort of Indrapiit to the Kooshak Shikar, or Hunting 
" Palace, a length of five coss. The Kooshak Shikar seems 
" to have been on the low range of hills to the North-west 
" of the Modem Delhi. But the exact position is absolutely 
" determined by the mention, that the second stcme pillar 
" from Meerut was errected within the precincts of the palace, 
" as the stone pillar is now lying in five pieces on the top 
" of the hill close to Hindoo Rao's house."* — (General 
Cunningham.) 

The whole distance from Indraput to the top of the ridge 
by Hindoo Rao's house, is said to have been filled up with 
mosques, houses, gardens, &c., but as this includes the whole 

* The pieces have been put together, and set up. The inscription on 
the pedestal records the date of its original erection. 



6 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

of Modern Delhi, it is probable that all this space was not 
occupied. " It is certain, however, that some considerable 
" portion of the site of Shahjehanabad ( or Delhi ) was well 
" populated, as the Kala Musjid, which was built in Firoz 
" Shah's reign, ( and which was inside Firozabad,) is situ- 
" ated at some distance within the Turkoman Gate of the 
" present city." — ( General Cunningham,) 
Gheias-oodeen Bulbun, between A. D. 1266 and A. D. 

1286, appears to have largely built, and the celebrated Ruby 
Palace is alleged to have been constructed by him. Keikobad 
who succeeded, and who only reigned two years, resided in 
the city, which was on the site of the present village of Kelo- 
keree ; but it is a matter of doubt as to whether the cities 
resided in by these two sovereigns were other than off-shoots 
of the imperial city. General Cunningham, the greatest 
authority on these matters in India, says nothing in his 
writings of any cities founded in their reigns. 

Firozabad began to decline about A. D. 1416, some sixty 
years after it was founded. 

Mobarikabad was built in A. D. 1435, in the rule of Seiad 
Mahomed. 

Sekundur Lodi, who reigned from A. D. 1488 to A. D. 
1516, seems to have lived entirely at Agra, but in the reign of 
Shir Shah, the city bearing his name was enclosed and fortified. 
Delhi 3hir Shah extended from where Humayon's Tomb now 
is, to the stone pillar of Firoz Shah, ( just outside the Delhi 
Gate of the present city,) and the South Gate of his city was 
between, the Mausoleum of Humayon and the eleven^rarched 
bridge beyond it. The circumference of Delhi Shir Shah 
was about twice as great as that of Modern Delhi. Shir 
Shah Only reigned from A, D. 1540 to A, D. 1545, and it is 
supposed the walls were completed before his death. Selim 
Shah, his successor, built the Fort of Selim Ghur, which is 
juBt without the Calcutta Gate of the Delhi of our day. 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 7 

The Emperor Humayon, in A. D. 1533, repaired or built 
the Fort of Indraput or Deen Punnah : according to General 
Cunningham, he built it, — as there is not a trace of the old 
tombs to be seen on the spot, — and made this his principal 
residence. His son, the great Akber, resided principally in 
Agra, as apparently did Jehangire, who succeeded him. 

The present Delhi, or properly speaking Shahjehanabad, 
was built by Shah Jehan, who commenced it in A. D. 1648, 
and beyond a few alterations and repairs to the battlements 
and glacis, the city is much the same now, externally, as it 
was in the days of the Great Mogul. 

It may not be out of place here to take a rapid glance at 
some of the vicissitudes of this famous capital of the Maho- 
medan sovereigns of India. 

Timour or Tamerlane, in A. D. 1898, defeated Mahomed 
Toogluck, and for five days the city was given up to plunder 
and the inhabitants to slaughter. The city referred to was 
the Firozabad of Firoz Shah, commenced in A. D. 1354. 

The present city, built by Shah Jehan, was entered by the 
Persian conqueror Nadir Shah in A. D. 1739, when the 
Emperor Mahomed Shah, after having been defeated, was led 
back by the conqueror to his capital. A report arose that 
Nadir Shah had been killed, and the people rose on the Per- 
sian guard. The Indian nobles gave over to be murdered 
the Persian soldiers placed over their houses, to prevent any 
exaction from the troops of the invading army, but notwith- 
standing these outrages. Nadir Shah endeavored to still the 
tumult. At last he was wounded, and one of his chiefs was 
slain by his side, upon which he gave the order for a general 
massacre, he sitting at the Dureeba Gate, inside the city, to 
see how his orders were carried out, and from morning till 
night the wholesale slaughter continued. The Emperor, it 
is said, with tep^rs in his eyes, entreated Nadir Shah to give 



8 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

orders for the cessation of the massacre, and that order being 
given, — such being the discipline of the Persian army,— was 
immediately obeyed. It was on this occasion that all the 
wealth accumulated by the great Mogul Emperors, Akber, 
Jehangire, Shah Jehan, and Aurungzib, was lost to Hindoos- 
tan. The Peacock Throne of Shah Jehan, worth six millions 
of pounds, together with jewels of countless price, and gold 
and silver of an almost incalculable value, were carried off ; 
the extortions of the Persians were carried out on high and 
low, and torture was not spared to induce the suflferers to 
reveal where their wealth lay. The empire never recovered 
from this disastrous invasion. 

In A. D. 1756 Ahmed Shah Dourani defeated- the Emperor 
Alumgire II., and again the dreadful scenes of the Persian in- 
vasion were re-enacted, the city being given over to the troops. 

In A. D. 1758, Ragoba ( the Mahratta,) the Peishwa s 
brother, besieged Delhi, which fell after one month's siege. 
In A. D. 1759, the Mahrattas, under Sedasheo Bhao, took 
Delhi after a short defence, and on this occasion the palaces, 
tombs, and shrines were defaced ; all that had been left by 
former conquerors was carried ofiF ; and the silver ceiling of 
the Hall of Audience, spared till then, was melted down and 
coined into £170,000. 

In A. I). 1803, the English army defeated M. Louis Bour- 
quien and occupied the city, and in A. D. 1804, Holkar 
attacked the place ; but the Resident, Colone^ Ochterlony, 
held him at bay till the English reinforcements came up, when 
he raised the siege and retired again to his own province. 

The final siege of Delhi may be said to have concluded on 
the 19th of September 1857, when the city was cleared of 
the mutinous soldiery of the Bengal Army, by a series of 
brilliant and dashing attacks on the part of the British. Of 
that siege and attack a short account will now be given. 




D . 



a 



d- 



Stootui- 



Cashmere ^ot4e* 



ra* 



d^izee Jlundee^ ^ouhorei 




!</untur Jtunty, 






/ I 
\ 






^-^ of S^vegluohilad. 




/>S Muddurpoor. 



SKETCH MAP 

OF 

DELHI 

AND THE PURGES OF INTBRBST W THE KEIGHBOUR^OOD 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 9 

n.— A short account of the siege of Delhi 

Of the Mutiny of the Native Troops of the Bengal Army, 
it is not necessary here to enlarge ; suffice it to say that, on 
the 11th of May 1857, the mutinous regiments from Meerut 
swarmed into the city of Delhi, their comrades in Delhi Can- 
tonments at once joining them. The European residents, 
who could escape, fled to different places of safety, but a 
great number were ruthlessly massacred. The puppet sove- 
reign of Delhi at that period was Bahadur Shah ; he was sup- 
ported by the British Government in his visionary kingdom, 
though, except within the walls of his palace, he was an Em- 
peror but in name. Whether he, or those who acted in his 
name, were the leading movers in the Rebellion, can matter 
little ; he identified himself with the cause of the rebellious 
soldiery, and, at any rate, tacitly consented to the deeds of 
horror that were enacted under his palace windows. 

The British Forces, under the command of General Anson, 
the Commander-in-Chief, after collecting a siege train, 
moved towards Delhi. General Anson dying, was succeeded 
by General Bernard, who again on his death, was succeeded 
by Brigadier-General Archidale Wilson, who commanded the 
besieging army till after the city was captured. To call the 
force outside the walls a besieging one, is a misuomer ; at 
the time of the actual attack, it was not 7,000 strongs 
whereas the native soldiery within Delhi numbered over 
60,000 men. 

It is not necessary here to follow the diflferent operation^ 
of the contending forces. For the general reader, it will 
suffice if the final position of the British Army and the 
arrangements for the attack are detailed. 

A heavy Battery, termed No. 2 Battery, was placed in front 
of Ludlow castle ( the Commissioner's residence outside the 
Cashmere Gate.) It consisted of two 18-pounders and nine 
24j-pounders and seven 8-inch howitzers. The Cashmere 

h 



10 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

Bastion was the object of their fire, and the dreadful state of 
ruin which it now (eight years after the siege) lies in, attests 
the accuracy of the fire of the British guns. The main breach 
was made at the Cashmere Gate. 

On the top of the ridge stands Hindoo Rao's house, which 
was the main picket of the — if it must be so called — besieg- 
ing force, and close by is a much injured domed building, 
which was also used as picket.* 

On the extreme right of the ridge, which is considerably 
higher than the city, some 1,200 yards from the walls, is the 
site of what was once the Right Battery under command of 
Captain Fagan. The well known Sammy House, a small 
temple below this, was the chosen battle-ground on several 
occasions, where there was a picket of the besiegers ; and so 
closely was the attacking force sometimes pressed, that this 
advanced picket often could not be relieved for days. 

The Subzee Mundee and Roshunara Gardens were on the 
right flank of the British, on the left lay the Jumna and 
broken ground, while the rear was protected by the force of 
the Rajah of Puttiala, who, in those trying times, came 
gallantly to the assistance of the English Government. 

A Battery of si^ 4-pounders and two 24-pounders under 
Remington, had been placed under Hindoo Rao's house, so 
IU3 to play on the Moree Bastion ; and another Battery, within 
700 yards of the walls, was planted in advance of this — six 
guns directed against the Moree Bastion, and four against 
the Cashmere Bastion. The Batteries in this position were 
under command of Major Brind. It was after this that 
liudlow Castle fell into the bands of the British. 

In the Koodsiah Bagh a Mortar Battery of ten pieces was 
planted under Major Tqmbs : f another Battery was also 

* It may l^e here mentioned that the Flag-staff Tower on the ridge waa 
vhere the European residents, on the 11th of May 1857, took refuge oef ore 
0^^ing from the plape. 

i Major rGeneral Tombs, CQjnmfmding Meean Meer PiyiMou. 



u 



<( 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 11 

establislied at the Custom House under Major Scott. " Brind's 
Battery to the right had been at work ever since the morn- 
ing of the 8th of September, pounding away on the Moree 
" Bastion, and dropping long shots into the Cashmere gate- 
*' way ; two days after the Ludlow Castle Batteries opened ; 
" the next morning the Koodsiah Bagh Battery was un- 
" masked, and with that of the Custom House took up the 
" game, and now some fifty pieces of artillery were in full 
" play on the doomed city. Day and night the pounding 
" went on. The Moree Bastion was soon silenced, and the 
^* line of parapet which sheltered the sharp-shooters between 
" it and the Cashmere Bastion, was fast disappearing. The 
" Cashmere Bastion itself was silenced in ten minutes after 
*' the Ludlow Batteries had opened on it, and the massy stone- 
'* work, only a few months before restored and strengthened 
'' by the English Government for the protection or beautifica- 
*' tion of the City of the Mogul, soon began to crumble away 
" under the play of English 24-pounders. The Water Bas- 
'^ tion fared almost worse ; the fire from the heavy guns at 
'* the Custom House at 160 yards' range, played with fearful 
" effect ; the guns were dismounted and smashed, and the 
" breach opened, while, under the play of Tombs's mortars, 
*' the curtain between was literally stripped." — ( Cooper.) 

The Koodsiah Bagh Battery, though enfiladed from Kis- 
sengunge, opened as above stated with terrible effect on the 
Water Qastion, and that part of the wall exactly facing the 
Koodsiah Garden even yet gives evidence bow dreadfully 
severe the cannonading must have been. The losses of the 
British from the enfilading fire of the enemy, were fearful ; 
but the assault was no longer to be delayed, and on the 
night of the 18th of September came the order for the attack 
on the ensuing? day. 



12 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

The attacking force was divided into four columns, with a 
reserve. " The first to storm the breach at the Cashmere 
Bastion, the second that in the Water Bastion, the third 
to blow open the Cashmere Gate, and the fourth on the 
extreme right, to clear Kissengunge and enter by the 
Lahore Gate, while the reserve was to follow up in the 
wake of the first three columns and throw in supports 
where necessary." — (Cooper.) 

Ist Column under General Nicholson, 

300 men of H. M/s 75th Regiment"^ j. . j 

under Lieut-Colonel Herbert. | *^ ,,®' , 

250 men of 1st E. B. Fusiliers under I " Meaiey, and 
^To^.rToo^l. r >r Bingham 



« 



it 



<( 



(( 



<f 



u 



Major Jacob. 
450 men of 2nd Punjab Infantry under 
Major Green. 



J 



of the Engineers, 
attached. 



as Engineers. 



2nd Column under Colonel Jones, H. M's 61st 

250 men of H. M/s 8th Regiment"^ 

under Lieut-Colonel Greathed. j Lieut. Greathed, 

250 men of the 2nd European Bengali „ Hovenden,& 

Fusiliers under Captain Boyd. [ „ Pemberton, 

350 men of 4th Sikh Infantry under 

Captain Rothney. 

3rd Column under Colonel Campbell, H. M*s o^nd L. I. 

250 men of H. M.'s 52nd L. I. under'^ 

Major Vigors. | Lieut. Home, 

500 men of 1st Punjab Infantry under { „ Salkeld, and 
Lieutenant Nicholson. J „ Tendy, 

250 men of Kumaon Battalion under ] of the Engineers. 
Captain Ramsay. J 

4th Column under Major Reid, 

50 men of the 60th Rifles. 
160 ditto 1st E. B. Fusiliers. 
200 ditto Sirmoor Battalion. 
200 ditto The Guides. 

80 ditto 61st Regiment. 

65 ditto Kumaon Battalion. 

25 Coke's Rifles with the Cashmere 
Contino^ent 



•o^"*" y 



Lt. Maunsell and 

„ Tenant, 
of the En<jineers, 



THE NEW GUIDE TO i)ELHI. 13 

Reserve Column under Brigadier Lonfffield. 

250 men of H. M/s 61st under Lieut.-"^ 

Colonel Deacon, I 

200 men of Belooch Battalion under t • x tit j j 

Lieut-Colonel Farquhar. L^^^^*^ J[^'? ^^^ 

550 men of 4th Punjab Infantry under ^ " Jhackeray, 

Captain Wilde. 
200 men of Jheend Force under Colonel 

Dunsford. 



of the Engineers. 



In advance of all, under cover of the trees that lined the 
road, and concealed in the brush- wood which stretched up 
within musket-shot of the walls, the " gallant 60th Rifles^ 
" under Colonel J. Jones, spread themselves along, ready to 
" sweep the parapets, keep down the fire of the rebels, and 
'* cover the advance of the columns." — ( Cooper.) 

By 3 A. M. on the 14th of September, the columns had 
fallen in at Ludlow Castle, the place of rendezvous. The 
enemy had, however, in the night filled up the breaches with 
sand-bags, and the columns had to wait till the fire from 
the guns could once more clear the way. The day now 
broke and the attacking force could be distinctly seen by the 
enemy. The troops lay down under shelter, and the advance 
of the Rifles to the front, with a cheer, was ta be the signal 
for the cessation of the fire from the batteries and the a ssault 
of the columns. Mr. Cooper's vivid description of what 
ensued is annexed :— 

" At the head of the Third Column stood the gallant 
** exploding party, consisting of Lieuts. Salkeld and Home, of 
" the Engineers ; Serjeants Carmichael, Burgess and Smith, 
" of the Bengal Sappers ; Bugler Hawthorne, of the 52nd 
" L. I., ( who accompanied the party to sound the advance 
'' when the gate was blown in,) and eight native Sappers 
'* under Havildar Mahdoo, to carry the tags of powder. At 
" the edge of the cover the powder bags had been transferred 
[' to the European soldiers. Here stood this heroic little 



14 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

" band, forming a forlorn hope, feeling themselves doomed to 
*' almost certain death, waiting in almost agonizing suspense 
" for the appointed signal. It came, the firing suddenly 
" ceased, the cheer of the Rifles rang through the air, out 
*' moved Home with four soldiers, each carrying a bag of 
" powder on his head, close behind him came Salkeld port- 
" fire in hand with four more soldiers similarly laden ; while 
" a short distance behind the storming party, 150 strong — 
" 50 men of Her Majesty's 52nd Light Infantry, 50 of the 
" Kumaon Battalion, and 50 of the 1st Punjab Infantry, 
" under Captain Bailey, of Her Majesty's 52nd— followed up 
" by the main body of the column in rear. The gateway, as 
" in all native cities, was on the side of the Bastion, and had 
" an outer gateway in advance of the ditch. Home and his 
" party were at this outer gate almost before their appearance 
" was known. It was open, but the drawbridge so shattered 
" that it was very diflScult to cross ; however, they got over, 
*' reached the main gate, and laid their bags unharmed." 

Lieut. Medley's narrative of the siege is now taken up : — 
*' So utterly paralyzed were the enemy of the audacity of the 
" proceeding, that they only fired a few straggling shots, and 
*' made haste to close the wicket with every appearance of 
" alarm, so that Lieut. Home, after laying his bags, jumped 
*' into the ditch unhurt. It was now Salkeld's turn. He 
" also advanced with four other bags of powder and a lighted 
" port-fire, but the enemy had now recovered from their 
*^ consternation, and bad seen the smallness of the party and 
" the object of their approach. A deadly fire was poured upon 
*' the little band from the open wicket not ten feet distant. 
'* Salkeld laid his bags, but was shot through the arm and 
" leg, and fell back on the bridge, handing the port-fire to 
" Serjeant Burgess, bidding him light the fusee. Burgess was 
" instantly shot dead in the attempt. Serjeant Carmichael 
" then advanced, took up the port-fire and succeeded in the 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 15 






attempt, but immediately fell mortally wounded. Serjeant 

Smith, seeing him fall, advanced at a run, but finding that 
" the fusee was already burning, threw himself down into the 
** ditch where the bugler had already conveyed poor Salkeld. 
" In another moment a terrific explosion shattered the mas- 
" sive gate, the bugle sounded the advance, and then with a 
" loud cheer the storming party was in the gateway, and in 
" a few minutes more the cloumn, — and the Cashmere Gate 
" and Main Guard were once more in our hands." 

Those who drive through this Cashmere Gateway in these 
piping times of peace, may well remember the bravery of 
these gallant men. It was an advance to almost certain death, 
for the crowd of mutinous soldiery on the battlements could 
hardly fail to kill if they fired. All the survivors were 
recommended for the Victoria Cross, but Salkeld died shortly 
after from his wounds, and Lieut. Home met his death acci- 
dentally while blowing up the Fort of Malagurh. 

The First Column, commanded by General Nicholson, 
broke into the breach at the Cashmere Bastion headed by 
their leader, and, notwithstanding the galling fire kept up 
from the Church and Kutcherry, steadily advanced, clearing 
the ground before them, and re-forming again at the Main 
Guard. 

The Second Column carried the breach at the Water Bas- 
tion in splendid style, though nearly all the escalading lad- 
ders were broken before they could be put against the wall. 
The Kutcherry and Church were cleared, and Nicholson, 
re-forming his men, entered the narrow lane behind the walls 
of the city, and soon the enemy were swept from the walls up 
to the Cabul Gate. This success was rapidly followed up, 
and the column was approaching the Lahore Gate, when a 
gun suddenly opened on our ranks from the Bum Bastion, and 
another gun was found planted behind a breast-work in the lane. 
This was withdrawn, but >vas not captured ; a temporary 



10 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

check was here experienced, the enemy seized the opportunity 
to rally in great force, and by the time General Nicholson 
rode up, the adjacent houses were fully occupied by the 
crowds of sepoys, who, secure in their position, fired on the 
mass below. Just at this time two heavy field-pieces were 
also run out, and made a further advance impossible till they 
were captured. Nicholson promptly ordered an attack to be 
made ; the 1st Bengal Fusiliers ( now Her Majesty's 101st 
Royal Bengal Fusiliers) advanced with a rush, and wrested one 
of the guns from the enemy. The terrible fire from the adjacent 
houses was meanwhile kept up, and packed as the British 
Troops were in the narrow lane, they sufiered terribly. The 
second gun was not captured. Nicholson* waved his sword 
and led his men on, when, alas I a rebel bullet struck him in 
the chest, and this admirable soldier, and still more admir- 
able man, was carried off mortally wounded to the rear, and 
the column fell back to the Cabul Gate. 

Colonel Campbell, with the Third Column, after clearing 
the Church and Kutcherry and adjacent buildings, pushed on 
into the Chandnee Chouk, swarming through what are now 
the Queen's Gardens ; the Punjab Rifles being left to keep 
the rear open. The advance of the column was, however, at 

* John Nicholson's life has yet to be written. He was a Deputy Commis- 
sioner in the Punjab Civil Commission, when he was suddenly called upon 
to assume a high Military Command in the attacking force. As a Civil 
Officer his reputation was of the very highest ; he was in every place where 
he could be of the least possible assistance, and he efifectually supervised 
every official in h^s district. This extraordinary man had more influence 
with his subordinates than perhaps any Englishman in the East has ever 
had. One class of natives actually worshipped him, and termed themselves 
**The Nicholsanee Faqueers." A native speaking of him said, — "The 
sound of his horse's hoofs were heard from Attock to the Khyber." In an 
official report of the Punjab Government, this sentence occurs — ** Nature 
makes but few such men, and the Punjab is happy to have had one." The 
present Governor-Generid, in referring to this heroic character, has used 
these words : — 

*' His sterner qualities and his high sense of duty are generally known, 
** not so perhaps his remarkable deliberation, which with him preceded the 
** infliction of punishment." At the time of his death he was but 35 years 
of age. 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 17 

length checked in a narrow lane not a hundred yards from 
the Jumma Musjid, where the Gate of the Dureeba was found 
bricked up. The heavy fire of the enemy compelled the 
column to retreat, more particularly so as there were no 
engineers at hand to blow the gate open, for two had been 
killed, one wounded, and not a single field-piece had been or 
could be brought over the broken drawbridges ; and seeing 
that nothing could be done, the order was given to retire upon 
the Church. In the meanwhile Major Ramsay, with some 
men of the Ghoorka Battalion, and about 100 of the 52nd 
L. I., had made a desperate effort to push up towards the 
Kotwalee ; they managed to effect a lodgment, and retained 
possession for some hours, but being unsupported, they had 
to re-join Colonel Campbell at the Church. Major Wilde, 
with his 4th Punjabees, had-steadily advanced behind Camp- 
bell's column, and eventually succeeded in carrying the 
Government College * without much loss. 

It is not within the limits of this work to enter on a length- 
ened account of the attack and capture of the city. The des- 
cription above is a good deal summarized from the account 
given in Lieut. Medley's work, as quoted by Mr. Cooper in his 
Hand-Book for Delhi. It was reported that on the 14th Sep- 
tember 1857, 66 oflBcers and 1,104 men were counted among 
the killed and wounded, which says more than anything else 
for the severity of the fighting. On the 16th September, the 
Magazine was stormed by H. M.'s 61st Regiment, Wilde's 
Punjabees, and the Beloochees, the whole under Colonel 
Deacon, of the 61st ; on the 17th, the Delhi Bank house was 
carried; on the 18th, the line of communication between the 
Magazine and the Cabul Gate was completed ; and on the 
19th, the Burn Bastion was taken possession of by a surprise. 

The city was now in the hands of the attacking force ; the 

* This is the building with the lofty-pillared verandah to the left of the 
road near the Magazine, leading from the Cashmere Gate to the Magazine. 

C 



13 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

defeated rebels fled in every direction, and the British flag 
once more waved over the walls of the capital of Northern 
India. The glories of the House of Timour now no longer 
exist ; the last phantom monarch of that race, sent into exile, 
expiated his crimes by a life-long banishment from the scenes 
of his evil deeds ; and no descendant of the great Akber, the 
politic Shah Jehan, or the dissimulating Aurungzib, can ever 
again hold in his hands even that nominal sovereignty which 
Bahadur Shah parted with when he traitorously broke faith 
with the British Power. 

A Memorial Monument commemorates the Capture of 
Delhi. The besieging army subscribed one day's pay towards 
its erection ; but this sum, though amounting to nearly twenty 
thousand Rupees, felling far short of the Estimates, the 
building was taken in hands by the Government, and com- 
pleted at a cost of twenty-one thousand four hundred Rupees. 

It is built on the ridge, on the site of the Right Battery, 
and being 110 feet high, is visible from every point. Though 
not bold and commanding, it is of elegant and chaste design. 
The view from the top of the winding stair-case on the 
inside, is beautiful, and will repay a visit, to say nothing of 
the associations that will be called up. 

m.— Delhi as it in. 

The City of Delhi, as it at present stands, was built in the 
reign of the Emperor Shah Jehan, who ruled from A. D. 
1637 to A. D. 1658, and was commenced in A. D. 1648 : the 
palace is ten years older. The circuit of the walls of the 
City is five and a half miles : of the Citadel and Palace one and 
a half miles. The latter has two entrances called, respectively, 
the Lahore and the Delhi Gates. 

The City is supplied with Ten, as below : — 
1.— The Calcutta Gate to the N. E. close to the Palace : 
this leads to the Railway. It has been demolished. 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 19 

2.— -The Cashmere Gate to the N., by the Church and 
Kutcherry. 

3.— The Moree Gate to the N. 

4. — The Cabul Gate to the W., facing the Sudder Bazaar. 

5. — The Lahore Gate to the W., facing the Sudder Bazaar, 

and is the exit from the Chandnee Chouk. 
6.— The Farash Khana Gate to the S. W. 
7.— The Ajmere Gate to the S. W. 
8. — The Turkoman Gate to the S. 
9.— The Delhi Gate to the S. 
10. — Raj Gbat to the E., fiuxing the River. 

The Cashmere, Moree and Cabul Gates are those princi- 
pally used by the European residents. The glacis around the 
walls, it may be remarked here, was formed by the British 
Government. 

The diflferent buildings of special interest will be treated 
of hereafter in their appropriate places, but for the con- 
venience of visitors, the positions of the Hotels, Law Courts, 
Churches, Post Office, and best Shops are given below : — 

The Church, — St. James's — close to the Cashmere Gate. 

The Kutcherry — immediately facing the Cashmere Gate. 

The Dak Bungalow, Post Office, and Telegraph Office, — in 
the building known as the Magazine. 

The Delhi Bank — in Chandnee Chouk. 

The Bank of Bengal,— just on the right of the Moree Gate 
vi4 the Hamilton Road. 

Bishumber Nath's United Service Hotel — close to St. 
James's Church. 

Mr. Roger's Hamilton Hotel behind St. James's Church — 
close to Cashmere Gate. 

Messrs. Jemsetjee's Sons, Parsee Merchants, having the 
Copy-right of this Guide. 

Messrs. Dooly Sing and Co., General Merchants. 



20 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 



cr 



Ismail Khan, the Miniature Portrait Painter, &c., residin 
in Chandnee Chouk, can be most highly recommended for 
his very beautiful artistic work. 

Ghoolam Hossein Khan, living in Chandnee Chouk, can 
also be recommended ; but Ismail Khan has the greatest 
reputation. 

Shawl Sellers, Ac, — Manik Chand. Got a Medal at the 
London Exhibition. 

JeweUers and Goldsmiths. — Huzaree Mull. Got a Medal at 
the London Exhibition. Jowahurlall, near Messrs. Jemsetjee's 
Sons. 

Entering by the Cashmere Gate, the road to the extreme 
right leads to the Delhi and Punjab Railway Terminus, on 
the Hamilton road and just beyond the livel crossing is the 
Terminus of the Rajpootana State Railway. By the road to 
the left, which may be called the main road of Delhi, the 
visitor passes the Law Courts, and the Church built by 
Colonel Skinner. Further on he will remark the Government 
Delhi College, a building with a lofty pillared verandah. 
Beyond is the Magazine now used as Dak Bungalow, Post 
Office, and Telegraph Office, a portion of which was blown up 
by Lieut. Willoughby in the outbreak of 1857, to prevent its 
contents falling into the hands of the rebels. 

The old Cemetry of Delhi comes next. Then passing 
under the Railway Bridge, the visitor debouches on the 
Queen's Road, a spacious roadway running parallel with 
the line of Railway from the Calcutta Gate of the city to the 
Cabul Gate, both of which have been dismantled. On his 
immediate right is St. Mary's CathoUc Church. Then the 
Queen's Sarai, a huge structure, with an imposing frontage 
built by the Municipal Committee, at a cost of Rs. 1,00,570, 
for the accommodation of Native and European travellers. 
Next is the entrance to the Queen's Gardens, and further on 
the East India Railway Terminus. On the left outside angle 



THE KEW GUIDE TO DELHL 21 

formed by the level crossing of the Railway line, with the 
Queen's road, is St. Stephen's Church belonging to the 
S. P. G. I. Mission. In advance of this, about 500 yards 
is the Cabul Gate. As the visitor debouches from the Bailway 
Bridge (called the Lothian Bridge,) the lofty walls of the 
Palace will be seen on his left. If this road is still followed 
up, it will lead through the Faiz Bazaar to the Delhi Gate, 
through which the corpses of the young sons of the ex- 
Emperor, Bahadoor Shah, were brought back after the 
Princes had been shot dead by Hodson, just subsequent to 
the complete evacuation of the City by the mutineers in 1857. 
This part of the Town is termed Duriowgunge, where are the 
lines of a Native Infantry Regiment, and the houses of many 
European residents. 

The celebrated Chandnee Chouk is no longer what it was. 
Its glories have ceased, and it is unlikely that the scenes of 
gaudy pomp once there enacted will ever again meet the eye. 

The shops are probably as brave in outward show as they 
ever were, but the moving throng of richly-dressed natives 
riding on caprisoned h6rses, lounging on their elephants, or 
borne along in parti-colored palankeens, have passed away 
for ever. To the lover of the picturesque this may seem to 
be pity — in an artistic point of view it is ; but the British 
residents at Delhi probably feel more certain of their lives, 
now that the off-scourings of Bahadoor Shah's Court are no 
longer at large. 

The Delhi Institute in the Chandnee Chouk will well repay 
a visit. It is one of the largest buildings in the European 
style of architecture in India, and is a great ornament to the 
City. It contains the Station Library, Museum, Municipal 
OflSce, Durbar Room, and Rooms for social re-unions. This 
structure was erected at the expense of the Municipal Com- 
mittee, at a cost of Rupees 1,35,457. 



22 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

Facing the Delhi Institute on the Chandnee Chouk side, is 
a handsome and well-finished Clock Tower with four faces, 
and a chime of five bells. The City is indebted for this useful as 
well as ornamental structure also to the Municipal Committee 
at a cost of Rupees 25,500. It is 128 feet above the ground. 
The visitor should by no means fail to drive round the 
Queen's Gardens, which are very tastefully laid out in the 
English style ; opposite the Institute, with which the Gardens 
are connected, is the Band Stand. A branch of Ali Merdan's 
Canal passes through the Gardens. 

If time can be given, a pleasant drive may be had by 
leaving the City at the Cashmere Gate, and turning sharp to 
the left, follow up the circular road which goes close to the 
walls ; and passing the Moree, Cabul, Lahore, Farash Khana, 
Ajmere and Turkoman Gates, entrance to the City can be 
again made at the Delhi Gate. The road from this last gate 
leads to Feroze Shah's Lstt, the Fort of Parana Killa* 
Humayon s Tomb, &c. The road to the Kootub leaves the 
circular road just about the Lahore Gate- 
Outside the Cashmere Gate is the new Cemetrv, where 
lie the mortal remains of John Nicholson, a great soldier, 
and a great man in every sense of the word ; he fell in the 
attack on Delhi, being mortally wounded, between the Moree 
and Cashmere Gates, on the 14th of September 1857, while 
leading his men on. Who can write his epitaph ! 



PART XL 

% 

Resume of the History of the Sovereigns of Delhi. 

{From BLPmNSTONB's " HISTORY OF INDIA.") 

The last of the Bajpoot sovereigns who reigned in Delhi 
was dethroned in A. D. 1050, by an ancestor of Rajah 
Pitthora, or as he is also called the Prithvi Rajah, who was 
driven from his throne by Shahab-oodeen, and put to death 



THE NEW GUIDE *rO DELHI. 23 

in A. D. 1193. From this date commences the period of tho 
Mahomedan sovereigns of India, who reigned in succession 
till the throne was no longer to be filled at all. The first 
sovereign of any note was Kutb-oodeeo, originally a Turkish 
slave, who rose by his gallantry to the confidence of Shahab- 
oodeen, and the whole of the Indian empire was confided to 
his care by the Northern conquerors. No attempt was ever 
made to deprive him of the sovereignty that had grown out 
of a vice-royalty, and Kutb-oodeen may be termed the first 
actual sovereign of Hindoostan who lived in the country. 
He only reigned from A. D. 1208 to A. D. 1210. Sliumsh- 
oodeen Altomsh succeeded, and in this reign the invasion of 
the Mogul hordes on the Mahomedan kingdom in Asia took 
place, headed by Chengis or Gengis Khan ; they swept over 
the country, their only design being to plunder and lay waste. 
Elphinstone states that this irruption of the Moguls was the 
greatest calamity that has fallen on mankind since the deluge, 
as they had no religion to teach, and no seeds of improvement 
to sow, nor did they offer an alternative of conversion or 
tribute. The Kootub Minar, about 11 miles from Delhi, was, 
it is supposed, commenced in this reign. Altomsh died in A. 
D. 1236. A period of gross mis-government succeeded, and 
in the reign of Ala-oodeen Masoud (A. D. 1241 to A. D. 1246) 
two invasions of the Moguls took place. Nasir-oodeen, the 
grand-son of Altomsh, reigned from A. D. 1246 to A. D. 1266. 
He was a Prince who lived the life of an ascetic ; " he defrayed 
*' all his personal expenses by copying books, his fare was of 
" the humblest description, and was cooked by his Queen, 
" to whom he allowed no female servant." The Tabakati 
Nasiri, a general history of India and Persia, was written at 
his Court, and takes its name from him. He was a courte- 
ous and considerate monarch, and seems to have ruled wisely. 
Gheias-oodeen Bulbuu succeeded — he was the vizier of the 



24 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

last sovereign ; he governed from A. D. 1266 to A. D. 128G, 
and is described as being a narrow-minded and selfish tyrant. 
His Court Was filled with illustrious exiles, who had been dri- 
ven by the horrors of the Mogul invasion from their homes. 
The Poet Amir Khusroo, the most celebrated Poet of the 
East, lived in this reign. Gheias-oodeen was vindictively 
cruel in punishing ; the lowest as well as the highest were 
always treated with the greatest severity. He died at the age 
of 80, and Keikobad, who succeeded him, was assassinated 
in A. D. 1288, when Jelal-oodeen Kilji, of the house of Kilji, 
began his reign. He was a simple-hearted, kind old man, 
being 70 years old when he ascended the throne. In his reign 
an invasion of the Moguls was quelled, and 3,000 of them 
joined his standard, a place near Delhi, still called Mogul- 
poora, being given over to them for a residence. Jelal-oodeen 
was assassinated by his nephew with the grossest treachery, 
and that nephew, Alal-oodeen, succeeded him. The new sove- 
reign endeavored to atone for his past atrocities by a just 
exercise of power, he was successful in several engagements 
with the Mogul invaders, but he stained his victories by his 
horrible cruelties to the beaten enemy ; all the chiefs who 
were captured were trampled to death by elephants, while the 
lower ranks were butchered. In his reign the Hindoos and 
Mahomedans began to coalesce, and quiet and security reigned 
in the provinces, while wealth perceptibly increased. The 
sovereign himself was however an ignorant and arrogant 
tyrant, and a confirmed drunkard ; he reigned from A. D. 
1295 to A. D. 1317, being succeeded at his death by his son 
Mobarik, who at first gave promise of being a good ruler ; but 
he soon entered on a career of debauchery and intoxication, 
and was assassinated by his favorite Khusroo, who endeavored 
to seat himself on the throne. Ghazi Khan Toogluck, Gover- 
nor of the Punjab, marched against the usurper, and slew him. 
No member of the Kilji family could be found, and the 



\ 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 25 

conqueror ascended the vacant throne undeiL the name of 
Toogluck Shah, in A. D. 1321. 

House of Toogluck. 

Toogluck Shah reigned from A. D. 1321 to A. D. 1325, 
and governed his people well and wisely. He built the city 
called after his name Toogluckabad, which, some six: miles 
from Delhi, is now a mere ruin. He Was killed by the fall 
of a pavilion while visiting one of his sons, Junah, or as other- 
wise termed Fuqueer-oodeen, who succeeded him under the 
name of Mahomed Toogluck ( A. D. 1325 to A. D. 1351 ) : this 
man is characterized as being one of the most extraordinary 
Princes that ever reigned. He was clever, brave, eloquent, 
and accomplished : but these brilliant qualities were accom- 
panied by a perversion of intellect, which nullified all his 
talents. He attempted the conquest of China and of Persia, 
endeavored to get up a paper currency, compelled the people 
of Delhi to emigrate in a body to Deowgiri ( or Dowlutabad ), 
and famine and disease breaking out, the people had again to 
return to the capital, and some of his subjects revolting, he 
hunted them down like wild beasts. The provinces lost in this 
reio:n were not recovered till the time of Aurunorzib. The 
traveller, Ibn Bututa, a native of Tangiers, visited the king- 
dom during Mahomed Toogluck's life-time. Firoz Toogluck, 
commonly called Firoz Shah, succeeded. This reign is dis- 
tinguished for the extent and utility of its public works. 
Mosques, colleges, caravanserais, reservoirs, hospitals, bridges, 
and baths were constructed in great numbers, and canal was 
dug from where the Jumna leaves the mountains by Kurnal to 
Hansi and Hissar. The great city of Firozabad was built in 
this reign— hardly a trace of it now remains ; but the present 
city of Delhi has been built over a part of the site of Firoz- 
abad, and the Kala Musjid, within the walls. of the modern 
city of Delhi, was erected in this sovereign's reign, and was 

d 



26 THE NEW GUIDE TO DEtHT. 

a part of his city. Alterations were made in the criminal 
code, and mutilation was forbidden. Many of Firoz Shah's 
great works are yet extant, and has earned the reputation 
of being the greatest building sovereign that ever ruled in 
India. He died in A. D. 1 388, and was buried in the villao-e 
of Hous Khass, near Delhi. 

In Mahomed Toogluck's reign (A, D. 1394 to A. D. 1400 ) 
the empire was invaded by Tamerlane, the route taken being 
through the Hindoo Khoosh and by Bunnoo over the Indus. 
Delhi fell, and over 100,000 of the inhabitants are said lo 
have been slain. Tamerlane is described as beinsr " a mix- 
" ture of much good and bad, full of intrigue, cant and 
" hypocrisy, but he had courage, prudence, and address, with 
" a perfect knowledge of mankind. In comparing him with 
" Gengis Khan, the latter may be said to be the most violent, 
" while Tamerlane was the most perfidious." For two 
months after Tamerlane's departure, Delhi remained without 
a sovereign ; then followed the government of the Seiads 
(A. D. 1414 to A. D. 1444,) but during this time there may be 
said to have been no kingdom of India, and at one period the 

frontier actually came to within one mile of the city walls. 

House of Lodi. 

Behlol Lodi*8 grandfather had been Governor of Mooltan 
Under Firoz Shah, and his father and uncle had held com- 
mands under the Seiads* There were three sovereigns of this 
house ; they extended the kingdom very much, but seem to 
have been both proud and tyrannical. Secunder Lodi detested 
the idolatrous Hindoos; he destroyed their temples and 
forbade pilgrimages. Ibrahim Lodi lost his . life and his 
kingdom at Paniput, in A. D. 1536, being defeated by Baber, 
who had been called in to aid a revolt of Doulut Khan 
Lodi, Governor of the Punjab. 

House of Timour. 

A. D. 1526. — Baber was sixth in descent from Tamerlane : 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 27 

the earliest part of his life was passed in the strangest vicissi- 
tudes. He reigned for 22 years over Cabul before his con- 
quest of India, and he seems always to have preferred his 
Northern possessions. He took Agra in A. D. 1525, and af- 
terwards subdued Malwa and Mewa, Bundelkund and Behar 
and expired in A. D. 1530, in the 50th year of his age. He 
was buried at Oabul by his own desire. Elphinstone says, " he 
" was the most admirable, though not the most powerful, 
" Prince that ever reigned in Asia." For a long time he 
kept a diary of his life, and his writings " contain a minute 
" account of the life of a great Tartar monarch, along with a 
" natural effusion of his opinion and feelings, free from dis- 
" guise and reserve, and no less free from all affectation of 
" extreme frankness and candour." He describes minutely 
the dress and characteristics of each individual introduced, and 
his diary abounds " in descriptions of the countries he visited, 
" their scenery, climate, productions, and works of art, &c." 
He seems to have had a kind and afifectionate heart, and an 
easy and sociable temper. He was possessed of great strength 
and activity, and it is told of him that he rode in two days 
from Calpee to Agra, a distance of 160 miles, and on the 
journey twice swam across the jumna. He was also a 
scholar of no mean order, and composed many elegant Per- 
sian poems. 

A. D. 1530. — Humayon, his son, who succeeded him, passed 
a life almost stranger in vicissitudes than his father. His 
three brothers' names were Camran, Hindal, and Mirza Askeri. 
The former was Governor of Cabul and Candahar, and on 
Humayon's taking the throne, he advanced against him. 
Humayon gave up the Punjab and appointed Hindal Governor 
of Sambal, and Mirza Askeri Governor of Mewat. Disputes 
arising between Bakhudar, King of Guzerat, and himself, he 
attacked and defeated him in A. D. 1534, and in an attack on 
the Fort of Champaneer, himself led the stormers. Guzerat 



28 THK NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

and Malwa eventually broke away from his control, notwith- 
standing the previous engagement in his favour. Shir Khan, 
otherwise called Shir Shah, now rebelled, occupied Guzerat, 
conquered Behar, and invaded Bengal. Humayon marched 
against him, but was delayed by a strong garrison at Chunar, 
'which place at last fell, but only to be given up again 
soon after. Shir Shah then occupied Behar and Benares, laid 
siege to Juanpore, and advanced on Canouj. Soon after, in 
A. D. 1539, Humayon was defeated and fled to Agra. The 
following year Shir Shah again overthrew him on the banks 
of the Ganges, and with his brothers, Hindal and Mirza 
Askeri, he fled to Agra, and subsequently to Camran at Lahore, 
but Camran ceded the Punjab to Shir Shah, and Humayon 
retired into Sind. After many days of evil fortune, almost 
unattended, he arrived in the Persian States. It is said of 
Humayon, that though a monarch of little enterprize, he 
was a brave man, and bore his many troubles with kingly 
equanimity. 

House of Sor. 

A. D. 1540. — Shir Shah having driven Humayon out of 
his possessions, entered on the government of the country he 
had conquered. He subdued Malwa, Mewar and Marwar, 
but he was killed in 154?5, while engaged in the capture of 
the town of Calinger, by the explosion of a magazine. Shir 
Shah had great ability and prudence, and acted with bene- 
volence towards his subjects, introducing many improvements 
in the civil government, which were borrowed by the Emperor 
Akber and more fully noticed by him. He built the Delhi, 
termed Delhi Shir Shah, which extended from the site 
of Humayon's Tomb up to the Delhi Gate of the modern 
city, the circumference of Delhi Shir Shah beinj? twice as 
great as that of the present Delhi or Shahjehanabad. He also 
made a road from Bengal towards the Indus, with bathing- 




THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 29 

places and wells at regular intervals. Near Meerut, at Sali- 
seram, his body lies in a stately mausoleum erected by him- 
self. He was succeeded by his second son, Selim. 

A. D. 154f5. — Selim had a tranquil reign of nine years. 
He was an improver in public works, and built one division 
of the palace at Delhi, and although Humayon afterwards 
ordered it to be called Nurghar ( by which name it could 
only be mentioned at court ) it still retains that of Selim- 
ghur. Selim's son, aged twelve years, was murdered by 
his uncle, who succeeded to the throne under the title of 
Mahomed Shah Sur Adili. 

A. D. 1553. — This sovereign was grossly ignorant and 
debauched : he was odious for his vices and notorious for his 
incapacity. He gave over the (Conduct of his government 
to a Hindoo by name Hemu, rebellions soon ensued, and no 
sooner was one quelled than another broke out. Sekunder 
Shah, a nephew of Shir Shah, proclaimed himself King of 
the Punjab, and at the same time the Emperor Humayon 
again appeared on the scene, defeated Sekunder Shah, and 
captured Delhi and Agra. Hemu, who had been suppress- 
ing a revolt in Bengal, after utterly subduing the rebels 
there, left his sovereign at Chunar, advanced on Agra, 
defeated Tardi Beg, Humayon's General, at Delhi, and pre- 
pared to march on Lahore to attack Akber. Humayon's 
son, Akber, though only thirteen years of age, refused to 
retire, and gave the conduct of his affairs to Behram Khan, 
who, at Paniput, rendered memorable before by the over- 
throw of Ibrahim Lodi by Baber, in 1526, defeated Hemu, 
who, throughout the battle, had fought most bravely. Des- 
perately wounded he was brought before Akber ; Behram 
Khan directed him to put his captive to death, but the 
generous young prince refused to strike a wounded enemy, 
on which Behram Khan himself put an end to Hemu's life. 



80 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

This battle took place on the 5th of November 1556, aod 
Mahomed Shah Sur Adili died soon after in Bengal. Huma- 
yon had died at Delhi before these events had occurred, but 
it is necessary here to make a slight retrospect. The flying 
Emperor Humayon, after quitting his dominion about A. D. 
1540, had entered the Persian territory, where he was 
received with some courtesy by the reigning Sovereign Shah 
Tahmasp, the second of the Safai ( or Sophi ) Kings, who 
was a Shia Mussulman by creed, whereas the fugitive was 
a Soonee, as are most of his creed in India. The Persian 
Prince lost no time in informing Humayon that he must 
comply with his requisitions if he expected any help, and it 
soon became evident that if the exile did not conform to his 
wishes, there would not be even safety of life. He was in 
fact compelled to adopt the Persian head-dress and the Shia 
creed, and, as soon as he had agreed to the Persian King's 
demands, a force of 12,000 horse was promised to aid 
him in recovering his dominions. Humayon moved lei- 
surely off to the Persian frontier, where these troops awaited 
his arrival, but loitering on the way, Tahmasp overtook him 
and imperiously ordered him to march 40 miles without 
delay : but at Sistan, Humayon found 14,000 horse under 
Morad Mirza, the Persian King's son. At this period. Cam- 
ran was in possession of Cabul, Hindal was Governor of 
Ghuzni, and Candahar was ruled by Mirza Askeri. In 
March 1545, Humayon marched on Candahar, which sur- 
rendered in September of the same year. Mirza Askeri was 
pardoned, but was subsequently imprisoned in chains for 
three years. Candahar was made over to the Persians in 
accordance with a prior convention, but Morad Mirza dying, 
Humayon got into the city, slaughtered the Persian 
guards, and took the place, and marched on Cabul accom- 
panied by Hindal. Camran fled from Cabul, and, the city 
being given up, Humayon's son Akber was recovered ; 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHL . 31 

and Humayon moved against Budakshan, upon which Cam- 
ran again returned and took Cabul. But he surrendered 
to Humayon in A. D. 1548, and was forgiven, and it is related 
that the four re-united brothers once more ate together and 
became friends. Camran soon after again revolted, and 
Humayon, in the conflict that ensued, was desrted by his 
soldiers and nearly slain (A. D. 1550), but managed to reacM* 
Budakshan, where Mirza Soliman supported him. Camran 
again took Cabul, but was driven out by Humayon, who 
then turned his arms against those who had sheltered his 
brother; but attacked by the mountaineers, Hindal was 
slain, and his army suffered great losses. Camran was soon 
after given up by the Sultan of the Ghukkars in A. D. 1 553, 
and by order of Humayon he was blinded, his eyes being 
pierced repeatedly with a lancet, lemon juice and salt 
being squeezed into the wounds. He afterwards died in 
Mecca. After this Humayon spent a year in Candahar. 
In the meantime Selim Shah had died, and the mis-go- 
vernment of his successor had broken up his territories into 
five portions, in each of which there was a separate King. 
Sekunder Shah ruled the Punjab, and had driven the usurp- 
er Ibrahim from his territories, while Adili, the real sove- 
reign, was carrying on war against both. Humayon invaded 
the Punjab and defeated Sekunder 's Governor in A. D, 
1555, taking possession of Lahore ; while at Sirhind he met 
and overthrew Sekunder himself, and immediately after took 
possession of Agra and Delhi. Behram Khan and young 
Akber were sent in pursuit of Sekunder, who rapidly fled. 
Humayon's renewed lease of power was but a short one. 
Six months after his return to Delhi, he was accidentally 
killed, falling headlong over the parapet of his library ; 
dying in the 49th year of his age and the 26th of his reign, 
including his sixteen years of banishment. 



32 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

Akber was but thirteen years of • age when he ascended 
the throne ; the best of Humayon*s old officers, Behram Khan, 
being made Regent. After the defeat of Hemii, the Hindoo, 
the young sovereign took possession of Agra and Delhi, and 
the real restoration of the house of Tamerlane dates from 
this period. Behram Khan was harsh and severe, and 
being haughty and ovj^-bearing in his manner, he was both 
disliked and feared, -A^reach arose between Akber and his 
powerful vassal, and Behram acted so unjustly that Akber 
drew further from him, and, determined at last to break the 
yoke about him, — moved to this principally by the arbi- 
trary and cniel conduct of Behram who had, to suit his own 
ends, caused several of the chief nobles to be put to death. 
A journey was planned to Delhi, and on arriving there the 
Emperor, free from his minister, announced his intention of 
taking the government into his own hands. Behram saw 
he had gone too far, and made his submission, which was 
not, however, accepted. He then started as if to go to Mecca, 
but lingering on the way ho received orders from Akber, 
dismissing him from all his posts, and directing him to 
proceed at once on his journey ; he at first complied, but 
irritated at some further orders, he went into open rebel- 
lion and invaded the Punjab. Akber moved against him, 
and Behram had at last to throw himself on the Emperor s 
mercy. 

The noble-hearted Akber freely forgave and sent his 
high nobles to meet him, and seated him at his own right 
hand, offering him a high position at court or an honorable 
dismissal on his journey to Mecca. He chose the latter 
course, but was assassinated by an Affghan prior to embark- 
ing. Akber was now eighteen years of age, engaging ib his 
manners, and, well formed in his person, " he excelled in 
" all exercises of strength and agility, and showed exuberant 
*' courage even in his amusements, as in taming unbroken 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 33 

^' horses and elephants, and in rash encounters with tigers 
" and other wild beasts. Yet with this disposition, and a 
" passionate love of glory, he founded his hopes of fame at least 
" as much on the wisdom and liberality of his gover^ment as in 
" its military success." At first Akber's territory was merely 
the Punjab and the country round Delhi and Agra, but in 
the third year of his reign he had acquired Ajmere, and the 
following year he took possession of Gwalior, and recovered 
Loucknow and the country as far East as Jounpore. The 
last of the family of the Sur that remained in opposition was 
defeated by Khan Zeman, one of the Emperor s chiefs, but 
the conqueror attempted to defy his young sovereign, who 
marched against him at once and quelled his insubordina- 
tion. Another of the great nobles, Adam Khan by name, 
defeated and expelled Baz Bahadur from Malwa, but 
refused, as Khan Zeman had done, to part with the fruits of 
his victory. Akber, with his usual speed, was on his rebel- 
lious vassal before the latter could collect a sufficient force, 
or was even aware of his approach. Adam Khan tendered 
his submission, and was generously pardoned, but the Em- 
peror removed him from his government. This Adam 
Khan was a man of ungovernable temper, and in some sub- 
sequent rivalry with Akber's vizier, he stabbed him while at 
prayers in a room next to the Emperor's apartments. The 
murderer was hurled from the battlements by way of punish- 
ment — his tomb is close to the Kootub Minar, near Delhi. 
It is not proposed here to follow » Akber through all the 
revolts and disturbances that took place in his reign ; to the 
general reader they would be uninteresting, and to those 
who care to peruse the account, it is almost unnecessary 
to say that all details will be found in Elphinstone's History, 
of which this is a summary. A story is told of Akber, 
which is thoroughly characteristic of him. He met two 
bodies of Hindoo devotees preparing to contend for the pos- 



34 THE NEW GUIDE TO ^ELHI. 

session of a certain bathing-place. Finding his endeavour 
to calm the parties useless, he ordered them to fight it out, 
and when one party had won the day, he made his guards 
check the victors, and so end the battle. By his twenty-fifth 
year this able Prince " had crushed his adversaries by his 
" vigour, or attached them by his clemency," and he proceeded 
to turn his arms against the Bana of Oodipore : the strong 
town of Chitoor was besieged, and the operations of the 
imperial army seem to have resembled in some degree those 
of more modern besiegers, for advance was made by sap and 
mining, and the breaches were soon declared practicable 
for the stormers. The mines however blew up, and caused 
more harm to the attacking party than to the defenders, but 
the siege was commenced again, and Akber, with his own 
hand, shot dead Jei Mull, the chief of the garrison. The 
latter lost heart, and, burning their women, rushed out to 
seek death ; the Mahomedans were already on the ramparts, 
and it is told that 8,000 Bajpoots fell that day. Shortly 
after Guzerat was annexed to Akber's dominions, and Bengal 
and Behar were conquered in A. D, 1576. 

The next conquest was Cashmere. "This country had 
" been ruled by a long succession of Hindoo, and sometimes 
"perhaps of Tartar Princes, from a very remote period 
" till the beginning of the 14th century, when it fell into 
*' the hands of a Mahomedan adventurer, and was held by 
"Princes of the same persuasion till Akber's invasion*'* 
Dangerous and beautiful passes lead to this fine country, 
the roads rise and descend through deep defiles, and in some 
seasons of the year these passes are impracticable from snow. 
Not much difficulty was experienced in annexing this coun-. 
try, but in the attempt to coerce the hill tribes to the North 
and North- West of his dominions, Akber did not meet with 
so much success, and it may be said that this frontier war 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 35 

lingered on in an unsatisfactory manner till the reign of 
Shah Jehan. In the meanwhile Scind and Chandahar were 
annexed ( A. D. 1592.) It is reported that during the 
war in Scind, the chief of that country had in his army 
200 native soldiers dressed as Europeans, and that some 
Portuguese were among his retainers. Prince Danial, Akber's 
son, was sent as Viceroy to Candeish, which was the next 
kingdom absorbed, and the Emperor leaving the command 
in the Dekkan to his great favorite, Abul Fuzl, returned 
to Agra. This return was necessitated by the conduct of his 
eldest son, Selim. Akber, on going to the Dekkan, had 
declared this Prince his successor, and made him Viceroy 
of Ajmere, entrusting to his charge the war with Oodipor<i. 
Selim took the opportunity to revolt and marched on Agra, 
but that city not surrendering, he moved against Allahabad, 
and seized Oudh and Berar, assuming the title of King. 
Akber, ever generous, forgave his son, and conferred on him 
the governorship of Bengal and Orissa. Selim, on his 
way to his new command, instigated the assassination of 
Abul Fuzl, (his father s great friend,) in revenge for some 
old grudge, and the more this Prince became confirmed in 
power, the more confirmed he became in diabolical wick- 
edness, and it is said he revived tortures and cruelties that 
had been long lost sight of. He ordered one offender to be 
flayed alive. Akber, hearing this, could not conceal his dis- 
gust, and said,—" He wondered how the son of a man who 
*^ could not see a dead beast flayed without pain, could be 
" guilty of such cruelty on a human being." It seems a 
pity, however, that he did not show his disgust a little more 
sta*ongly by punishing his son. This view of the case does 
not appear to have occurred to him. 

In September 1605, this great sovereign breathed his last, 
entreating his attendant nobles to forgave him all his faults, 
and making over the kingdom to his son Selim, who with 



3G THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

passionate tears of repentance, knelt at the dying Emperor's 
bedside. Akber's reign may be considered a decided benefit 
to the country he ruled over, and no deeds of dark ferocity or 
tyranny stained his possession of the throne. He allowed 
perfect toleration in religious matters, and was himself a free 
thinker, who delighted to get the votaries of different religions 
together, and to listen to their arguments. His own idea of 
religion seems to have been comprised in this — " There was 
no God but God, and " Akber was his Caliph," — in fact he 
put Mahomed out of sight altogether, and in consequence, 
to this day, all bigoted Mussulmans are inclined to think 
lar less of this great soldier and admirable sovereign than he 
deserves. Certainly, Akber never much consulted the feelings 
of the Mahomedans, as he changed " the sera of the Hejira 
" and the Arabian months for a solar year," discouraged the 
study of Arabic, allowed no one to approach him with a beard, 
although wearing the beard is enjoined in the Koran, and 
Arabian names were disused. With regard to the Hindoos, 
■' he forbade trials by ordeal and marriages before the age of 
'•' puberty ;" he also allowed Hindoo widows to re-marry, and 
prohibited *' Suttees" which were against the will of the victim 
to be sacrificed. His " revenue system, though so celebrated 
" for the benefits it conferred on India, presented no new in- 
" vention — it only carried the previous system into effect with 
'' greater precision and correctness : it was in fact only a con- 
" tinuation of a plan commenced by Shir Shah, whose short 
" reign did not admit of his extending it to all parts of his 
"kingdom." The plan in detail is given in Elphinstones 
History. The author of these reforms was Rajah Todar 
Mahal, " by whose name it is still called everywhere," He 
was a most able finance minister. 

In the reign of Akber, the Forts of Agra, Allahabad, and 
Attock were commenced and completed, together with many 
other works, Futtehpore Sikri, now a most magnificent ruin 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. S7 

near Agra, was also built by Akber, and was his principal 
residence, but it has long since been deserted. 

Akber is described by two Europeans who saw him 
(Purckas, vol. v., page 5 16 J as a Prince, who kept up " less 
*' show or state than other Asiatic Princes and that he stood 
" or sat below the throne to administer justice f they add, 
" he is affable and majestical, merciful and severe, skilful in 
'* mechanical arts, and of sparing diet, sleeping but three 
" hours a day, curiously industrious, affable to the vulgar, 
" seeming to grace them and their presents with more respec- 
" tive ceremonies than the grandees, loved and feared of his 
*' own, terrible to his enemies." 

He was a great equestrian like his grandfather Baber, 
riding on one occasion from Agra to Ajmere, 220 miles, in 
two successive days. 

He died, lamented by his people, and was succeeded by 
his eldest son Selim, who took the name of Jehangir. 

A. D. 1605.— Jehangir commenced his reign better than 
might have been expected from his past career. Though 
himself a confirmed drunkard, he forbade the use of wine, 
and took care that his orders should be obeyed. This Em- 
peror detested his son Khusroo, who, on his father's acces- 
sion, fled to Lahore, where he got together a force of some 
10,000 men ; he was soon defeated, and brought before his 
father with the other captives. Jehangir's ferocity had 
now full range ; 700 . of the unfortunate captives were im- 
paled in a line, and Prince Khusroo was led on an ele- 
phant along this line to see the sufferings of his followers, 
his attendants mocking and jeering at him. The Emperor 
in his private diary expatiates on the horrible agonies the 
sufferers endured. 

Jehangir's wife, Noor Jehan, was a very remarkable 
woman. She was of a comparatively low rank in life, and 



3» THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

was employed in the female apartments of Akber's wives : 
here the future Emperor saw her and plotted to obtain posses- 
sion of her. She was, however, married to a young AfiF- 
ghan by Akber's consent. Jehangir induced the Governor 
of Bengal to endeavour to win over Noor Jehan from 
her husband : the latter slew the Governor, and was himself 
despatched ; but Noor Jehan long refused to have anything 
to say to Jehangir. In time, however, his suit was success- 
ful, and the lady was raised to honors that no Indian sove- 
reign's consort had ever before enjoyed. The conduct of 
Jehangir perceptibly improved after his marriage, and we 
read no more of his barbarous cruelties. In the meanwhile 
some disturbances in Bengal were quelled, but the war in 
the Dekkan was not carried on so successfully, and the 
Mogul armies were worsted. Prince Khurrum ( afterwards 
the Emperor Shah Jehan) was sent with an army to Raj- 
pootana, and compelled the Oodipore Rajah to sue for 
peace. Shah Jehan adopted the policy of Akber, and 
treated his beaten foe generously. The Englishman, Sir 
J. Roe, at about this period, arrived at court as ambas- 
sador from James I. of England. Shah Jehan was shortly 
after elevated to the title of King, and he advanced to the 
attack on the Dekkan, the Emperor himself following. 
This war was over in A. D. 1617, and Shah Jehan re-joined 
his father, who gave him the Vice-royalty of Guzerat ; but 
the war in the Dekkan being again renewed. Shah Jehan, 
rapidly defeating his opponents, once more reduced the 
country to submission. Prince Purviz at this time died, and 
Jehangir was seized by a dangerous illness, and Noor Jehan, 
after so long consistently supporting Shah Jehan, now turned 
against him. She had married her daughter by her first 
husband to Jehangir's youngest son. Prince Sheriar, and 
to get Shah Jehan out of the way, he was sent to recover 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 39 

Candahar, buh he demurred, and his delay was represented 
to the Emperor as arising from projects of independence. 
It was made clear that Prince Sheriar was to occupy the 
position so long held by Shah Jehan, and the latter immedi- 
ately marched on Agra : Jehaugir proceeded from Lahore, 
and lay near his son's army. Shah Jehan retreated to 
Meerut, and eventually set out ou his return march to 
Mandu, followed by his father s force. 

In Bengal he was attacked by the Governor of that 
province at Rajmehal, but overthrowing him, he thus 
obtained possession of Bengal and Behar, and afterwards 
turned to meet the Emperor s army. His levies now began 
to desert, and being defeated in an engagement that took 
place, he fled to the Dekkan, and his health giving way, he 
made his submission to his father. The Emperor ordered 
him to send his sons, Dara Sheko and Aurungzib, to his 
court as hostages for his good behaviour, and so for a time 
the ill-feeling between father and son subsided. Jehangir 
now intended proceeding to Cabul, but he did not accom- 
plish his journey in tranquillity. Noor Jehan had long dis- 
liked one Mohabut Khan, a great noble of the empire, and 
she caused him to be ordered to attend court and answer 

9 

certain charges made against him. With 5,090 Rajpoots 
he set out on his journey : before he arrived, Jehangir, with 
brutal fury, had ordered his son-in-law to be flogged with 
thorns, and deprived him of all his property. Mohabut 
Khan, however, still advanced, hoping to see the Emperor 
but on his approaching, he was informed that no audience 
would be granted him ; and seeing his fall was designed, he 
determined to strike a blow, the audacity of which would 
go far to insure success. Jehangir was then on the Ilydas- 
pes preparing to cross on a bridge of boats on the road 
to Cabul, and had sent his army on ahead, remaininc^ be- 



40 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

hind with his personal guards. Mohabut Khan rapidly 
sent 2,000 men to seize the bridge, and with the rest of his 
force he swept down on the Emperor, made him prisoner, 
placed him on an elephant, and paraded him in public. A 
servant of the Emperors, endeavoring to force his way 
through to his master, was immediately cut down, and it was 
made clear that resistance could not be made without danger 
to the sovereign. It is told of Jehangir, that even at this 
very critical time his bottle-attendant was allowed a place 
with him on the elephant, the royal drunkard being fit 
for nothing: unless his stimulant was alwavs forthcominsr. 
Noor Jehan was dismayed at hearing of her husband s cap- 
ture, and on arriving at her own camp at the other side of 
the river, she led the imperial army to the attack ; but the 
bridge had been burnt, and the man bad to. swim over 
the river and fight as best they could ; against such obstacles 
nothing could be done, and the imperial army was defeated. 
The Emperor managed soon after to get away from his cap- 
tor, to whom good terms were granted, he agreeing to go in 
pursuit of/Shah Jehan, who had fled into Scind ; but Mohabut 
Khan again quarrelled with Jehangir aad joined Shah 
Jehan's camp. The Emperor meanwhile marched to Lahore 
and set oflf on his annual visit to Cashmere. Prince Sheriar 
was now seized with a violent illness and had to leave Cash- 
mere, and soon after Jehangir had a return of asthma and 
died (A. D. 1627), in the 60th year of his age. In this sove- 
reign's reign an edict was issued against the use of tobacco, 
then a novelty. He was succeeded by Shah Jehan. 

A. D. 1627. — The influence of Noor Jehan expired with 
her husband's death, and she is hardly ever again mentioned 
in history. Prince Sheriar in vain attempted to struggle 
with Shah Jehan's General, Asof Khan, and was put to death. 
High honors were bestowed on Mohabut Khan and Asof 
Khan, and formal possession of his throne was taken by Shah 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 41 

Jehan In Agra. Khan Jehan Lodi now effected indepen- 
dence ; he had held a great military charge under Jehangir, 
and commanded in the Dekkan under Prince Parriz, when 
the latter died, and now making terms with the son of 
Malik Amber, the head of the Nizam Shahi Government, 
he defied the power of the Emperor and laid siege to Mandu. 
He was easily overthrown and removed to the government of 
Malwa, while the government of the Dekkan was handed over 
to Mohabut Khan. Khan Jehan Lodi soon after came to 
court, but dreading treachery, he assembled his troops and 
marched out of Agra ; being followed and attacked, he was 
utterly defeated ; he, however, escaped, and opened co,mmu- 
nications with the King of Ahmednugger. Shah Jehan then 
moved into the Dekkan at the head of three armies, and Khan 
Jehan Lodi was driven out of Ahmednugger, and failing to gain 
a retreat with the King of Bijapore, retreated to Bundelkhund 
where he was soon after slain. The war in the Dekkan went 
on, though a pestilence and famine spread over the country. 
The King of Bijapore joined the King of Ahmednugger, 
but the latter was assassinated by his minister, Futteh Khan, 
who made his submission to Shah Jehan« The Emperor laid 
siege to Bijapore, but he failed to take the city, and returned 
to Delhi, leaving Mohabut Khan behind him, who completely 
routed the Dekkanis. Mohabut Khan was after this re-called 
to court, and the command was divided between Khani Douran 
and Khani Zeman. The Mahrattas now first came into notice ; 
one of their chiefs, Shahji Bosla^ set up a new aspirant to the 
throne of Ahmednugger, and the Emperor once more in 
person proceeded to quell the disturbance. Peace was made 
with Bijapore, Shahji Bosla submitted, and the kingdom of 
Ahmednugger was extinguished for ever in A. D. 1637. 

The Fort of Hooghly, near Calcutta, the property of the 
Portuguese, was about this period captured. Candahar was 

/ 



43 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

also recovered, for Ali Merdan Khan, the Governor, found 
liimself in such danger from his own sovereign, the King of 
Persia, that he gave up the place to Shah Jehan and came 
to Delhi. This Ali Merdan Khan was the maker of the canal 
that goes through Delhi From A. D. 1637 to A. D. 1647 
the wars on the frontiers occupied the imperial troops, the 
successes were various, the Emperor's son Aurungzib being 
conspicuous for his gallantry and ability ; he had nevertheless 
to retreat, with a ruined army, and all the provinces con- 
quered had to be given up. The Persians again seized Can- 
dahar, and Aurungzib, in an attack on the place in A« D, 
1649, was beaten off^ as he was again in A. D. 1652. 

In A. D. 1653, the Emperor's eldest son, Dara Sheko, was 
sent against the city, but he failed, as his brother had before. 
' Turning to the South again, we find that Aurungzib attacked 
Hyderabad, the capital of Golconda, and the King submitting 
agreed to pay a million of money. Mir Jumla, late minister 
of the Golconda sovereign, had joined Aurungzib, and was 
afterwards one of his most attached adherents. At this period 
Shah Jehan got most dangerously ill, and Dara Sheko was 
invested with the governing power. Shah Jehan had 
four sons, Dara Sheko, Shuja, Aurungzib, and Morad. The 
eldest was a dignified generous Prince, but impetuous and 
impatient of opposition ; Shuja was a drunkard, though an 
able man ; Aurungzib was a man of mild temper and cold 
heart, cautious, artful and designing, of great courage and 
skill, handsome in person, with affable and gracious manners 
and pleasant conversation, but a master of dissimulation ; 
Morad was brave and generous, but dull in intellect 

The Emperor's opinion of his sons is as follows :-:- 

" Dara had talents, for command and the dignity becom- 
" ing the royal office, but was intolerant to all who had any 
pretensions to eminence. Shuja was a mere drunkard, and 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 43 

** Morad a glutton and sensualist. Aurungzib excelled both 
" in action and in council, was well fitted to undertake the 
" burden of public aflfairs, but full of subtle suspicion, and 
** never likely to find any one whom he could trust." 

Aurungzib heard of his father's illness and of Dara*s assum- 
ing the sovereignty, trince S^^ja, Viceroy of Bengal, 
marched towards the capital, and Morad, Viceroy of Guzerat, 
followed his example. Aurungzib did not assume the 
royal state, and although he marched Northwards, he 
did nothing till Dara Sheko sent orders for Mir Jumla 
to leave his standards, and Mir Jumla's family being with 
the court, he did not know how to refuse ; but Aurung- 
zib removed his difficulties by pretending to confine him, 
Jind leaving Dara Sheko and Shuja to weaken each other, 
he applied all his art to gain over Morad, and declared him 
to be the new Emperor, offering him his services against 
Dara Sheko. The latter advanced on Agra, and sent an 
army under his son, Soliman Sheko, to oppose Shuja. The 
Emperor, positively getting better, ordered Prince Shuja to 
return to his province ; but he refused to obey, and was 
defeated and driven again to Bengal. Aurungzib and 
Morad defeated Rajah Jeswunt Singh, the imperial com- 
mander, and Morad was still led to believe that he was 
to be the future Emperor. The armies of Aurungzib and 
Dara met near Agra in A. D. 1658, where Dara's forces 
were defeated and he himself had to retire on Delhi. 
Aurungzib marched to Agra, three days after the battle, 
and though Shah Jehan lived seven years after, his reign 
may be said to end from this date, while Morad being 
no longer required as a puppet, was dismissed from his 
sovereignty and sent to confinement in Gwalior. The best 
historian of those times, Khaji Khan, states that for the 
order and arrangement of his territory and finances, and the 



4A THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

good administration in every department of the State, no 
Prince ever reigned in India that could be compared to 
Shah Jehan. He built the present city of Delhi, with its 
splendid palace and Jumma Masjid, together with many 
other public buildings, including the Taj Mahal at Agra, 
erected to the memory of his Queen, Mumtaz Mahal. He 
also caused to be made the celebrated Peacock Throne, 
which is said to have cost £6,000,000. In his treasury he 
left over twenty-four millions of pounds of our money and 
countless jewels. His conduct on the throne was blameless, 
and his treatment of his people beneficent and paternal, but 
he indulged during the latter part of his reign in pleasures 
that enervated his mind, and rendered him slothful and indif- 
ferent to his own interests. He reigned 30 years, and died 
at the age of 74, s^ven years after his deposition.* 

A. D. 1658. — Aurungzib virtually ascended the throne in 
A. D. 1658, and having eflfectually routed Dara Sheko, his 
object was to pursue him, but hfe watched the movements of 
Soliman Sheko, who was marching to his father's relief, aided 
by Rajah Jei Singh, and a General, named Dilir Khan. 
These two, however, deserted Soliman and joined Auruno*- 
zib, and Soliman took refuge in Sirinugger, but only to find 
himself a captive. Aurungzib now swiftly advanced on 
Dara Sheko, who by this time was raising another army at 
Lahore ; but Aurungzib's promptitude disconcerted his plans, 
and he was forced to retreat towards Mooltan. Prince 
Shuja, having advanced from Bengal, Aurungzib turned to 
meet him, leaving Dara to continue his flight. The rivals 
met at Cajwa, between Allahabad and Etawah. Rajah 
Jeswunt Singh treacherously joined Shuja and attacked 
Aurungzib's army, and it was only the admirable measures 

* Accounts vary as to the blamelessness of Shah Jehan's private life. 
Bernier describes him as grossly immoral and entirely given over to 
dibsipntioiL 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 45 

i&f the Emperor that enabled his forces to gain a complete^ 
victory. Prince Mahomed Sooltan, son of Aurungzib, 
was sent after Shuja ; and Mir Jumla, being released from 
his imaginary confinement, accompanied the young Prince, 
Aurungzib himself returning to Agra. Jeswunt Singh, 
perceiving that the chances of Shuja were gone, retreated 
on Agra, but he did nothing there, and retired into Jodh- 
pore, and a force was sent against him. Shuja in the mean- 
time re-entered Bengal. A gleam of good fortune now 
appeared in Dara Sheko's favor : he was acknowledged in 
Guzerat as the sovereign, and endeavoured to join Jeswunt 
Singh. Aurungzib, perceiving the desperateness of the 
situation, by his wiles won over the double traitor, Jeswunt 
Singh, who, when Dara was just about to join him, sent to 
say he dared not fight against Aurungzib ; Dara, with a con- 
siderable army, encamped near Ajmere, and awaited the 
arrival of his brother. A gallant fight took place, but Dara's 
invariable ill-fortune here again overtook him, for he was 
completely routed and left almost alone. In a miserable 
plight, thoroughly worn out by incessant marching, and the 
attacks of the hill-men, he at last reached Ahmedabad. The 
celebrated traveller, Bernier,* met him on his journey, and 
stayed a day or two in attendance on some of his family. 
To the bitter disappointment of the fugitives, the gates of 
Ahmedabad were closed against them, and they were forced 
to continue their retreat into Cutch, and so passed on into the 
Eastern part of Scind. There Dara was treacherously seized 
by an Afighan chief, and he and his son, Sepehr Sheko, were 
sent to Aurungzib, who, in a mean spirit ot revenge, paraded 
his captured brother through the principal streets, and con- 
fined "him in a prison in old Delhi. The chief of Jun, who 

* Bernier was a French travelling physician, a man of some note. He 
was long attached to Shah Jehan*s Court, of which, in his book on India, he 
gives a very good descnption. 



46 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

had thus acted the traitor's part, was met with curses and 
reproaches by the people, who all admired the fallen Prince, 
and it was with difficulty that a tumult was restrained. 
Dara was of course put to death, clemency or generosity 
forming no part of Aurungzib's character. But not tamely 
did the descendant of great Akber resign his life ; when 
he saw the executioners coming, he fought most desperately, 
but was soon overpowered and slain. Aurungzib ordered 
his murdered brother's head to be washed and wiped in his 
presence, having first sent the corpse round the city on an 
elephant, and when he was really satisfied that it really 
was Dara's head, he of course, as all such hypocrites do, burst 
into tears. Sepehr Sheko was sent to prison in Gwalior, 
Prince Sultan and Mir. Jumla now pressed Shuja hard, 
but Sultan, discontented at serving under Mir Julnla, 
went over to Shuja's side (A. D. 1659), and married one of 
his daughters, and again growing dissatisfied with his uncle, 
he once more re-joined Mir Jumla. Aurungzib hearing of 
this, ordered his son into imprisonment, where he was kept 
for many years. Shuja's a£Eairs from this date went rapidly 
wrong ; he retreated towards Dacca, and fled afterwards with 
a few followers to the Rajah of Arracan ; his end is not 
known, but it is supposed he was assassinated. Prince Soli- 
man Sheko was given up by the Rajah of Sirinuggur, and 
was sent by the Emperor's orders to confinement in Gwalior, 
where he shortly after died together with his brother, Sepehr 
Sheko, and his cousin, the young son of Morad, while 
Aurungzib's own son, Sultan, who was confined in the same 
place, lived till long after. The unhappy Morad, in attempt- 
ing to escape from his imprisonment, was seized, a charge 
was trumped up against him, and he was put to death. 
The Emperor now bad cleared the way ; this noblest of 
sovereigns, according to the Mahomedan idea, having mur- 
dered two of his brothers; and efiectually disposed of their 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 47 

sons, besides deposing his own father. Mir Jumla was now 
sent to Assam, which he soon subdued, but worn out with 
his eflforts, and the hardship he had undergone, he died in 
A. D. 1663 ; his son, Mahomed Amin, being immediately 
raised by the Emperor to all his dignities. A severe attack 
of illness at this period completely prostrated Aurungzib ; 
for a time his life was despaired of, and intriguers imme- 
diately commenced plotting ; but the Emperor was equal to 
the emergency, he forced himself to appear at court, and 
went through all the usual formalities. On his recovery 
he set oflF for Cashmere. 

The Mahratta family of the Boslas here came into notice^ 
Maloji, an oflScer of Malick Amber's, was of a respectable 
family, and a dependant of Jadu Rao, who had command of 
10,000 horse. By a will of Maloji, his son, Shahji, was 
betrothed to Jadu Rao's daughter, and one of the sons of the 
union that followed was Sevaji, the founder of the Mahratta 
empire. Shahji Bosla had been no mean actor in the last 
events of the kingdom of Ahmednugger, and he had risen to 
considerable importance. The Mahratta chiefs were wholly 
illiterate ; riding, hunting, and Military exercises were all 

they learnt ; but ignorant as they were in letters, they stu- 
died men to perfection, and the Mahratta power rose till it 
eventually overshadowed and eclipsed the glories of the 
Moguls. Sevaji obtained possession of a Mahomedan fort 
called Torna, and he proceeded to capture or buy over seve- 
ral others, and at length he revolted against the government 
of Bijapore and took possession of the Northern Concan. 
The government of Bijapore seized his father and tried 
to coerce Sevaji by threats, but the latter made overtures 
to Shah Jehan, who was then reigning, and his father's life 
was spared at the Emperor's request. On Shahji's release, 
Sevaji again commenced his attacks, and approaching the 



48 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

confines of the Mogul command, Prince Aurungzib was sent 
down to check bim (A. D. 1G55) ; the two, however, came 
to terms, which they both evaded fulfilling. The Bijapore 
government now got seriously alarmed, and sent Afizool 
Khan agaiast Sevaji. The cunning Mahratta completely 
hood-winked the haughty Mahomedan, who was induced to 
meet (what he was led to consider) his trembling and sup- 
pliant foe. He advanced through woody defiles to the hill- 
fort of Pertabgurh, where Sevaji was residing, and the Mah- 
ratta persuaded his enemy to meet him alone apparently 
unarmed. Sevaji descended with tottering steps from his 
fort, but under his white robe he wore a shirt of chain 
armour and a concealed dagger, and sharp hooks of steel 
were fastened in his fingers. At the moment of embrace 
Sevaji struck the claws into his adversary and despatched 
him on the spot, while his troops, who were concealed in the 
defiles, fell on the Mahomedans and completely overthrew 
them. It is said of Sevaji that he inflicted death and torture 
to force confessions of concealed treasure, but that he was 
never personally guilty of useless cruelty, which after all is 
not much in the way of praise. 

The King of Bijapore now took the field himself, and before 
long Sevaji was driven out of his conquests, but by 1G62 he 
had again made good all his losses. It was at this time that 
Aurungzib was taken so dangerously ill, and that Sevaji 
commenced his ravages in the Mogul territory. Shaista 
Khan, the imperial commander, marched against him and 
took up his position at Puna, twelve miles from Singhur, 
where Sevaji had retired. At Puna, Shaista Khan occupied 
the very house Sevaji had lived in as a child, and the bold 
Mahratta determined on a daring enterprize. He entered 
Puna with a band of singers, leaving his troops on the road, 
and entered his own house by a back-door, at once attack- 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 49 

ing Shalsta Khan, who had barely time to escape with his 
life. Sevaji rapidly retreated, joined his men on the road, 
and ascended again to his hill-fort amid a blaze 'of torches I 
Shaista Khan thought that this attack had been connived 
at by some of his own people, and the dissensions in the 
imperial army became so great that Shaista was re-called. 
Aurungzib's son, Prince Moazzim, being sent down to take 
command, Sevaji now attacked Surat, and plundered it, 
and his father dying he assumed the title of Rajah and com- 
menced coining money. Aurungzib sent Rajah Jei Singh 
and Dilir Khan against him, and Moazzim returned to Delhi. 
Sevaji submitted, and receiving assurance of favour and 
safety, he proceeded to the imperial court. He and his 
son Sambaji arrived in Delhi, and Aurungzib had now 
the opportunity of firmly binding to his interest a man 
whose influence was immense; but he was too narrow- 
minded to treat his guest as he had agreed to treat him, and 
he thought his best plan would be to endeavour to make 
Sevaji sensible of his insignificance. At the interview 
accorded, he treated him with marked discourtesy, and so 
wounded the fellings of the Mahratta'" chief, that it is 
reported he actually fell down in a swoon and was carried 
out half-dead from the audience : after this he was virtually 
kept in confinement, but at last managed to escape in a 
very adroit manner, taking his son with him. Dressed as a 
faqueer he wandered on his road for nine months, eventually 
reaching his Fort of Raigurh. Soon after his escape. Shah 
Jehan died. ^ 

This was the most prosperous part of Aurungzib s reign. 
His Governor of Cashmere had brought Little Thibet under 
his control, and the viceroy of Bengal had conquered Chitta- 
gong. The Sherif of Mecca sent him an embassy, as did 
the King of Abyssinia and the Chief of the Uzbecks, and one 
also came from the King of Persia. 

9 



50 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI, 

The imperial army had, under Jei Sing, failed at Bijapore, 
and Prince Moazzim, with Jeswunt Singh to assist him, was 
sent to re-place the abovementioned General. Dilir Khan, 
who was disliked by both, was left as a check on them, 
according to Aurungzib's wont, for he seemed to trust no one. 
Sevaji, once back in his own territory, rapidly resumed 
possession of his old forts, and afterwards made peace with, 
the imperial commanders, was acknowledged as Rajah, and 
once again he turned his arms on Bijapore and Golconda ; 
and so weakened were the monarchs of these two States, 
that they agreed to pay the Mahrattas an annual tribute. 
Sevaji now employed his time in giving a regular form to 
his government. The wish of Aurungzib was to get Sevaji 
into his power, hence the concessions made to him, but 
Sevaji turned all the Emperor's schemes against himself, 
and conciliated both Moazzim and Jeswunt Singh by bribes. 
The Emperor soon found out how useless the game was he 
was playing, and that to cajole the crafty Mahratta chief 
was impossible ; he then threw off the mask and once more 
gave orders for war, on which Sevaji immediately surprised 
Singhur, plundered Surat, and ravaged Candeish, for the 
first time levying the celebrated " Chouth" a permanent con- 
tribution of one-fourth of the revenue, (exempting the districts 
that paid from plunder. Mohabut Khan was sent against 
the Mahrattas with 40,000 men, but was defeated by Sevaji. 
After this the war languished for many years, and the Em- 
peror's attention was occupied by the war with the hill tribes. 
An insurrection of the Hindoos exciting Aurungzib s bigotry, 
he revived the capitation tax, checked all displays of idol- 
worship, forbade all fairs on Hindoo festivals, and from some 
fancy of his own he prohibited the making of verses or writino- 
of history ; and thus from the eleventh year of his reign, the 
course of events is only traceable through letters, &c. ^Orders 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 51 

were given that do more Hindoos were to be entertained in 
the subordinate appointments of the public service ; it was 
found impracticable to carry this order out, but the issuing of 
it, together with his other arbitrary acts, raised in the Hindoo 
mind a deep feeling of dislike and dissatisfaction. In Delhi 
the people swarmed round the imperial procession going to 
the mosque, but the retinue forced their way through the 
crowd ; many lives were lost in consequence, and numbers 
were trampled by the elephants. 

The people submitted, but great discontent arose. The 
Hindoos in the Dekkan became at heart Mahrattas, and 
the Rajpoots, with the exception of Rajah Ram Singh of 
Jeypore, refused to agree to the capitation tax, and the 
whole of Rajpootana rose in arms. Aurungzib marched against 
the malcontents, but a peace was patched up on favourable 
terms to the enemy. The Emperor returned to Delhi, 
but hearing that the Rana of Oodipore had again broken 
into rebellion, he once more set forth to chastise him. 
Calling Prince Moazzim from the Dekkan, and Prince 

Azim from Bengal, he ordered the Viceroy of Guzerat 
to invade the Rajpoot territory from that side also. The 
country was ravaged, and the women and children carried 
oflF, and Aurungzib assuredly humbled his vassal, but the 
result was the complete alienation of the Rajpoots. They 
indeed did serve again with hira, but never with the zeal they 
had shown of old. Doorga Dass, chief adviser of the Raj- 
poots, induced Prince Akber to join him, and though Prince 
Moazzim warned the Emperor of his treachery, his intelli- 
gence was derided, and he was himself suspected, and not till 
Akber was actually proclaimed Emperor did Aurungzib 
believe Moazzim's account. It was then almost too late to 
do anything, all the imperial troops were out in detachments 
and the Emperor only had about 1,000 men with him at 
Ajmerej so Moazzim was hastily summoned, Akber had 



62 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

70,000 men, and Aurungzib's position became extremely 
critical ; but his wonderful genius — for nothing else can it be 
called — saved him. He conjectured that Akber s troops had 
been surprised into revolt. Several of the leading mea 
were got over from the Rajpoot side, and ere long so skil- 
fully had Aurungzib used his opportunities, that the whole 
of Akber's army broke up, but 3,000 horse remaining to 
cover his retreat to the Mahratta camp. The war with 
Mewar and Jodhpore was proceeded with, and the Rajpoots 
catching the intolerant spirit of the Mahomedans, burned the 
Kor^n, plundered the mosques, and insulted the *' miillahs." 
Peace was at last made on favorable terms to the Rajpoots, 
and the Emperor withdrew his army to the Dekkan. Sevaji 
was about this period crowned at Raighur with great 
solemnity, and immediately after he again invaded the M<^gul 
territory, his troops for the first time crossing the Nerbudda. 
He himself marched Southwards and recovered all his 
father*s jagheers, and occupied Vellore and other parts of 

Mysore. 

The Moguls invaded Golconda under Dilir Khan, while 
the war with Bijapore was renewed. The head of that State 
asked for Sevaji*s help, and the latter ravaged the Mogul 
territory, and Sevaji himself, hastening to the relief of 
Bijapore, heard of the defection of his son, Sambaji, who> 
for a gross outrage on a Brahmin*s wife, had been confined 
in a hill fort. Sambaji, after his escape from durance, 
fled to Dilir Khan, but Aurungzib ordered him to be sent 
to the imperial camp. Dilir Khan, however, allowed him to 
return to his father. The siege of Bijapore was raised, but 
hardly was this efifected when Sevaji died in the 53rd year of 
his age, on the 5th of April 1680. The Mahrattas attempted 
to set aside Sambaji, but he was at last acknowledged as 
Rajah. He augurised his reign with terrible cruelties, and 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 63 

spent his days in gross debauchery, wasting all the trea- 
sures his father, had accumulated, and the kingdom sank 
into comparative insignificance. Aurungzib again appeared 
in the Dekkan and determined to conquer Golconda and 
Bijapore, considering that what threw the Dekkan into con- 
fusion, would at last turn to his advantage. The campaign 
of Prince Moazzim in the Concan had been anything but 
successful, and having lost all his horses and stores, he was 
directed to attack Bijapore from the South-west and to 
co-operate with Prince Azim, the Emperor himself advancing 
to Ahmednugger. Sambaji now turned on the Emperor's 
rear, ravaged the country, and plundered Baroch. The 
Mogul attack on Bijapore failed, but the dominions of the 
King of Golconda, Sambaji's ally, were invaded by a small 
force, Prince Moazzim being afterwards sent to assist with 
a large army. 

The King of Golconda, after some internal disturbances, 
fled to the Fort of Golconda, and Hyderabad was seized 
and plundered by the Moguls under Moazzim. Aurungzib 
was exceedingly indignant at this, not on account of the 
slaughter or the bad policy of the proceeding, but because 
he thought that his son was merely following his own 
example, when Shah Jehan was Emperor, and had embezzled 
the wealth found in Hyderabad for his own use. He now 
marched in person against Bijapore ; the vast city was ill- 
defended, and the besieged surrendered ; and " ceasing to be a 
" capital, it was soon reduced to the deserted condition in 
"which it now stands." Aurungzib next determined to 
capture Golconda, and induced the unfortunate sovereign of 
that country to make him rich presents, while all the time 
he was intriguing with his followers. The Fort of Gol- 
conda fell and the King was made a prisoner ; the suspi- 
cions of the Emperor against Moazzim were not allayed^ 



54} THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

and though that Frince had done nothing to deserve hig 
father s displeasure, he was thrown into prison and kept 
there seven years, and never afterwards did he really come 
into favour. Aurungzib had attained the objects of his 
ambition, having dismembered the two States which would 
have been the best check to the growing power of the 
Mahrattas, and now all dissentients flocked to Sambaji, and 
from this period Aurungzib might date " that train of vexa- 
" tions and disasters which followed him to his grave ;" but 
for the present his star was in the ascendant, and he took 
possession of Bijapore and Golconda, aud acquired Shahji s 
jagheer in Mysore. 

Sambaji all this time did nothing, he seeins to have been 
perpetually sunk in a lethargic stupor from excessive 
drunkenness, and Prince Akber, who, as before mentioned^ 
had joined him, disgusted at the scenes he witnessed, went 
to Persia, where he was alive in A. D. 1706. The career of 
Sambaji was soon to close. The Mogul oflScer, Tokarrab 
Khan, commanding at Colapore, by an act of great gallantry, 
seized him while at a pleasure-house in the Concan, and 
though Sambaji had plenty of time to escape, he was so com- 
pletely intoxicated that he could not stir. He was led 
before Aurungzib, but, moved to a sense of his degradation, 
the vile wretch " courted death and replied to an invitation to 
*' become a Mussulman" by the grossest insults to the Maho- 
medan religion and the Emperor. " He was put to death 
with horrible tortures, his eyes were destroyed with a hot 
iron, and his tongue was cut out," He was afterwards 
beheaded. His infant son, Saho, was acknowledged as 
Bajah, and his uncle. Rajah Ram, was made Regent. • The 
Fort of Raighur being taken, the infent Prince was captured, 
but the Regent escaped to Jingi, and was there proclaimed 
Rajah. In A. D. 1662, Rajah Ram took the field, and the 
whole of the Dekkan was once more in a blaze, The Mogul 






THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 65 

army was no longer what it had been ; the grossest abuses 
had crept in, and ostentation and show took the place of 
such soldierly qualities as the soldiers of Akber and Shah 
Jehan had possessed ; the guards slept when on duty, and 
were encumbered, when on the alert, with useless and 
cumbrous ornaments. The tactics of the Mahrattas, who 
were ever on the qui vive, struck a dread in. the Mogul 
forces, and the Emperor perceived it was necessary to revive 
the spirit of his troops. He sent Prince Oambuksh to 
attack Jingi, but, as was his wont, detached Asad Khan and 
his father, Zoolfikar Khan, to serve with and watch him, 
and so disgusted all parties. Santaji Gopara advanced 
to raise the siege, and Prince Cambuksh was induced to 
join him, but the other imperial commanders finding out 
the plot, arrested him. The siege was raised, and the 
Moguls retired disheartened. Aurungzib again inter^ 
fered, and leaving Zoolfikar Khan to command, re-called 
Cambuksh and Asad Khan. Zoolfikar took Jingi, but Rajah 
Bam was allowed to escape ; Santaji Gopara was soon after 
murdered, and the Emperor attacked Sattara, which place 
fell in A. D. 1700. Rajah Ram died before its fall, being 
succeeded by his son Sevaji. For five years more the war 
continued, and on the whole the Moguls were successful. 
Aurungzib was now 81 yea^rs of age, and he had to suflfer 
rjOiany hardships. In spite of all the luxury iu his camp, 
the violent beat and the constant failure of water and 
supplies bore heavily on his enfeebled constitution. Not- 
withstanding his many anxieties, he retained his vigour, and 
'* alone conducted every branch of his government in the 
*' minutest detail." He indeed mistrusted every one, and 
seems to have managed each petty matter, which would 
have been more easily arranged by his ministers. The 
truth was, he remembered the treatment he had dealt out 



56 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

to bis own father, and was determined that no son of his 
should wrest away from him the power he had so iniqui- 
tously won. The Royal Princes were surrounded by spies, 
and he took care to hear from their colleagues all that they 
were concerned in. To his own officials he was courtly and 
considerate, desiring to bind those about his person to his 
interest, but he was remarkably unsuccessful in winning 
any one's attachment. Prince Moazzim, after release from 
his seven years' imprisonment, was sent to govern the 
remote province of Cabul, and all his sons were treated iu 
a similarly cautious spirit. 

To return to the state of the kingdom. The Rajpoots and 
Jats were still in open rebellion, and the Mahrattas, after 
reducing the Dekkan to a desert, had spread over Malwa and 
Guzerat, leaving everywhere pillaged towns, ravaged fields, 
and smoking villages, and they now began to recover their 
forts. The Mogul troops became more timid, and the 
commissariat arrangements failed, as the treasury became 
empty — vast remittances were sent from Hindostan, but 
the finances Avere in complete disorder. The troops began 
to murmur, and the Emperor said if they didn't like his 
service they might quit it. The Mahrattas meanwhile drew 
round his army and treated the Moguls with derision. 

Aurungzib retreated to Ahmednugger; "all hurried on 
" in disorder and dejection, deafened by the incessant firing 
" kept up by the marksmen, alarmed by the shouts and 
" charges of the lancers, and every moment expecting a 
'* general attack to complete their dispersion and destruction." 
It was Avith difficulty the Emperor escaped falling into 
the hands of the enemy. " Ahmednugger, from whence 
*' twenty years before he had marched with so much power 
" and splendour on his conquests, received the remains of 
" his ruined greatness, and was soon to witness the close of 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 57 

" his earthly career." He rapidly sank, and from his letters 
we may gather " the failure of his hopes in this world and 
" dread of that to come. The remembrance of Shah Jehau 
" seemed to haunt him more than ever ; he nowhere ex- 
" presses his remorse for his share in that monarch's fate, 
" but he shows by all his actions how much he fears that a 
" like measure may be meted out to him." He expired on 
the 21st of February 1707, in the 89th year of his age, and 
60th of his reign. 

This sovereign was never guilty of any liberal or gene- 
rous sentiments, and he alienated his subjects by his narrow 
views on religion, and his officers by his system of espionage 
and distrust. It appears that no Hindoo in his empire ever 
suffered death, imprisonment, or loss of property for his 
religion ; " yet such is the effect of mutual jealousy and ani- 
" mosity in matters of religion, that the most violent outrages 
" have seldom raised up so obstinate a spirit of resistance 
"as was engendered by the partiality and prejudices of this 
Emperor. His government was a system of continual mis- 
trust, every man's character is secretly investigated, and 
" colleagues are so selected that each may be a check on his 
" neighbour, yet there never was a Prince so cheated or so 
"ill-served." He is described as being of low stature and 
slender, with a slight stoop ; he had a long nose and rounded 
beard ; his countenance being cheerful and smiling. " Of 
" all the Kings of India, Aurungzib is the most admired 
"among the Mussulmans. There are few who are quite 
" blind to the lustre of Akber's character, but fewer still 
" whose deliberate judgment would not give the preference 
" to Aurungzib."* 

A. D. 1707.— BaJiadur Shah.— As soon as Prince Azim 



€t 



U 



* In this reign the English attacked the empire on both sides of India, 
but no particular mention is made of these occurrences. 

h 



58 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

heard oi his father's death, he was within a week proclaimed 
sovereign of all India. Prince Moazzim, the heir-apparent, 
assumed the crown at Cahul, with the title of Bahadur Shah. 
The two brothers met in battle near Agra, Bahadur Shah 
being the victor. Prince Cambuksh had admitted the sove- 
reignty of Azim, but refused to acknowledge his conqueror ; 
he was however defeated near Hyderabad, soon after dying 
of his wounds (1708). In the Mahratta States, Saho, the 
son of Sambaji, having grown up, contended with Tara Bai, 
the son of Raja Ram, for the crown. Daud Khan Panni was 
left in charge of the Dekkan by the Moguls, and in a meeting 
with Saho, he agreed that the " chouth" should be paid while 
he remained in office, and this arrangement kept the Mah- 
rattas quiet. The Rajpoots conspiring once again, the 
Emperor in person marched against them, but hearing of the 
revolt of the Sikhs in Sirhind, he made peace and proceeded 
to crush the new insurgents. 

Nanuk Cbund, at the end of the 15th century, had founded 
this sect, who maintained that devotion was due to God, but 
that forms were immaterial. Their spiritual chief was put to 
death in A. D. 1606, and under Hur Govind, son of the 
murdered pontiflf, they rose in arms, but were expelled frona 
Lahore, and had to take refuge in the mountains. Gooroo 
Govind, the tenth chief from Nanuk, in A. D. 1675 formed 
them into a religious and military confederacy ; he abolished 
all distinctions of caste, and instituted a peculiar dress and 
peculiar manners. Each follower of his was always to 
carry steel in some form about his person, tp wear blue 
clothes, and never to cut or clip a hair on his body. Respect 
was maintained for Brahmins and the Hindoo gods, and 
slaughter of kine was forbidden ; their religion in fact being 
a purer Hindooism than elsewhere existed in India. So 
effectual have the changes been in this people, that they 
have even " now as distinct a national character as any of 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 59 

''the original races in India." They are tall and thin, 
devoted to pleasure, being frank and sociable ; all thorough 
soldiers, but no longer fanatics. At the time referred to, they 
were overpowered, but a gloomy spirit of revenge broke out 
in the conquered race, under a new chief, named Bandu, they 
ravaged Sirhind with every accompaniment of barbarity. At 
Saharunpore they were checked and fell back to Loodianah, 
from whence they issued Southward to invade the country 
round Lahore and Delhi. The Emperor marched against 
them and defeated them, but Bandu escaped. They were, 
however, onlv subdued for the time, and were ao^ain becominor 
powerful, when Bahadur Shah died at Lahore in the 71st 
lunar year of his age and 5th of his reign. 

A. D. 1712. — Jehander Shah succeeded his father, after the 
iisual conflicts with his brothers. Zoolfikar Khan was made 
vizier, and assumed complete control of the government. 
One of Jehander Shah's first acts was to put all his rela- 
tives to death, but his nephew, Farokshir, escaped, and 
threw himself on the protection of Hossein Ali, the Governor 
of Behar. The Emperor was sunk in debauchery, and on 
Farokshir's advancing against him, he was defeated and fled 
in disguise back to Delhi to the house of Assad Khan, father 
of his vizier. The two traitors gave up the fugitive, but this 
proceeding availed Zoolfikar but little, for both he and 
Jehander Shah were> slain together with many others of the 
nobles. 

A. D. 1713.— Farokshir ascended the throne at once, and 
the family of the Seiads, who had so helped him, rose imme- 
diately to great influence and power ; but the Emperor was 
jealous of them, and spent his whole reign in plotting their 
overthrow. To weaken their influence, one of the brothers, 
Hossein Ali, was sent against Ajit Singh, Rajah of Marwar, 
and Farokshir had actually the foolishness to write to his 
en^ifties to make a good stand against his own Genera). 



60 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHL 

Peace was however concluded, and the Emperor's designs 
were overthrown, but so apparent was his perfidy, that the 
Seiads determined to bring matters to an issue, and th^ 
sovereign, thoroughly alarmed, submitted to their demands. 
Farokshir s great friend, Mir Jumla, was sent to Behar as 
governor, and was thus removed out of the way. Abdoollah 
Khan acted as vizier, and Hossein Khan undertook the 
government of the Dekkan ; but hardly had the latter set out 
on his journey, when Farokshir's machinations re-commenoed, 
and he instructed Daud Khan Panni to do all he could to 
accomplish Hossein's destruction ; this was to be done 
secretly, but Daud Khan little understood such underhand 
work, and hardly had Hossein Khan set forth in the Dekkan 
than he found himself furiously attacked. The fortunes of 
the day wavered long, but victory at last settled on the 
standards of the Seiad, and Daud Khan was defeated and slain. 

A. D. 1716. — The Sikhs under Bandu invaded the Mogul 
territory again, and ravaged the country far and wide ; at last 
they were defeated by Abdusemed Khan, and their leader, 
with 740 miserable captives, were brought to Delhi. All the 
prisoners, except Bandu, were beheaded : for him a more hor- 
rible death was reserved. His child was butchered before his 
eyes and its heart thrown in his face, and he himself was torn 
to death with hot pincers. He died with " unshaken con- 
'' stancy, glorying in having been raised up by God to be a . 
" scourge to the iniquities and oppressions of the age." It 
was long after this before the Sikhs regained any thing of their 
power. Hossein Khan meanwhile continued his operations in 
the Dekkan, but met with little success; he made terms with 
Rajah Saho, and agreed to acknowledge his claim to Sevaji's 
territory with the addition of all later conquests, and 
among other conditions to allow the levy of the " chouth,'' or 
one-fourth of the revenue over the whole of the Dekkan. 

Hossein Khan's object was gained, and he returned to Delhi, 



tHE NEW 6UIDE tO DELHI. 61 

where he felt his presence was sorely needed ; the treaty, 
however, was not ratified by Farokshir, which refusal only 
hastened the crisis of the dispute between him and the Seiads* 
Mir Jumla suddenly appeared on the scene, pretending he 
had been obliged to flee from his own government, but the 
Seiads compelled the Emperor to send him to Mooltan. 
Farokshir and his chief nobles now entered into a conspiracy 
to rid themselves of the Seiads, but the Emperor's levity and 
irresolution disgusted the others, and Jei Singh, one of the 
chief malcontents, came to terms with Abdoollah Khan, the 
elder of the Seiads, and Hossein Khan at once marched on 
Delhi to reinforce his brother. It was evident that no 
reliance could be placed on Farokshir, and Hossein Khan's 
guards having seized the palace, he was dragged out from his 
seraglio and put to death — (A. D. 1719). 

In this reign Aurungzib's capitation tax was levied, but 
the resistance was so great that the tax was soon after for- 
mally abolished. On Farokshir s death, the Seiads set up 
a young Prince of the blood royal, to whom they gave the 
title of Rafi-o-Dirjat, but he and another Prince who suc- 
ceeded him, Rafi-o-Doula, died almost immediately they 
ascended the throne, and a third candidate was selected in 
the person of Roushen Akbery who, on his ascension, assumed 
the name of Mahomed Shah. Mahomed Shah commenced his 
reign under no auspicious circumstances, for insurrections 
broke out everywhere, and the Seiads, to make matters worse, 
quarrelled among themselves. 

Chin Kilich Khan, well known as Asof Jah, and whose 
descendants are now Nizams of the Dekkan, was the Viceroy 
of the Dekkan. He had clung to the party of the Seiads, but 
on the death of Farokshir, he was only made Governor of 
Malwa. Disgusted at this treatment, he rapidly collected 
troops and soon gained over the whole of the Dekkan and 
defeated the army of the Seiads (A. D. 1720). Meanwhile 



62 THE I^EW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

the ne\r Emperor avoided any show of opposition to those who 
had raised him to the throne, though he secretly endeavoured 
to free himself from their power, but the Seiads, perplexed as 
they were at the turns things were taking, determined to retain 
the Emperor in their own hands, and Hossein Khan proceeded 
towards the Dekkan in company with Bahadur Shah ; but 
being assassinated, the party of the Seiads was left without a 
•head, and made their submission to the Emperor. The other 
great leader of the Seiads proclaimed one of the Princes con- 
fined in Delhi as the real sovereign, and assembled an army 
in his name. He was however defeated and made prisoner, 
but his life was spared, which was probably owing to his 
descent from the Prophet. The monarchy was now in a stiite 
of rapid decline, and Ajit Singh, with his Rajpoots, advanced, 
plundering to within fifty miles of Delhi. Asof Jah then took 
the post of vizier, but the Emperor did not hesitate to show 
his dislike to him, and he was sent against Heidur Culi, the 
Ruler of Guzerat. The insurrection was soon quelled, and 
Asof Jah returned to Delhi, but disgusted with the habits of 
the imperial court, he sent in his resignation of the viziership 
and set out for the Dekkan. Mobariz Khan, the Governor of 
Hyderabad, was induced to endeavour to supplant him, but 
Asof Jah, in the battle that ensued, overthrew and slew him, 
and sent his head as a present to the Emperor ; and ever after 
he conducted himself as an independent Prince. Saho had 
been con firmed as Rajah by the Mogul Court, but it suited 
the policy of Asof Jah to assist his rival Samba (A. D. 
1713-16), whose prime minister was *Balaji Wiswanath, a 
most able man, who died in 1720, leaving as his successor 
his son, Baji Rao, in the office of Peishwa, the second in the 
State, the Pirti Nidhi or delegate of the Rajah being the first. 
Saho was not of the hardy character that was so necessary in 
a Mabratta leader, whereas, Baji Rao had a frank manner. 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 63 

never flinched from fatigue or danger, and was used to every 
hardship. The new Peishwa invaded Asof Jah s States, and 
so reduced him that he was compelled to renounce his con- 
nection with Samba. Asof Jah then gained over the Pirti 
Nidhi, and so worked on his fears and his jealousy of the 
Peishwa, that that officer, Dabari by name, assembled 30,000 
men with the professed object of delivering the Raja from 
the thraldom of his minister ; but Baji Rao met and overthrew 
him, Dabari being slain in the battle ; his son was, however, 
confirmed in all his appointments. 

Baji Rao could now have attacked Asof Jah, but he had 
the sense to see that it was far more to his advantage to 
come to a good understanding with him, which he did, and 
then entered Malwa in 1732, the government of which was 
in the hands of Mahomed Khan Bungush. The whole 
country was quickly taken possession of, and a considerable 
portion of Bundelkund was handed over to the conqueror in 
payment of his services to the Rajah of that State. Baji Rao 
now demanded from the imperial government a grant of the 
province of Malwa and all the country South of the Chumbul, 
with the cities of Muthra, Allahabad and Benares ; and Asof 
Jah at last perceived that by leaving the Emperor alone to 
fight the Mahrattas, he was only weakening himself; but 
before he could come to any determination, Baji Rao had 
advanced to within forty miles of Agra, while his light troops, 
under Malhar Rao Holkar, were ravaging the country beyond 
the Jumna ; but the latter were attacked by Saadut Khan, 
Governor of Oudh, and driven back. Baji Rao then himself 
advanced, and of a sudden himself presented before the gates 
of Delhi (A. D. 1737), but hearing of the advance of Asof Jah 
he retired again into his own provinces, .while Asof Jah was 
invested with full powers to call out the resources of the 
Mogul State ; he could only assemble some 30,000 men, and 



64 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

with these troops, aided by Sufter Jung, the nephew of Saadut 
Khan of Oudh, he advanced against Baji Rao, finally en- 
trenching his army close to Bhopal. The Mahrattas forced 
him to retreat, and he afterwards came to terms with the 
Peishwa, which were most disastrous for the Emperor. 

And now occurred " one of those tremendous visitations, 
" which for a time render men insensible to all other consi- 
" derations." It is not within the limits of this work to 
trace back the history of Nadir Shah, the great Persian 
warrior. He had risen from the position of a mere free- 
booter to be the actual head of the Persian monarchy, and 
deposing Tahmasp Shah, he formally assumed the title of 
King of Persia. Not long had he been seated on the throne 
before he perceived the utter weakness of the Mogul Empire, 
and he soon found a pretext to invade the dominions of his 
neighbour, who learnt to his dismay that the Persian armies 
had crossed the mountains and were advancing into the 
Punjab. Within a hundred miles of Delhi the rival sovereigns 
met. The Emperor had been joined by Asof Jah and Saadut 
Khan, but in the ensragement which took place Ausof Jah did 
not take any part. The Mogul army was completely defeat- 
ed, Saadut Khan being taken prisoner. Asof Jah was sent 
to the Persian camp to offer submission, and was graciously 
received, but Nadir Shah compelled Mahomed Shah to join 
him, and thus accompanied, he entered Delhi in March 1739. 
It is believed that the Persian King honestly endeavoured to 
prevent violence, placing his own guards to protect the rich 
nobles from the exactions of his soldiers ; but the people rose 
and massacred the Persians wherever they could be found, 
the Indian nobles not striving in the least to take any care 
for those who had been sent for their own safety, but actu- 
ally giving them up to be murdered by the populace. Nadir 
Shah long withheld his fierce anger, but one of his chiefs 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 65 

being killed at his side, he ordered a general massacre, and 
during one whole day the butchery went on, the city being 
fired in many places. At last the Emperor entreated him to 
give the order to stop the slaughter, and, wonderful to say, 
that order being given, so admirable was the discipline of the 
Persian army, it was at once obeyed. The city was glutted 
of its gold and jewels with all the imperial treasures, including 
^the Peacock Throne. "Sleep and rest," says Scott, " forsook 
" the city. In every chamber and house was heard the cry 
" of affliction ; it was before a general massacre, but now the 
" murder of individuals," alluding to the tortures inflicted on 
the inhabitants to extract treasure. All the country West of 
the Indus was ceded to the Persians, and Nadir Shah left 
Delhi, after seating Mahomed Shah once more on the throne. 
The booty carried off was estimated at some thirty millions of 
pounds of our money. After the departure (^f the Persians, 
deplorable was the state of the imperial city, ruined, deserted, 
and half burnt as it was, dead bodies lying in every direction, 
and terror depicted on every face. The army was destroyed, 
the treasury empty, and the Mahrattas were still threatening 
the South, while to add to all, the imperial court was split by 
internal dissensions. Baji Rao at once resumed offensive 
operations and attacked Nasur Jung, the second son of Asof 
Jah, who had been left in charge of his father s dominions, 
but he was defeated and died soon after ( in A. D. 1746 ), 
being succeeded as Peishwa by his eldest son, Balaji Rao, 
who took advantage of the weakness of the imperial court to 
make further demands for territory. His aid was called for 
by the Moguls to resist the encroachments of Raguji Bosla, 
and the Province of Malwa was given over to him. He then 
set out against Raguji, and drove him from Bengal, but the 
latter took advantage of subsequent troubles, and in A. D. 
1751 he obtained from the Delhi government the cession of 



6G THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

Cuttack and the annual payment of £120,000, as the '' ckoutK' 
for Bengal. Asof Jah died in 1748, aged 77, and in the same 
year died Saho Rajah, leaving no heirs, which was afterwards 
the cause of great troubles to the Mahrattas. Balaji pre- 
tended that Saho had before his death abdicated in his favour, 
and he took possession of the government. 

Ahmed Khan Dourani, originally the head of a frontier 
tribe, had extended his influence over the neighbouring 
tribes and country, and in A. D. 1747 had been declared 
King of Candahar. He modelled his court on that of Nadir 

« 

Shah, with whom he had formerly served, and at the time 
referred to reigned over Balkh, Scinde, Cashmere and 
Beloochistan, and he now determined to invade Hindoostan. 
He soon occupied the Punjab, but was met by Ahmed Shah, 
the heir-apparent, and driven back to his own territory. 
A Viceroy was appointed over the Punjab, and Ahmed Shah 
turned homewards just in time to take possession of the 
throne, as Mahomed Shah expired soon after the battle that 
had been fought at Sirhind, 

A. D. 1747. — Ahmed Shak— This sovereign made Sufter 
Jung, son of Saadut Khan, his vizier ; and a force was imme- 
diately organized to put down the Rohillas, whose power had 
become formidable ; but Sufter Jung was defeated, and the 
Rohillas penetrated as far as Allahabad and set the Emperor 
at defiance. Sufter Jung then called in the aid of the Mah- 
rattas, and with their assistance, the Rohillas were speedily 
driven back to the Himalayas, and in payment of the Mah- 
rattas' services, they were allowed to levy their subsidy from 
the conquered territory, and many years elapsed ere the coun- 
try recovered from their ravages. Ahmed Shah Dourani now 
again invaded the Punjab, and he not only obtained complete 
possession, but sent an ambassador demanding the cession 
of the province. The Moguls remembered the horrors of 



Xf 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. %i 

Nadir Shah's advance on Delhi, and complied with the 
demand. Sufter Jung made this a ground of complaint, but 
his real reasons for annoyance arose from his having been 
supplanted in the Emperor's favor by a eunuch named Jawid, 
and this man he cruelly assassinated in a very treacherous 
manner. Ahmed Shah was exasperated at this outrage, and 
the instrument he found to avenge him on the vizier was 
Ghazee-oodeen, ( the eldest son of Asof JaVs eldest son, 
Ghazee-oodeen.) This man had been promoted by Sufter Jung 
himself to the position he held. " He was a specimen of such 

of the Mogul courtiers as were not quite sunk in sloth. 
Restless and ambitious, as skilful in dissembling his passions 
*' as incapable of controlling them, he looked on perfidy and 
*' murder as the natural means of attaining his ends, and was 
" as reckless of consequences as regardless of principle. He 
" resisted the vizier, and the result was a civil war carried oii 
'' actually for six months in the streets of Delhi '" The Mah- 
rattas were as usual called in, and Sufter Jung made peace, 
retaining possession of Oudh and Allahabad. The Emperor 
however became more intolerant of Ghazee-oodeen then he 
had been 6f Sufter Jung, but he fell into a trap that he had 
laid for his subject, and setting out on pretence pf hunting, 
but really intending to seize Ghazee-oodeen, when unawares, 
the latter suddenly turned on him p,nd took him prisoner. 
He ordered the Emperor s eyes to be put out, as well as those 
of the Queen his n^other ; deposed Ahmed Shah, and fixed 
on one of the Priuces of the blood to succeed, who ascended 
the throne under the qame of Alumgir JI. 

A. D. 1754:. — Alumgh IL — rSufter Jung dying soon after 
this Prince's ascenaiou, Ghazee-oodeen assumed the office 
of vizier; Shuja-oo-doulab, Sufter Jung's son, being left 
in possession of his father's territory. In a mutiny that 
arose in the imperial army, the vizier's life for a long time 
held on ji thready and he w£^s dragged along the ground by 



X 



68 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

his discontented soldiery ; but being at last rescued, he fero- 
ciously ordered the massacre of the whole body of troops 
who were present at the time. He now, by an act of the 
grossest treachery, obtained possession of Lahore. He had 
betrothed himself to the daughter of Mir Manu, (the Viceroy 
of the Punjab, appointed by Ahmed Shah Dourani ), and oa 
the death of this Vicerov, Ghazee-oodeen declared he wa«j 
desirous of having the marriage ceremony performed ; but no 
sooner had he arrived in Lahore than he took possession of the 
city and carried off the mother of his intended wife. Ahmed 
Shah Dourani, roused to vengeance by this perfidy, imme- 
diately advanced on Delhi, and once more the unfortunate 

capital was deluged in blood ( A. D. 1756.) The Fort of 
BuUubgurh was taken and its defenders put to the sword, and 
Muttra was attacked while a religious festival was being held, 
and all the votaries present were barbarously massacred. 
A Rohilla, by name Nujib-oo-doulah, was appointed by the 
conqueror as vizier in the place of Ghazee-oodeen, at the 
Emperor's request, but Ghazee-oodeen called in the aid of 
the Mahrattas, and supported by them he advanced on Delhi, 
which city fell after a month's siege. Shah Alum, the heir- 
apparent, and Nujib-oo-doulah were, however, sent to a 
place of safety before the gates were opened, and Ghazee- 
oodeen again assumed the post of vizier. In A. D. 1758 
the Mahrattas, under Ragoba, took possession of the whole 
of the Punjab, the Douranis crossing the Indus without 
attempting to resist, and now the Mahrattas had risen to an 
influence and power that they had not ever before attained 
to ; they devised a plan with Ghazee-oodeen for the cap- 
ture* of Oudh, speaking unreservedly of their intended con- 
quest of the whole of India. Shuja-oo-doulah combined 
with Nujib-oo-doulah and the Rohillas, and when the Mah- 
rattas under Govind Rao Bondela invaded Rohilkund, they 
were met by Shuja-oo-doulah, who drove them with heavy 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 69 

loss across the Ganges, and a peace was hastily concluded, 
as the Mahrattas heard of the march of Ahmed Shah Dou- 
rani on the Punjab. He indeed entered that province in 
1759, and crossed the Jumna near Saharunpore ; Ghazee- 
oodeen, remembering the connection between the Emperor 
and Ahmed Shah Dourani, considered it expedient to get 
rid of the former, and therefore ordered his assassination, 
raising another member of the royal family to the vacant 
post (A. D. 1759.) This prince's title was however never 
acknowledged. Ahmed Shah Dourani meanwhile steadily 
advanced; and coming suddenly on a large force under Dataji 
Scindia completely defeated it. The other division under 
Milhar Rao Holkar commenced its flight to the country 
South of the Chumbul, but was overtaken, and almost utterly 
destroyed by a Dourani detachment sent for the purpose. 
The Mahratta power may now be said to have arrived at its 
zenith, and this power was almost entirely vested in the hands 
of the Peishwa. Their territory extended to the Indus and 
the Himalayas while the forces at their command were large 
and well disciplined, and the misfortune of Scindia and Holkar 
but urged them to renewed exertions, and it was determined 
to at once complete the conquest of Hindoostan. Sedasheo 
Bhao, as the commander-in-chief, advanced on Delhi with a 
vast army, but the tactics of the Mahrattas were no longer 
as of old, and the system as formerly adopted, of moving in 
light bodies and harrassing the enemy, ever giving way when 
attacked, was lost sight of altogether. The efiects of this 
falling ofif from their ancient mode of warfare were soon 
apparent, the strength of the Mahrattas tying more in the 
swiftness and suddenness of their attack and rapidity of 
retreat, than in any skill or strategy in pitched battles ; they 
were in fact fast following the example of the Moguls whom 
they had so long despised, and the army deteriorated in con- 



70 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

sequence. Delhi was easily taken, and a very ungenerous 
use of the conquest was made, for the tombs, palaces, and 
shrines were defaced, and the silver ceiling of the Hall of 
Audience was torn down and melted into Bs. 1,700,000 ! 
while even the royal ornaments left were seized. Ahmed 
Shah Dourani was at this time cantoned on the frontiers of 
Oudh ; he gained over Nnjib-oo-doulah and the Rohillas, 
and at last induced Shuja-oo-doulah to join him. This con- 
federacy took place in A. D. 1760, and the Douranis then 
marched to meet Sedasheo Bhao, who retired to Paneeput, 
where he threw up strong earth-works round his cancip, which 
was protected by many guns. It is said the troops inside his 
lines amounted with their followers to over 300,000 men ! 
Ahmed Shah Dourani had 40,000 Affghans and Persians, 
13,000 Indian horse, and about 38,000 foot soldiers; the 
greater part of these were however a mere rabble ; he also 
encamped and threw up lines round his army. The Mahrattas 
under Goving Eao attempted their usual tactics with some 
12,000 horse, but a body of cavalry from the Dourani camp 
made a forced march of 60 miles, surprised the enemy, and 
completely destroyed them. The resources of the Mahrattas 
were now being cut off, and penned up as they were in their 
lines, they began to feel the pressure of want. The Dourani 
chief never relaxed his vigilance, and seems indeed to have 
been a most able commander ; he soothed the anxiety of his 
troops, who were desirous of attacking the vast army before 
them, and carefully guarded the enemies' supplies from ap- 
proaching, ever personally seeing to the safety of his camp, 
'* His orders," says Casa Rai, his contemporary, " were obeyed 
" like destiny, no man daring to hesitate or delay one moment 
" in executing them." The Mahrattas then attempted to 
treat, but the Shah declined having anything to do with them, 
and replied to their overtures that the Hindoostanee chiefs 
could treat if they desired to do so, but Nujife-oo-doulah tept 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 71 

the latter from listening to the Mahratta proposals, moved to 
this, as he dreaded the power of that nation, should the Shah 
leave before they were humbled. 

That humbling was not far off, for the sufferings of the 
Mahratta host were now dreadful. One last eflfort was 
made to procure forage and food, but the whole of the con- 
voy were cut to pieces ; and, famished and diseased, the 
troops crowded round the Bhao's tent, demanding to be led 
against the enemy. He yielded to the request, and orders 
were given to prepare lor the combat. This celebrated 
battle was fought on Jjanuary 6bh 1760. The Mahrattas 
at first obtained the advantage, but at a most critical period 
Ahmed Shah brought up his reserve, and directed a divisioa 
on his left to take the enemy in flank. This decided the 
fate of the day ; the Mahrattas turned and fled, no quarter 
being given, and the infuriated peasantry slaughtered them 
by thousands. The Bhao was believed to have perished with 
many other great chiefs, the number of the slain being com- 
puted at 200,000. Holkar left the battle when he saw it 
going against his side. Scindia was desperately wouuded 
^nd lamed for life. 

Ahmed Shah, curious to say, never attempted to profit 
by his victory, nor did be afterwards take any share in the 
affairs of India, 

The Mahratta empire fell with the shock of this great 
defeat, and the Mogul empire no longer existed ; its terri- 
tory was broken into independent States, and the history 
of the Sovereigns of Delhi may be said to be concluded. 
The history of India, as told by Elphinstone, ends here, 
but a brief notice of the facts that were of interest between 
Shah Alum's accession to the throne and the present time, 
may as well be added.' 

Shah Alum, — The course of events threw the Emperor 



72 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

into the hands of the English, while he was attempting to sub- 
due Bengal. Allahabad was assigned to him as a residence, 
with £260,000 a-year for maintenance, and his Viceroy in 
Delhi, Nujib-oo-doulah, took care of his interest there, till 
he was induced, in A, D. 1771, to re-enter the imperial city, 
where, however, on his arrival, he found himself in the hands 
of the Mahrattas, and compelled to do as they pleased. The 
court became the scene of anarchy and confusion, and the 
Emperor was powerless to do anything to stop the horrible 
butcheries that were committed. He at last determined 
to remove to Agra, impelled to take this step by the 
insole nee and arrogance of one of the great nobles, Afra- 
siab K han. At Agra this man was assassinated by order 
of Madhoji Scindia, upon whom was conferred the vacant 
office of Ameer-ool-Omrah, but Gholam Khadir, the son of 
one of the blood-thirsty murderers about the court, immedi- 
ately on coming into his estate, rose in rebellion, and taking 
advantage of a defeat that the Mogul and Mahratta forces 
had just received from the Rajah of Jynagur, he advanced 
on Delhi. Through the misconduct, if not treachery of the 
Governor, he obtained admittance and immediately demanded 
from the Emperor the viziership, but the Begum Sumroo 
and other adherents of the falling dynasty came to the res- 
cue of their sovereign, and the rebel was compelled to retire 
to his camp, from whence he commenced to bombard the 
city. The Nazir of the Emperor now traitorously informed 
Gholam Khadir of the advance of the heir-apparent, Jewun 
Bukt, and seeing that for the present the game was played 
out, he made his submission and received a free pardon (at 
the Nazir 's suggestion) just as Jewun Bukt arrived on the 
scene. The Emperor distrusted his son, just as his prede- 
cessors had always suspected the heirs to the throne, and 
the base insinuations of the Nazir widened the breach. The 






i 



^ 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 73 

Prince saw lie had lost his father's favour, and shortly after 
retired to Benares, but to die of fever. Gholam Khadir 
and another worthy associate of his, by name Ismail Beg, 
now determined to despose the Emperor and plunder the 
palace ; and marching on Delhi they entered without meet- 
ing any resistance from the Mahratta garrison. A treaty 
was drawn up, in which Gholam Khadir swore most solemnly 
to assist the Emperor and be his devoted servant. Shah 
Alum signed the treaty, which contained a proviso that 
Gholam Khadir was to have the management of the affairs 
of the kingdom, and directly Gholam Khadir had got what 

• 

he required, he disarmed the palace guards and filled the 
palace with his troops, and his diabolical nature now showed 
itself It is credibly told that he flogged the ladies of the 
zenana and handed them over to the tender mercies of his 
rabble crew. Certain it is that while himself lolling on the 
royal throne, he insolently ordered the aged Emperor to be 
brought before him, and demanded from him his treasures. 
On Shah Alum's bitterly declaring his state of utter desti- 
tution, he savagely swore he would put his eyes out if the 
hidden hoards were not produced, and, leaping from his seat, 
he hurled the Emperor to the ground, planted his knee upon 
his chest, and struck out one of his victim's eyes, ordering 
the other eye to be put out also. The descendant of Timour 
had indeed sunk low ! The atrocities committed by this 
villain cannot be detailed, but he met with a punishment 
even more than commensurate with his crimes. Scindia, 
hearing of all these horrors, at once sent an army to the 
relief of Delhi, but Gholam Khadir escaped to Meerut 
with his plunder, taking with him the Nazir as a close 
prisoner. The Mahratta chief, Rana Khan, invested the 
fort, wherein the rebel had taken refuge, and so vigilant 
were his forces that the besieged sorely pressed began to 
mutiny, and Gholam Khadir, to avoid being given up, cut his 

k 



74 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

way through the enemy with 500 horse, and so escaped for 
the time. But the doomsman was on his track ; his attend- 
ants soon left him, and his horse stumbling threw him so 
violently that he lay half-stunned till found by a peasant, 
who recognized the prostrate ruffian as the man who had 
once before wronged him. He was seized and carried to 
Eana Khan's camp, and, loaded with manacles, was carried 
at the head of the army, mid the curses, insults and indig- 
nities of his captors. " His eyes were torn from their sockets, 
" and his nose, ears, hands and feet were gradually cut oflf 
" till the wretch sunk under his suflFetings." {Beresford*^ 
Delhi.) The Nazir was, by Scindia's order, trampled to 
death by elephants ; Shah Alum was then once more rein- 
stated with every pomp and ceremony, but Scindia re- 
tained all the power in his own hands, and only £5,000 a 
year were allowed for the maintenance of the imperial 
household, which, it is said, proved such an insufficient 
sum, that the Emperor was actually sometimes in want of 
food. In 1803 the British Government, expecting a rupture 
with the Mahrattas, assembled a large force near Kanouj, 
and Allygurh fell into their hands after an obstinate defence 
on the 11th September 1803. The British troops marched 
towards Delhi, defeated the French under M. Louis Bour- 
quien (one of M. Perron s Generals,) and encamped near, 
the Jumna opposite the city. The commander-in-chief of 
the British was congratulated by the Emperor on his victory, 
and he paid a visit to Shah Alum, crowds of rejoicing people 
assembling to witness the procession. In 1804, Holkar 
besieged Delhi, but the city was obstinately defended by 
Colonel Ochterlony, the Resident, and Colonel Burn, who 
commanded the Garrison. On the 10th October, a sally was 
made, and great loss inflicted on the enemy, and though after 
this the place was so vigorously cannonaded, that, had it 
teen attacked, it would probably have fallen, on the 15tl; 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 75 

October Holkar raised the siege, fearing the approach of 
the English reinforcements already on the road. 

Shah Alum died a few years afterwards, and was suc- 
ceeded in the nominal sovereignty by Akber Shah, whose 
son, Bahadur Shah, closed the line of the Emperors of the 
Mogul dynasty. The part this last sovereign took in the 
Mutiny of 1857 is but too well known ; he ended his days 
in Burmah, and the only descendants of the House of Timour 
who now exist are a few distant branches of that once great 
family, the heads of which branches were faithful to the 
British Government in the terrible trial of the Rebellion. 



PART III. 

1— The Buildings of modern Delhi. 

1. — The Fort or Palace in Delhi. 
This was commenced by the Emperor Shah Jehan in 1638 ; 
the circuit of its walls being, according to General Cunning- 
ham, 1 J miles, just about the size of the citadel of Toogluck- 
abad. It is furnished with two fine entrances, named respec- 
tively the Delhi and Lahore Gateways, and is enclosed by 
a lofty wall of red sandstone, on which, at intervals, are 
pavilions of the same material. The entrance to the La- 
hore Gate is approached through an outwork. It con-' 
sists of a large Gothic arch, " surmounted by a tower orna- 
"mented with pavilions, and within this tower were the 
'^ apartments belonging to the oflScer in charge of the Palace 
" Guards" — the unfortunate Captain Douglas, who held the 
command in 1857, was brutally massacred, and of course 
there is no such appointment now, but the rooms are occu- 
pied by the officer commanding the artillery in the palace. 
The gateway, says Beresford in his work on Delhi, '^ leads in- 
'^ to a long and lofty vaulted aisle or vestibule, having an octa- 
*' gonal opening near the centre for ventilation and the ad- 
" mission of light." The walls of this court were once covered 



i( 



tt 



76 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

with paintings of flowers, but being sadly out of repair, the 
whole have been white-washed, and the place has been other- 
wise furnished up. This grand vestibule leads into a court- 
yard, where stands what was once the Noubutkhanah or 
Music Gallery, and which is now used as an Adjutant's 
office. 

2. — The Dewan A' am or Hall of Public Audience. 

Is further on. *' It is a large hall open at three sides 
" and supported by rows of red sandstone pillars formerly 
" adorned with gilding and stucco work. In the wall at 
" the back is a stair-case that leads up to the throne, which is 
" raised about ten feet from the ground, and is covered by a 
" canopy supported on four pillars of white marble, the whole 
" being curiously inlaid with mosaic work ; behind the 
throne is a doorway by which the Emperor entered from 
his private apartments. The whole of the wall behind the 
" throne is covered with mosaic paintings in precious stones 
" of some of the most beautiful flowers, fruits, birds, and 
" beasts of Hindostan. Most of them are represented ia 
*'a very natural manner. They were executed by Austiu 
" de Bordeaux, who, after defrauding several of the Princes 
" of Europe by means of false gems which he fabricated with 
"great skill, sought refuge at the court of Shah Jehan, 
'•' where he made his fortune and was in high favour with 
" the Emperor. In front of the throne, and slightly raised 
" above the floor of the hall, is a large slab of white marble, 
" which was formerly richly inlaid with mosaic work, of 
*' which the traces only now remain." — (BeresfonVs Delhi, 

1856.) 

3. — The Dexva^i Khass or Hall of Audience, 

Peculiarly set apart for the reception of the nobility, is situated 
" to the East of the Dewan A am, in a quadrangle of moderate 
"dimensions. The building is a very beautiful pavilion of 



Xindoo Mao^s house* 





Ludlow 

a 



(Puwrniy, 



Woodseed 05ugh' 

— — ^ » 
Custom house 




^Ofshmere 



I' 




0Sridffe* 
^elimghv/t. 



SBofhore Sate^ 




^ ^^ Seroze ^ttthd SSath- 



SKETCH MAP 

OF 

DELHI 

AND ITS ENVIRONS. 



if 
u 






THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 77 

"white marble supported on massive pillars of the samo 
material, the whole of which, with the conuectiug arches, 
are richly ornamented with flowers of inlaid mosaic work of 
" different colored stones and gilding. It is raised on a ter- 
*' race four feet high, the floor of which is composed of flags 
" of white marble. Between each of the front row of pillars 
*' is a balustrade of marble chastely carved in several designs 
of perforated work. The top of the building is ornamented 
with four marble pavilions with gilt cupolas — the ceiling 
'^ of the pavilion was originally completely covered with silver 
" filagree work," but in 1759 the Mahrattas, under Sedasheo 
Bhao, after the capture of the city, took this down and melted 

it, the value of the same being estimated at £170,000. " In 
^' the cornice at each end of the interior hall is sculptured, 
" in letters of gold and in the Persian language — ' If there 
*'is a paradise upon earth, it is tjjis, it is this.' " 

" In this hall was the famous Peacock Throne, so called 
*' from its having the figures of two peacocks standing be- 
*' hind it, their tails being expanded, and the whole so inlaid 
'* with sapphires, rubies, emeralds, pearls and other precious 
"stones of appropriate colours as to represent life. The 
" throne itself was six feet long by four feet broad ; it stood 
" on six massive feet, which with the body, were of solid gold, 
" inlaid with rubies, emeralds and diamonds. It was sur- 
" mounted by a canopy of gold supported by twelve pillars, 
" all richly emblazoned with costly gems, and a fringe of 
"pearls ornamented the borders of the canopy. Between 
"the two peacocks stood the figure of a parrot of the ordi- 
" nary size, said to have been carved out of a single eme- 
" raid (?) On either side of the throne stood a chatta or 
" umbrella, one of the oriental emblems of royalty ; they 
" were formed of crimson velvet, richly embroidered and 
" fringed with pearls, the handles were eight feet high, of 



tS THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI, 

" solid gold, and studded with diamonds. The cost of this 
" superb work of art has been variously stated at sums vary- 
" ing from one to six millions of pounds sterling. It was 
" planned and executed under the supervision of Austin de 
'' Bordeaux, ah-eady mentioned as the artist who executed 
" the mosaic work in the A am Khass." — (Beresford's 
Delhi,) 

The Peacock Throne, with nearly all of the treasures in the 
imperial city, were taken away by Nadir Shah, the Persian 
conqueror, who, defeating the reigning Emperor Mahomed 
Shah at Kurnaul in A. D. 1739, marched with that sovereign 
in his train into Delhi. The inhabitants were foolish 
enough to attack the Persian guards and slay some of the 
followers of the invader. A general massacre was ordered, 
and the whole city was given up to plunder. 

4.— The Pearl Mosque and King's Baths. 
Near the Dewan Khass is the Pearl Mosque used by the 
Eoyal Family ; it is small, but beautifully finished, though 
alas ! the hand of the destroyer has done much to ruin the 
interior. The King's bath and the baths of the ladies of 
the zenana are contiguous, and are well worth seeing. 
Much of Mr. Beresford's description of the palace, written 
as it was before the mutiny, would hardly be of much use 
for the guidance of the visitor of the present day, but it 
is inserted here to show to what uses these buildings were 
once put, and what magnificent ornamentation was bestowed 
on them. The Marble Throne described by Beresford in the 
time of the mutiny suflfered terribly ; " the inland work on 
'' the pillars of green blood-stone foliage, together with the 
'' mosaics of birds and fruits, and the curious mosaics of 
'' Orpheus charming the beasts with his music, the master^ 
" piece of Austin de Bordeaux," (General Cunningham) have 
nearly all disappeared, but have been replaced by lac imitations 



« 



<l 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 79 

o.-^The Jumma Musjid. 

The most famous mosque in the East, the Jumma Musjid, 
stands about half-way between the Cashmere and Delhi Gates 

of the city, and is close to the celebrated street called the 
Chapdni Chouk. It is built on a rocky eminence called the 
Jujala Pahar, and is considerably elevated above the surface 
of the ground. 
" It has three entrances by handsome gateways of red sand- 
stone, which are approached by magnificent flights of steps 
of the same material. The principal gateway is to the 
*' East side, and is much longer and handsomer than those 
" on the North and South." This gateway is now closed by 
order of Government, and it is only a year or two ago that 
the mosque was restored to the Mahomedans. "They all 
" lead into a large quadrangle paved with fine large sandstones, 
" in the centre of which is a marble reservoir of water. On 
" the West side of the square stands the mosque itself, which 
" is of an oblong form, 201 feet in length and 120 feet broad, 
" and surmounted by three superb cupolas of white marble 
" crowned with culices or spires of copper richly gilt. The 
"front of the building is partly faced with white marble, and 
" along the cornice are the compartments each ten feet long 
'' and two and a half feet broad, which are inlaid with black 
« marble inscriptions in the Niski character." (These give an 
account of the sums spent on the building.) " The interior 
''is paved throughout with slabs of white marble three feet 
'' long by one and a half broad, each decorated with a black 
'' border, which gives it an extremely beautiful appearance. 
" Part of the inner wall is also faced with plain white marble. 
"Near the kibla, or that part which indicates the direction 
** of the city of Mecca, is a handsome Taq or niche adorned 
*' with a profusion of rich frieze work, and though joined 
*' in several places, appears to have been cut out of a solid 



(( 



<( 



80 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHL 

" block of white marble four feet high and six feet in length. 

*' The mosque is flanked by two minarets 130 feet high, com- 

" posed of white marble and red sandstone placed vertically in 

*' alternate stripes, and access is obtained to the top of them by 

" flights of narrow steps of red sandstone in the interior ; 

" at about equal distance there are three projecting galleries, 

*'and they are crowned with light pavilions of white marble/' 

From these very extensive views can be obtained. " Three 

"sides of the terrace, on which this magnificent edifice 

" stands, are enclosed by a colonnade of sandstone, and each 

** comer is ornamented by octagonal pavilions of white mar- 

"ble; the supporting columns'being of red sandstone. In 

the quadrangle at the North-exist and South-east are low 

pillars, on the top of which are fixed marble slabs, on one 

*' of which is engraved the Eastern Hemisphere, on the other 

" there are marked certain hour lines ; each has an upright 

" iron spike or gnomon^ and the shadows shown by the sun 

* indicate to the faithful the time of prayer." — (BeresforcTa 

Ddhi, 1856.) This splendid pile was commenced and finished 

in Shah Jehan's reign (A. D. 1629-58), and it is said to have 

cost over £100,000. 

S.'-^Tke Fort of Selimgurh. 

This is just outside the palace, the river separating the 
two : they are connected by a bridge. 

Selimgurh was built by Selim Shah, the son of Shir Shah 

(commonly called the usurper.) It was completed, it is 
supposed, about A. D. 1546, before the present city of Delhi 
was in existence. The name of Nurgurh was given to it 
by the Emperor Humayon and his successors ; this being the 
oiily name thg,t was allowed to be used wjben speaking of it 
at court ; but it always retained its original appellation, 
and to this day is termed Selimgurh. After Shah Jehan's 
Palace was built> Selimgurh was used as a S^te prison, but 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 81 

it has now been turned into a military store-house. The 
East Indian Railway passes through it. 
7. — The Kala or Kalan Musjid near the Turcoman Gate* 

The undermentioned description is from the records of 
the Archaeological Society of Delhi of 1850. This Society 
no longer exists. 

This Musjid was built by Feroz Shah, who reigned from 
A. D. 1351 to A. D. 1385, and it formed a part of his 
city of Ferozabad, which has been already noticed in the 
** Account of the Changes of Various Capitals" in Part L 
(alao aee 23). " A single room, 71 feet in length by 41 feet 
*' in breadth, with two rows of four pillars each down the 
" centre, and one row of double pillars along the front. These 
"columns divide the whole area into 15 squares, each of 
*' which is covered by a small dome, the central dome being 
" somewhat higher than the others. In front of the build- 
" ing there is an open quadrangle, and on three sides of this 
** there are cloisters." The mosque is considerably elevated, 
and the lower storey is let out to petty shop-keepers. The 
whole building is suffering from decay, but it is under orders 
for repairs, and the shop-keepers are to be turned out ; there 
are four round towers at the corners, these are, however, in a 
very dilapidated state. Except by the lovers of old buildings, 
this mosque will hardly be considered worthy of a visit. 

There are many other mosques, &c., in the city, but they 
are not of sufficient interest to the tourist to warrant any 
notice of them being here inserted. 

IL— The Bains and Principal Tombs, BIosques> Ac., near 

Delhi 

8, — Kirkhee. 

A Fort, Village, and Musjid in one, very massively built 

by Khan Jehan about A. D. 1380, during the reign of Feroz 

Shah. " The Mosque of Kirkhee is an enormous structure, 

''situated on high ground, and is built of dark-colored 



$2 THB NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

^'granite, and cased all over with black chunam, which 
*' gives it a very sombre appearance. It is a square, supported 
" at the four corners by towers nearly 50 feet high ; has 
"two storeys, and is crowned with 89 small domes of very 
"plain but most solid construction. The whole building 
"is in excellent preservation, with the exception of the 
" North-east angle, the roof of which has fallen in, not however 
" from decay, but from the effects of a fire said to have occurred 
" some 70 years ago. The basement storey consists of 104 
" small cells with arched ceilings, each cell being about 9 feet 
*' square. There is also a cell beneath each door, and one in 
" each turret, making in all 112 cells. There are three doors 
'pleading to the upper storey, viz,, to the South-east and 
" North— the latter is alone open now. As you enter in front 
** and to the right and left, there are triple cloisters supported 
^on single, double, and quadruple pillars." — (From the 
Becorda of the DdhiArchoeological Soc^My, 1850,) The build- 
ing is now emptied of the inhabitants, who find accommo- 
dation outside. The gloomy aspect of the interior, and the 
massiveness of the walls, are very striking, and none of the 
old ruins around Delhi are more worthy of a visit than this 
Egyptian-like relic of Pathan architecture. It lies some three 
miles to the left of the road running from Delhi to the Kootub, 
and from the Kootub it is about four miles distant. 

9. — TAe Svi-poolld Bund, or Sixty-arched Embankment, 

dose to Kirkhee. 

This was built by Sultan Feroz Shah, on his son Futteh 
Khan's death. " To divert his mind, his nobles induced 
" him to build the present bund or embankment, which 
"may still be traced from the village of Ladhoa Setai, 
" immediately under the Kootub, to the low hills to the 
''Bast of the village of Kirkhee, a distance of about two 
;' milea,'*— ^JDei&i Archcwlogical Society* a Recordsi 1850,) 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 83 

10, — Begumpore Village, 

Probably contemporaneous with Kirkhee (see 8,) It is a 
curious old specimen of Pathau workmansTiip, a good deal 
larger than Kirkhee, it still presents so many features of 
general resemblance, that there is very little hesitation in 
putting the date of erection some time in Feroz Shah's 
reign (A. D. 1351 to A. D. 1385.) There is a massive 
entrance, approached by a flight of stairs, which are in a very 
dilapidated state. It lies about 800 yards to the left of the 
road leading from Delhi to the Kootub, and is some three 
miles from the latter. 

11. — Buddee Munzil or Boorj Mundul. 

The remains of a square tower and domed building close 
to the village of Begumpore {see 10), said to have been built 
by Feroz Shah, contemporaneous with Ferozabad (of which 
now hardly a trace remains.) (See 22,) The buildings are all 
more or less injured. The square fort is peculiar, there 
being nothing like it anywhere near Delhi ; it is worthy 
of a visit. 

12. — The Village of Hous-Khass, 

This village lies some four or five miles to the North-east 
of the Kootub, and is approached most easily from Sufter 
Jung's Tomb (see 23.) There is no carriage road to it. 
It contains what is called Feroz Shah's bath or tank, and a 
tomb built by Mahomed Shah (A. H. 792.) The area of the 
bath is over a hundred beegahs, but it is now a complete 
ruin, the surface being used for cultivation. Feroz Shah> 
who died in A. D. 1388, is buried in a tomb in the village. 

13. — The Junter Munter or Observatory. 

The remains of several large buildings erected for astrono- 
mical purposes, some two miles from Delhi, on the Kootub 
road. The Observatory was erected by Rajah Jey Sing, of 



84 THE NEW QUIDE TO DELHI. 

Jeypore, in the reign of Mahomed Shah. The following 
account is taken from Beresford's Delhi : — " The largest of 
"the buildings is an immense equatorial dial named by the 
"Rajah the Semrat Yunter or Prince of Dials : the dimen- 
" sious of the gnomon being as follows : — 

ft. in, 
" Length of Hypothenuse 118 5 
„ „ Base ..• 104 

„ „ Perpendicular 56 75 (?) 

"This is now much injured. At a short distance, nearly in 
"front of the great dial, is another building in somewhat bet- 
" ter preservation ; it is also a sun-dial, or rather several 
" dials combined in one buiHiug. In the centre is a staircase 
"leading to the top, and its side walls form gnomons 
" to concentric semi-circles, having a certain inclination to the 
" horizon, and they represent meridians removed by a certain 
" angle from the meridian of the Observatory. The outer walls 
"form gnomons to graduated quadrants, one to the East and 
"the other to the West. A wall connects the four gnomons, 
"and on its Northern face is described a large quadri- 
" lateral semi-circle for taking the altitudes of the celes- 
" tial bodies. Lying East and West to the South of the great 
"equatorial dial stand two circular buildings open at the 
" top, and each having a pillar in the centre ; from the bot- 
"tom of the pillar thirty horizontal radii of stone, gra- 
" dually increasing in breadth till they recede from it, are 
" built to the circular wall ; each of these forms a sector 
",of six degrees, and the corresponding spaces between 
" the radii being of the same dimensions, make up the 
" circle of 360 degrees. In the wall at the spaces between the 
" radii and recesses, on either side of which are square holes 
" at convenient distances, to enable the observer to climb to 
" such height as was necessary to read off the observation. 



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THE NEW QUIDE TO DELHI. 85 

'* eacb of the recesses had two windows, or rather openings, 
many of which have been since built up. On the edge of 
the recesses are marked the tangents of the degrees of the 
sun's altitude, as shown by the shadow of the pillar, and 
" numbered from 1 to 45 degrees. When the sun exceeds that 
height, the degrees are marked on the radii, numbered from 
the pillar in such a manner as to show the complement of 
" its altitude ; these degrees are sub-divided into minutes, 
" but the opposite spaces in the walls have no sub^division, 
" being merely divided into six parts of one degree each ; the 
" shadow of the sun falling on either of the divisions show 
** the sun's azimuth ; in like manner lunar and stellar altitudes 
" and azimuths may be observed. These two buildings, being 
exactly alike in all respects, were doubtless designed to 
correct errora by comparing the results of different obser- 
" vations obtained at the same instant of time." — {BeresforcCg 
Delhi, 1856.) The whole of these buildings are now in a 
state of ruin, and it is long since they have been used, 

IJ^—The Village of Roahun Chirag, Delhi. 

The walled town of Roshun Chirag, Delhi, is about four 
miles from the Kootub, in the Delhi direction. Roshun Chirag 
is a shrine erected to the memory of Sheikh Nasir-oodeen 
Mahomed, and was built by Feroz Shah, who reigned from 
A. D. 1351 to A. D. 1385. The tomb of Sultan Belol Lodi, 
who reigned from A. D. 1450 to A. D. 1488, lies behind that 
of the saint. The interior of the court is filled with various 
tombs more or less worthy of inspection, and kept in fair order. 
The town itself is a poor place, with nothing in it to recom- 
mend it to the notice of the visitor ; it used to have three 
gateways, but two of these being considered unsafe were closed. 

15. — City of Toogluckabad. 

" This city may be described with tolerable accuracy 



86 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

'' as a half-hexagon in shape, with three faces of rather 
^* more than three-quarters of a mile in length each, and 
" a base of one mile and a half, the whole circuit being 
"only one furlong less than four miles. The fort stands 
" on a rocky height, and is built of massive blocks of 
"stone, so large and heavy that they must have been 
*' quarried on the spot. The largest stone which I observed 
" measured fourteen feet in length by two feet two inches 
** and one foot ten inches in breadth and thickness, and must 
" have weighed rather more than six tons. The short faces 
" to the North-west and East are protected by a deep ditchi 
" and the long face to the South by a large sheet of water, 
" which is held up by an embankment at the South-east cor- 
" ner. On this side the rock is scarped, and above it the main 
'' walls rise to a mean height of forty feet with a parapet of 
" seven feet, behind which rises another wall of fifteen feet, 
" the whole height above the low ground being upwards of 
"nineteen feet. In the South-west angle is the citadel 
" which occupies about one-sixth of the area of the fort, and 
" contains the ruins of an extensive palace. The ramparts are 
" raised as usual on a line of domed rooms, which rarely com- 
" municate with each other, and which no doubt formed the 
" quarters of the troops that garrisoned the fort. The walls 
** slope rapidly inwards, even as much as those of Egyptian 
" buildings. The rampart walls are pierced with loop-holes, 
" which serve also to give light and air to the soldiers' quarters. 
" The parapets are pierced with low sloping loop-holes, which 
" command the foot of the wall, and are crowned with a line 
" of rude battlements of solid stone, which are also provided 
" with loop-holes. The walls are built of large plainly dressed 
" stones, and there is no ornament of any kind ; but the vast 
" size, the great strength, and the visible solidity of the whole 
" give to Toogluckabad an air of stem and massive grandeur 
[[ that is both striking and impressive. The Fort of Tooti-- 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 87 

*^ luckabad has thirteen gates, and there are three inner gates 
" to the citadel ; it contains seven tanks of water, besides the 
" ruins of several large buildings, as the Jumma Musjid and 
" the Boorj Mundur. The upper part of the fort is full of 
<* ruined houses, but the lower part appears as if it had never 
" been fully inhabited/' (General Cunningham.) 

Toogluckabad lies close to the village of Budderpore, about 
three and a half miles from the Kootub ; a fair carriage road 
leads to it from the latter. It was commenced by the Emperor 
Toogluck Shah about A. D. 1321, and was finished— at any 
rate, as much finished as it is now — by A. D. 1323. Toog- 
luck Shah was the son of a Turki slave of Gheias-bodeen 
Bulbun by an Indian mother. (Bulbun reigned from A. D. 
1266 to A. D. 1288.) In A. D. 1321, he was the Governor 
of the Punjab, his name then being Toogluck Ghazi Khan 
The Sovereign of Delhi, Mobarik Khilji, was assassinated by 
his vizier, who endeavoured to seat himself on the vacant 
throne. Toogluck Ghazi Khan refused, however, to ac- 
knowledge the usurper, and in a great battle that ensued, the 
latter lost his life, his army being defeated : none of the 
Khilji family having survived, the conqueror ascended the 
throne under the title of Toogluck Shah." He was a gallant 
soldier and an able sovereign, who " restored order in his 
" internal administration" (Elphinstone), and put his frontier 
into an effective state of defence. 

He is said to have met his death by the treachery of his 
son, Jonah Fuqueer-oodeen, who succeeded him. In an 
audience with his son, the pavilion in which he was seated fell 
down, and he perished from the injuries he received, being 
succeeded by Jonah, who took the name of Mahomed Toog- 
luck. The walls of Toogluckabad enclose a space equal to 
that embraced by the fortifications of Modern Delhi, and 
there is an open plain inside, which is five miles in circum- 
ference. It is probable that the city never was completed > 



88 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

there is every appearance of over-haste and hurry in the 
construction of the walls, and from the well-known fact of 
Toogluck Shah s successor commencing another city, it may 
reasonably be supposed that Toogluckabad is after all nothing 
but a magnificent failure. The appearance of the fortifica- 
tions is most striking, rising as they do to a height of over 
eighty feet : they tower over the adjacent lowlands with 
a sombre and tremendous majesty. The walls are crumbling 
and giving way in many places, the great weight of the 
upper stones having forced the lower ones out of their posi* 
tions. The gateway, best- adapted for the use of visitors^ is 
the one exactly opposite the tomb of Toogluck Shah, which 
is about 300 yards from the city. Inside the walls is a vast 
well, wliich seems to have been cut out of the solid rock to a 
depth of some 70 or 80 feet : it is about 100 feet in diameter. 
The Sovereign's Palace, and the few traces that are left of 
other buildings, are separated by a wall from the rest of the 
city, which, indeed, hardly seems to have been at all built on. 

Some account of Mahomed Toogluck Shah, who ascended 
the throne in A. D. 1325/ may here be acceptable to the 
reader, as one or two of his works will presently have to be 
noticed. He was highly gifted with eloquence and distin- 
guished for his munificence to the learned ; regular in his 
devotions ; an abstainer from wine ; gallant in war, and in 
every way accomplished.; yet he suffered under such a perver- 
sion of intellect, that all his talents were nullified, and it seems 
more than probable that he was partly insane. He first 
determined on the conquest of Persia, assembled a vast army, 
and then disbanded it ; then he undertook to subdue China, 
and sent 100,000 men through the Himalayas ; but they had 
to fall back, htirdly a man escaping alive ; upon which Ma- 
homed Toogluck, for some inexplicable reason, ordered the 
massacre of all the soldiers who had been left in the garrisons 



Ci 



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THE NEW aUIDE TO DELHI. 91 

** adopted one of tlie most curious expedients which the mind 
" of man has ever conceived for obtaining the pardon of his 
'* tyrannical predecessor. I quote the words of Feroz him- 
•' self, as given by Ferishta, from the inscriptions of the great 
mosque at Ferozabad : — * I have also taken pains to dis- 
cover the surviving relations of all persons who suffered 
" from the wrath of my late lord and master, Mahomed Toog* 
*4uck, and, having pensioned and provided for them, have 
*' caused them to grant full pardon and forgiveness to that 
*' prince, in the presence of the holy and learned men of 
" this age, whose signatures and seals as witnesses are affixed 
to the document, the whole of which, as far as lay in 
my power, have been procured and put into a box and 
deposited in the vault in which Mahomed Tooo-luck is 
*' entombed.' This strange device of placing the vouchers 
in the tomb ready for the dead man's hand to pick up 
at the last day is as bold as it is original. It would 
*' be interesting to read some of these documents, which are 
in all probability still quite safe, as all the tombs appear 
to be in the most perfect order. This tomb is well worth 
visiting." — (Oeneral Cunningham.) 

19, — Feroz Shah's Ldt or Pillar, 
"As the pillar at present stands, I found the total height 
to be 42 feet 7 inches, of which the sunken portion is only 
'* 4 feet 1 inch ; but the lower portion of the exposed shaft 
*' to a height of 5 feet is still rough, and I have little doubt, 
** therefore, that the whole of the rough portion, 9 feet in 
length, must have been sunk in the ground on its original 
site. When the pillar was at last fixed, the top was orna- 
mented with black and white stone-work, surmounted by a 
gilt pinnacle, from which, no doubt, it received its name of 
Minar Zarin or Golden Pillar. This gilt pinnacle was still 

*' in its place in A. D. 1611, when William Finch entered 



4( 



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92 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

** Delhi, as he describes the stone pillar of Bimsa, which, after 
'' passing through three several storeys, rises 24 feet above 
*' them all, having on the top a globe surmounted by a crescent. 
'' The golden pillar is a single shaft of pale pinkish sandstone 
" 42 feet 7 inches in length, of which the upper portion, 35 
-' feet in length, has received a very high polish, while the 
" remainder is left quite rough. Its upper diameter is 25 feet 
" 3 inches,* and its lower diameter 38 feet 8 inches ; its 
*' weight is rather more than 27 tons." * * * « There are two 
*' principal inscriptions on Feroz Shah's Pillar, besides several 
'' minor records of pilgrims and travellers from the first cen- 
" tury of the Christian era down to the present time. The 
*' oldest inscriptions for which the pillar was originally erected 
^'comprise the well-known edicts of Asoka, which were 
'' promulgated in the middle of the third century B. C, in 
'•'the ancient Pali or spoken language of the day. The 
" alphabetical character, which are of the oldest form that has 
" yet been found in India, are most clearly and beautifully 
*' cut, and there are only a few letters of the whole record 
" lost by the peeling off of the surface of the stone. The 
" inscription ends with a short sentence, in which Kinc 
*' Asoka directs the setting up three monolinths in different 
" parts of India, as follows : — ' Let this religious edict be 
" engraved on stone pillars and stone tablets, that it may 
'' endure for ever/ " — (General Cunningham.) 

Asoka seems to have lived about 270 B. 0. ; he was the 
son of Bindusarra, and was brought up as a Brahmin, but he * 
turned Buddhist. 

This stone pillar is just outside the Delhi Gate of the city, 
and was placed in its present position by the Emperor Feroz 
Shah, who reigned from A. D. 1351 to A. D. 1385. The pillar ' 

♦This must surely be an error. At a rough calculation the npper 
diameter cannot be above 2 feet, and the lower one is certainly not above 3 
ieet 8 inches. — A. H% 



« 
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THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 89 

as the army advanced. He next introduced a paper currency, 
and ruin fell on the people, who began to leave their lands, on 
which he ordered out his soldiers and hunted his subjects 
down as if they had been wild beasts. His nephew was 
flayed alive for insubordination, and various provinces revolt- 
ing were entered by their sovereign, who ravaged the land as 
if it had been an enemy's. He twice compelled the inhabi- 
tants of the capital to start for Dowlutabad, which he intended 
to make his metropolis ; famines succeeded, and the distress 
among his people became most dreadful. He died in A. D. 
1351, " leavjng a reputation," says Elphinstone, " of being 
the most accomplished prince and the most furious tyrant 
that ever reigned." He is still termed the Sooltan Khooni, 
or Bloody Sultan, in remembrance of his butcheries. He 
was succeeded by Feroz Shah, whose name is associated with 
so many structures, and who built more than any sovereign 
before or after hin\. 

IS.—Huzar Seitoon, or the Thousand PUlars, 

Erected by Mahomed Toogluck. It is supposed to have 
been a sort of pavilion, and it is said to have had two, if not 
three storeys ; but all that now remains is a heap of ruins, 
merely one or two of the pillars being left. Legends state 
that it was here Toogluck Shah met his death. 

The Huzar Seitoon are close to Toogluckabad, between 
which and it there is a deep valley. 

17. — The Barber's Hotise. 

This lies to the right of the road from Toogluckabad to 
Budderpore, and is close to the ruined city. It is said to 
have been built for Toogluck Shah's barber about A. D. 1323 ; 
it is now a mere ruin. 

18, — Toogluck Shah's Tomb. 

"The fine tomb of Toogluck Shah was built by his 
"son Mahomed. It is situated outside the South wall 

m 



THE NEW QDIDK TO DELHL 
ibad, in the midst of the artificial lakei 
ounded by a pentt^onal outwork, which is 
th the fortress by a causeway 600 feet in length, 

27 archcB. In plan the tomb is a square ot 
arior, ,and 61^ feet exterior dimensions. The 
are 88J feet in height to the top of the bal- 
h a slope of 2,333 inches per foot. At this 
le slope ia7J feet by 38 J feet. The walls at 
elli feet thickand at top only 4 feet, but the 
ouIdiDgs of the interior increase the thickness 
iit the springing of the dome to about C or 
perhaps more. The diameter of the dome 
feet inside, and about 44 feet outside, with a 
10 feet. The whole height of the tomb ie 
i dome is 70 feet, and to the top of the pinna- 
ftiet. Each of the four sides has a lofty door- 
iddic S4 feet in hetght» with a pointed hoise- 
?ttod on the outer edge. There is a smaller 
'5 feet 10 inches in width, bat of the same 
middle of the great entraitces, the archway 
itti a white marble lattice screai ot bold pat- 
wwal-ioo of the exteriw dqxatds chiefly on 

wJoar, ithiA is e^rted by the free use d 
ftnJftrs of *bit« marble on the hi^e slt^g 
l-**oi»*. T^ hoise-sboe arches are of white 
I broaJ Wid of the same goes completely 
iin^«t t^ f^Dpss of 1^ anjws. .isother 

wh) w» WMwWe ia -otirirhT skis, four feri in 
I rwjw,? xJj* QtoBft TIKI ahcve its qnin^i^- 
^.iJtM^T** tJifre «rc Tiiwe tomlK, whidiart 

^" T-(v^')ijA Sa»»h,bs onee^ aad titarsM, 
K-W> lv«^ Tb« Tunw of Mahomed witen he 
rw>«>. *tiit: ^mft':iss tt das sovereagn were 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 93 

Is, as will be seen from the above, of great antiquity. Fer-» 
gusson, in his work on architecture, considers that this was 
one of seven pillars that were erected, probably, at the entrance 
of various temples, on each of which editcs, containing the 
principal doctrines of Buddhism, were carved. The Hindoo 
legend is that this, with another great stone, were the walk- 
ing-sticks of their shepherd god, and there theory was that 
(this particular pillar could not be removed from its resting- 
place in Kumaon till the day of Judgment. Ferc/z Shah 
hearing this, to confound the Hindoos, ordered the removal 
of the stone and had it set up in its present place, which was 
in the precincts of his palace in the new City of Ferozabad. 
(See SO,) Tniditions have it that twice as much of the stone 
is concealed as theie is shown, but this is known to be an 
error. There are various inscriptions on the pillar, the top of 
which is broken off.* 

SO.— Remains of the City of Ferozabad. 

General Cunningham remarks : — " The most extensive work 
" of Feroz was the building of the new City of Ferozabad, 
" with the two palaces of Kushak Ferozabad and Kushak 
" Shikar. The new city was begun in A. D. 1354 ; it ex- 
*' tended from the Fort of Indraput (see S8) to the Kushak 
" Shikar or Hunting Palace, a length of five koss. Now the 
*' distance from Old Delhi is said to be also five koss, which 
" fixes the position of the Kushak Shikar approximately on 
" the low range of hills to the North-west of the Modem Shah- 
'*jehanabad (Delhi). But the exact position is absolutely 
'* determined by the mention that the second stone pillar from 
Meerut was erected within the precincts of the palace, as the 
stone pillar is now lying in five pieces on the top of the hill 

* A great deal has been said of the great size of this stone but it is 
nofihing to the great masses of granite iu St. Isaac's, at St. Fetersburgh, 
Knssia. These are four in number, are 56 feet in height and 7 feet in 
diameter. 



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64 THE NEW QUIDE TO DELHI. 

" close to Hindoo Rao's house. Shams-i-siraj adds that the 
" whole distance from Indraput to the Kushak Shikar was 
'' occupied by stone houses, mosques, and bazaars, but as the 
" limits noted above include the whole of the Modem Shah- 
'' jehanabad, it is very improbable that the entire space was 
" actually occupied. It is certain, however, that some consi- 
derable portion of the site of Shahjehanabad was well 
populated, as the Kala Musjid {see 7), which was built in 
" Feroz Shah's reign, is situated at some distance within the 
" Turcoman Gate of the present city. But even, if thinly 
" inhabited, the population of Ferozabad could not have 
''been less than that of Shahjehanabad, as it was more 
*' than double its size. The number of inhabitants would^ 
therefore have been about 150,000, and if we add 100,000 
more for the population of Old Delhi, the total number of 
inhabitants in the Indian Metropolis, during the reign of 
** Feroz Sh*ah must have amounted to one quarter of a million." 
General Cunningham also makes mention of the Palace of 
Ferozabad, which formed the citadel of the new city. One of 
these gateways still exists between the well-known Lai Dur- 
waza and the stone pillar ; he terms it " a fine specimen of 
** this bold but rude architecture." The shape of the citadel 
cannot now be traced, and remarks "that the Kabuli Gate, or 
Lai Durwaza, as it is now called from its red colour, is of 
quite a different style of architecture, and belongs, as I 
" believe, to the time of Shir Shah, of whose city (see 12) it 
*' formed the Northern or Cabul Gate." The remains of this 
city lie around the stone pillar {see 19) \ it was of vast 
extent, and was named after the builder, Feroz Shah, who 
reigned from A. D. 1351 to A. D. 1385. The walls and 
outlines of the larger buildings are still extant, and there is 
one mosque close to the high road in tolerable repair. It 
is said there is a treasure- well in the ruins, with subterranean 
passages and chambers, and that spme of these passages 



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THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. ©3 

have outlets on the Jumna. Ferozabad began to decline in 
A, D. 1416, and it is known that in A. D. 1533 the Emperor 
Humayon removed his seat of government close to where 
he was eventually buried, adjoining the village of Arab-ke- 
Serai, four miles from Delhi. A full account of Feroz 
Shah's city can be seen in the Journal of the Delhi Archoeo^ 
logical Society for 1850. 

21. — Remains of Delhi Shir Shah. 
This city extended from the neighbourhood of Humayon's 
tomb on the South, to Feroz Shah's Kotila or lAt (see 19) 
on the North, near which there still exists a fine massive 
gateway, which was the Kabuli Durwaza of the new city : 
it is now called the Lai Durwaza or Red Gate. 

" William Finch, who entered Delhi from the Agra side 
*' on the 16th January 1611, describes the city as being two 
koss in length from the gate to gate, surrounded by a wall 
which has been strong, but is now in ruins. Finch's koss 
is estimated at rather over 1^ miles, by his mention that 
** the hunting seat or Mole (that is Mahal of Feroz Shah) was 
" two koss from the city. From the Lai Durwaza to the ruins 
*' of the Ku^ak Shikar, the distance is three and a quarter 
•* miles, and from the same point to Humayon's Tomb ( see 
*' 36) the distance is exactly three miles. But as Purchas, on 
"the authority of other English travellers, states that 
" Humayon's Tomb was in the city of Shir Shah Selim, the 
** South Gate of the city must have been somewhere beyond 
" the tomb. The distance, however, could not have been great, 
*' as Finch mentions that a short way froni Delhi is a stone 
" bridge of eleven arches that is now called Bara Pool or the 
" Great Bridge. The South Gate of Shir Shah's city must 
" have been somewhere between the Bara Pool and Humayon's 
" Tomb. The East wall of the city is determined by the line 
^ of the high bank of the Jumna, which formerly ran duo 



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96 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

•' South from Feroz Shah's Kotila towards Humayon's Tomb. 
'* On the West the boundary line of the city can be traced, 
♦* along the banks of a torrent bed which runs Southward 
" from the Ajmere Gate of Shahjehanabad and parallel to the 
*' old course of the Jumna, at a distance of rather more than 
" one mile. The whole circuit of the city walls was, therefore, 
" close upon nine miles, or nearly double that of the Modern 
•'Shahjehanabad" or Delhi. — (General Cunningham.) 

Shir Shah reigned from A. D. 1540 to A. D. 1545, having 
driven the Emperor Humayon from the kingdom, 

22.— The Jail 

This is opposite Feroz Shah's lAi, just outside the Delhi 
Gate of the city. It was formerly used as a serai or resting- 
place, but for many years past has been turned into a recep- 
tacle for criminals. It is but ill adapted to its present pur- 
pose, and will be given up when the new jail is ready. 

23.—Sufter Jung's Tomb. 

Sufter Jung was the honorary title of Munsoor Ali Khan 
vizier of Ahmed Shah, Emperor of Delhi, who reigned from 
A. D. 1748 to A. D. 1754. 

The tomb cost, it is said, £30,000, and is built on the 
model of the Taj at Agra, but is much smaller, and for beauty 
si not to be compared with that wonderful tribute of afifection 
which the Emperor Shah Jehan erected to the memory of 
his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The mausoleum is situated in a 
garden enclosed on the four sides by a wall, at the comers 
of which are pavilions of red sandstone. On three sides of 
the garden, which may be over 300 yards square, there are 
apartments for visitors, but the only ones ever occupied are 
those to the South, and they are hardly adapted for more than 
a day's stay, as there are nothing but the empty rooms, which 
are not even supplied with doors. There are also rooms over 
the entrance-gateway, but they are not in use. The tomb 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DULHf. 97 

 

belongs to the family of the ex-King of Oudh, but so little if 
anything is spent on repairs that, if some steps are not soon 
taken, the building will soon be in the same plight as are the 
diflferent ruins round Delhi. 

The mausoleum stands on a terrace ; beneath this, says Be- 
resford in his book on Delhi (1836), " is a vault containing a 
" grave of plain earth, covered with a cloth strewed daily with 
" fresh flowers. In the centre of the first floor is a beautiful 
" marble sarcophagus, elegantly carved and highly polished. 
" The building is surmounted by a marble dome " (this is 
now very much out of repair,) " and as a mausoleum is a 
" remarkable and majestic structure. It was erected by Nawab 

*' Shuja-oo-doulah, son of Sufter Jung." Mr. Beresford adds 
that Sufter Jung was a " daring and intrepid soldier, a good 
" man, and an upright magistrate." An intrepid soldier he; 
was, but more can hardly be said of him ; he seems to 
have been but little better than the other nobles of the 
decaying court of Ahmed Shah. 

The tomb is some five miles from Delhi, on the right of 
the road to the Kootub ; its gate faces the road. 
^4 <^ ^5, — Group of Four Tombs arid Musjid facing the 

Gateway of Sufter Jung's Tomb, 
" The Northern group," says General Cunningham in a 
letter to the Secretary of the Local Fund Committee of 
Delhi, " consisting of two octagonal tombs and a bridge 
" of seven arches, is attributed by the natives to the time of 
" the Lodi family ; the larger tomb, within a square, being 
assigned to Sekunder Lodi, and I believe that this attribu- 
tion is most probably correct. But the Southern group, 
" which consists of a musjid and two square tombs, belongs, 
I " in my opinion, to an earlier period. I am led to this con- 
elusion by the style of the building, which is quite distinct 
from that of the Lodi period " (A. D. 1450 to A. D. 1526) 



iC 



€( 









98 THE HEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

as well " as from that of the Seiad dynasty" (A. D. 1414 to 
A. D. 1444.) " If we may judge by the solitary specimen 
" of Seiad Mobarik's Tomb (see Z7) on the other hand, the 
style of the musjid agrees precisely with that of Feroz's 
great mosque in Ferozabad (no longer existing) as described 
'' by Timour's historians, as well as with that of another musjid 
"of Feroz which formerly existed at Depalpore, in the 
" Punjab." These tombs are well worth visiting ; they lie 
to the left of the road from Sufter Jung's Tomb {see Z3) to 
Humayon's Tomb (see 36), and are all close together. 

General Cunningham, in his oflBcial report of the state 
of the buildings about Delhi, considers that '' the musjid 
" attached to these buildings is the only existing specimen of 
" the ornamented mosque of the time of feroz, which so much 
•' attracted the attention of Timour " (or Tamerlane in A. D. 
1398, when he ravaged India,) " that he carried oflf all the 
" masons who had built it to Samarkand, that they might 
<' erect another like it in his capital. The mosque of 
" Ferozabad is described by Ferishta as covered with in- 
•' scriptions detailing the ordinances issued by Feroz, Of 
** this mosque only the back wall is now standing, but the 
" musjid, as above mentioned, which I wish to see cleared, 
" corresponds exactly with the description of the historian. 
Its front is entirely covered with inscriptions and draperied 
ornament in a very hard plaster, which is still fresh and 
'' sharp, after the lapse of five centuries. The interior walls are 
" also thickly covered with inscriptions and ornaments cut in 
" hard stone, which are now as perfect as when first executed." 
These tombs are now being cleared out, and it is hoped by 
the cold weather the mass of writings in the musjid (now 
defiled by the Hindoos who have squatted therein) may be 
deciphered. The date of the musjid's erection would pro- 
bably be about A, D. 1370. 



it 
it 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 99 

S6. — Three Torribs called the Tir Boorja. 

These stand to the left of the road from Sufter Jung's 
Tomb (see S3) to the Kootub, close to the village of Mobarik- 
pore (see S7), and are somewhat difficult of access to the 
equestrian. The names they bear are respectively Burra 
Khan, Chota Khan, and Kalee Khan. The largest, Burra 
Khan, is probably of the Pathan period, but the date of 
erection is unknown. They are all, more or less, in a state 
of decay^ like hundreds of others which lie around neglected, 
and are built of red sandstone and kharra-stone. They are 
hardly worthy of a visit, and as much of them as is worth see- 
ing can be seen from the road. 

27. — Mobarikpore Kotla. 

The tomb of Mobarik Shah is in the village of Mobarikpore, 
close to the three tombs just alluded to. The date of erection 
is somewhere between A. D. 1540 and A. D. 1545, during 
the reign of Shir Shah. The building is in the Pathan style 
of architecture of kharra-stone. 

28. — The Fort called Purana Keela. 

(General Cunningham.) — '' At the time of theMahabharata 
or great war between the Pandus and Kurus, this was one 
of the well-known five pats or prasthas which were demand* 
" ed from Duryodhun by Yudhisthira as the price of peace. 
" These five pats which still exist were Paniput, Sonpat, 
" Indraput, Tilput, and Baghput, of which all but the last 
" were situated on the right or Western bank of the Jumna. 
"The term prasiha, according to H. A. Wilson, means any 
^ thing spread or extended, and is commonly applied to any 
*' level piece of ground, including also table-land on the top 
"of a hill. But its more literal and restricted meaning 
* would appear to be that particular extent of land which 
"would require a prastha of seed, that is, 48 double-handsfull 
" or about 48 imperial pints or two-thirds of a bushel. This 






« 



100 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

" was DO doubt its original meaning, but in the lapse of time 
*' it must have gradually acquired the meaning which it still 
'' has of any good-sized piece of open plain. Indraprastha 
•* would therefore mean the plain of Indra, wliich was, I pre- 
*' sume, the name of the person who first settled there. The 
**date of the occupation of Indraprastha as a capital by 
'* Yudhisthira may, as I believe, be attributed with some 
*' confidence to the latter half of the 15th century. B. C. 
" The grounds on which I base this belief are as follows : — 

Is^. — That certain positions of the planets, as recorded 
'/ in the Mahabharata, are shown by Bentley to have taken 

place in 1425 B, C, who adds that there is no other 
*'year, either before that period or since, in which they 
" were so situated. 2nd. — In the Vishnu Purana, it is 
'' stated that, at the birth of Parikshita, the son of Arjuna 
" Pandava, the seven Rishis were in Magha, and that when 
" they are in Purva Asharha, Nanda will begin to reign. 
" Now, as seven Rishis or stars of the Great Bear are suppos- 
*' ed to pass from one lunar asterism to another in 100 years, 

* the interval between Parikshita and Nanda will be 1,000 
years. But in the Bhagavata Purana this interval is said 
to be 1,015 years, which, added to 100 years, the duration of 

** the reigns of the nine Nandas, will place the Birth of Parik- 
*' shita 1,115 years before the accession of Chandra Gupta in 

* 315 B. C, that is, in 1430 B. C. By this account the 
*' birth of Parikshita, the son of Arfuna, took place just 
''six years before the great war in B. C. 1424. These 
*' dates, which are derived from two independent sources* 
*' mutually support each other, and therefore seem to me to be 
*' more worthy of credit than any other Hindu dates of so 
*' remote a period/' * * * « The name of Indraprastha 
'' is still preserved in that of Indraput, a small fort, which 
'J is also known by the name of Purana Keela or Old Fort 



« 



*( 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 101 

« In Its present fornv this place is altogether a Mahomedan 
*' structure, and I do not believe that there now exists even 
" a single carved stone of the original city of Yudhisthira. 
" The lofty massive towers and solid walls of this old fort 
" were strengthened by a ditch which once communicated 
** with the Jumna. In shape it is rectangular, about three 
" furlongs in length by one and a half in breadth. The fort 
" had four gates, but the South-west Gate is now alone open.'* 

The other names of Purana Keela are Indraput, Deen pun- 
nah, and Shir Gurh. In A. D. 1535 the Emperor Humayon 
repaired, if he did not entirely build, the present fort, giving 
it the name of Deen Punnah. Shir Shah, who drove Huma- 
von out of his kingdom, and is termed the Usurper, added to 
it and called it Shah Gurh, making it the citadel of his new 
city ; and it is probable that he merely finished the very 
handsome mosque (see 29) which Humayon is said to have 
commenced, close to the ramparts. The South-west gateway 
is ornamented, as are other parts of the battlements, with 
encaustic tiles. 

Purana Keela lies some two miles from Delhi, leaving the 
Delhi Gate on the road leading to Humayon's Tomb {see 36), 
to which it is quite close, and apart from the fine musjid 
(Keela Kona, seeW) it contains, it is well worth a visit, 
being probably the site of one of the most ancient cities in 

India. 

g9. — Keela Kona Mosque. 

In Purana Keela {see 28). Said to haye been commenced 
by the Emperor Humayon before his expulsion from his 
kingdom in A. D. 1540, and to have beeA completed by 
Shir Shah, who succeeded him. This very beautiful mosque 
'^ has five horse-shoe arches, decorated with blue tiles and 
- marble, and is a favorable specimen of the architecture of 



l02 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

" the Affghan period,"* and is ia capital preservation, witb 
the exception of the central arch, the work on the top of this 
being a good deal ruined. This is perhaps one of the most 
tasteful mosques in or near Delhi, and is remarkable for its 
richly inlaid work and graceful pendentives. The prevailing 
material of the centre arch is red cut sandstone and black 
slate, and towards the ground white marble and black slate ; 
the carving throughout being very ornate. The two side- 
arches are composed of simple redstone picked out with yellow 
glaze and black slate finely carved ; the outermost arches are 
still plainer in construction, the outer walls changing from red 
to grey stone. Under the archways are the entrance arches, 
that of the central arch being of beautiful marble, which 
throughout the building has, strange to say, preserved its 
purity and whiteness. The mosque, however, is fast going to 
pieces, and, if some steps are not soon taken, decay will soon 
set its broad mark on this fine structure. There is a massive 
grandeur about the interior which cannot but strike the visitor, 
who should not fail to remark the great thickness of the blocks 
of stone which form the stairs leading to the roof, from whence 
there is a fine view. There is no regular road from the gate- 
way of the fort to this building, and the batter plan would be 
for the tourist to leave his conveyance outside the fort, and 
proceed on foot to visit the mosque. 

30.— The Sher MundU. 

This is also within the fort ; it is a lofty octagonal building, 
built by Shir Shah in A. D. 1541. It was used by the Em- 
peror Humayon as a library after his return from exile in A. 
D. 1656, and is three storeys high : the interior seems to 
have been once richly decorated with paintings of flowers, 
but now there are very few traces of these efforts of art 

* From some notes left by Mr. Thornton, late Deputy Commisuoner 
of Delhi, now Secretary to the Punjab Government, 



I 
J 



ME NEW GUIDE TO DELHI, l03 

remaining. In this building it was that Humayon met with 
the accident that terminated in his death. Hearing the cry 
to prayers from the neighbouring mosque, he started up, but 
his staff slipped, and he fell down the stairs, injouring himself 
so seriously that he died four days afterwards, being buried 
, in the celebrated ma^usoleum that stands close by. 

Sl.—The Kala Mahul. 

It is built close to Purana Keela, on the opposite side of 
the road, (some two miles from' Delhi in the direction of 
Humayon's Tomb.) It was, according to the Asar Sun-o- 
deed, erected in A. D. 1632. It is now a complete ruin, but 
is a striking object from the great extent of ground the build- 
ings occupy. The original plan seems to have been an open 
court-yard flanked by domed galleries, which below are com- 
pletely broken through. The gateway must have been hand- 
some, but it is fast falling to pieces. Close to this is the 
serai, which, however, is now a mere ruin. 

32. — The Lai Bungalow, or Red House. 

This is not far from Purana Keela {see 28), and lies 

between it and Arab-ke-Serai, rather to the right of the 

connecting road. There are two tombs of red sandstone with 

domes : the larger was built by the Emperor Humayon before 

his expulsion from his kingdom about A. D. 1540 in honor 

of some of his wives, or as a place of residence for them, and 

in the smaller tomb, Lai Kawur, wife of the Emperor Shah 

Alum* lies buried, and after her the buildings are termed 

Lai Bungalow. 

S3. — Village of Arah-Jce-Serai. 

This village is now but an unimportant small place, but 

is remarkable for having two fine gateways, which are still 

covered with encaustic titles. It was built by Haji Begum* 

wife of the Emperor Humayon, probably after the death of 

* The Emperor Shah Alum's miserable fate is referred to in au earlier 
portion of this work— see page 73. 



104j the new guide to DELHI. 

the latter. Arabs were brought here to reside in it, hence 
the name it bears. The Begum used to support a number of 
these Arabs, but their descendants have long since left the 
place, or become so amalgamated with the surrounding 
population that all trace of them has passed away. Arab-ke* 
Serai is close to Purana Keela and adjoins Humayon's Tomb. 

34- — The Neela Boorj, or Blue Tomb. 

This curious old ruin lies just outside Humayon's Tomb 
(see 36) and the village of Arab-ke-Serai {see 33.) It takes 
its name from the coloured encaustic tiled roof, which is a 
very striking object. Tradition has it that it was erected to 
the memory of some holy Seiad by one of the Pathan 
sovereigns, but the date of erection is unknown. One side of 
the building still bears trace of the handsome encaustic 
facing it once bore, but the tiles are dropping out, and in a 
few years they must disappear altogether. 

35, — Mukburrah Khan Khanna. 
Abdool Ruheem Khan, surnamed Khan Khanna, was the 
son of Behram Khan, (a famous General of Humayon's, 
and for some time the leading councillor of the Emperor 
Akber.) He built this edifice for his wife, but her body does 
not rest within. He himself, in the 21st year of the reign of 
Jehangire, was buried in the mausoleum, being then 72 years 
of age. It was originally principally composed of marble and 
red-stone, but in Asuf-oo-dowlah's time the marble was 
extracted and conveyed to Lucknow, and since then the build- 
ing has fallen into a deplorable state of decay, the tomb 
itself being all but destroyed. It is built on a 68-arched 
terrace, which is in many places in ruins. The mausoleum 
bears but slight trace of its former splendour. It is in the form 
of a square with the four doorways hollowed in the walls ; nine- 
teen steps lead from the terrace to the next storey, from which 
the interior may be seen ; the roof is very plaii), no colored 



THE NEW GUIDlj: TO DELHI. 105 

decorations being used. Twenty-eight much-broken steps 
lead from the second to the highest storey, from which a fine 
view is obtainable. The dome is bare and is seemingly built 
of rubble and masonry ; twelve steps lead to the room at the 
top, the upper section of the dome forming a separate cham- 
ber, which has a strong cement floor, and, strange to say, 
though there are so many open windows, no birds have taken 
up their residence in the empty apartment. 

The tomb lies close to the BuUubgurh Gate of Arab-ke- 
Serai, and is just outside Humayon's Tomb, some four miles 
from Delhi, along a fair road. 

36, — The Emperor Humayons Tomh. 

This mausoleum stands some three and a half miles from 
Delhi, and is close to the village of Arab-ke-Serai, its 
immense marble dome being a conspicuous object for miles 
around. It was built by the Emperor's widow, Haji Begum, 
and is the earliest specimen, says General Cunningham, of the 
« architecture of the Mogul dynasty." He states that " the 
*' exterior form of the main body of the tomb is a square with 
" the corners cut off, or an octagon with four long and four 
*' short faces, and each of the short faces forms one side of 
''the four octagonal corner towers. The dome is built 
" entirely of white marble, the rest of the building being of 
" red sandstone with inlaid ornaments of white marble. In 
" this tomb we first see towers attached to the four angles 
« of the main building. An innovation in this tomb is the 
" narrow-necked dome." 

It is raised on two noble terraces ; the upper one was for- 
merly surrounded by a screen-work of cut stone, but a great 
part of this has disappeared. The lower terrace is but tliree 
feet high and twenty-five feet in breadth, and upon this rises 
the sec° nd terrace supported by arches, with passages into the 
interior, which latter is filled with smaller tombs. The height 





106 fRK NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

of the uppef terrace is over twenty feet and may be sotne thirty 
feet in breadth. It is in excellent preservation^ and on it are 
several tornbs a few of which are of white marble. The 
windows and doorways of the mausoleum sire filled in with 
filagree work^ and great labour and pains must have been 
expended on their construction, but many have been want only 
broken. The area of the walled enclosure in which the 
building lies might be over 300 square yards, and there Sjxe 
two principal entrances through lofty gateways, but there is 
nothing in their structure that calls for comment. Humayon's 
Tomb has neither the beauty of the Taj at Agra or of Sufter 
Jung's last resting-place (some two miles off— see SS,) but is 
striking from its massiveness and immense size. The vast 
dome of white marble is in excellent order, but in form it is 
not to be compared in airy grace and lightness with the 
cupolas of many other mausoleums. In the side apartments 
there are tombs of various members of the royal family of 
Delhi, and in the centre is the Emperor Humayon's sarco- 
phagus of beautifully cut marble. The ornamental accessories 
on the outside of the tomb are poor in effect, there not 
being enough to carry off" the size of the dome. 

The vicissitudes of fortune that the Emperor Humayon 
underwent are sufficiently striking to merit notice here. 
He Gommenped his reign in A. D. 1530, and was driven from 
his kingdom by Shir Shah, commonly termed the Pathan 
usurper. After many trials and great sufferings, the fallen 
Emperor made his way to Persia, where be was on the whole 
well treated by Tahmasp, the reigning sovereign, but he was 
compelled to adopt the Sheea creed of Mahomedahism, and, 
making other concessions, he obtained help from the Persian 
monarch, and was eventually enabled to seize Candahar and 
afterwards to recover his kingdom. Scarcely had he held 
the r^ins of power six months, when he met his death by a 
fall from his library in Putana Keela, dying four days after 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 107 

the accident in A. D. 1556 ; beinor succeeded by his son Akber, 
the most famous sovereign India ever had* 

It was close to this celebrated mauspleum that Hodson, 
of the Guides, seized the sons of the Emperor of Delhi after 
the capture of the city by the British in 1857 ; and feeling 
that it was impossible to convey his prisoners into the towa, 
in defiance of the multitude thronging around, he shot them 
dead on the spot. Hodson's own account annexed will con- 
vey an idea of the perilous undertaking in which he was 
enfjajjed :— 

" I laid my plans so as to cut off access to the tomb Or 
escapo from it, and then sent in one of the inferior scions of 
the royal family (purchased for the purpose by the present 
of his life) and my one-eyed Moulvie Rajub Alii, to say that 
I had come to seize the Shahzadahs for punishment, an<l 
intended to do so dead or alive. After two hours of wordy 
strife and very anxious suspense, they appeared and a«ked 
" if their lives had been promised by the Government, to 
which I answered most certainly not, and sent them 
away from the tomb towards the city under a guard. I 
'* then went with the rest of the sowars to the tomb, and 
*' found it crowded, I should think, with some 6,000 or 7,000 
" of the servants, hangers-on and scum of the palace atid city, 
** taking refuge in the cloisters which lined the wall of the 



t( 
it 

tc 

€C 
tt 



*c 



tc 



" tomb. I saw at once that there was nothing for it but 
" determination and a bold front, so I demanded in a voice of 
" authority the instant surrender of their arras, &c. They im- 
*' mediately obeyed with an alacrity I scarcely dared to hope, 
" for in less than two hours they brought forth from innu- 
" merble hiding-places some 500 swords and more than that 
'* number of fire-arms, besides horses, bullocks and covered 
" carts, called ruths, used by women and eunuchs of the 
" palace. I then arranged the arms and animals in the centre, 



108 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

" and left an armed guard with tliem, while I went to look 
*'- after my prisoners, who, with their guard, had moved on 
" towards Delhi. I came up just in time, as a large mob 
" had collected and were turning on the guard; I rode 
*' in among them at a gallop, and in a few words I ap- 
*' pealed to the crowd, saying that these wero the butchers 
" who had murdered and brutally used helpless women and 
" children, and tliat Government had now sent their punish- 
" ment, and seizing a carbine from one of ray men I deliberately 
" shot them one after another." The bodies were then taken 
into Delhi, and exposed in a public place. 

37.— The Bara Pool. 
A large native bridge, with eleven arches, paved with 
stone slabs. It is just beyond Humayon's Tomb (see 36,) on 
the high road to BuUubghur. 

SS, — Chousut Kumha oi' 64 Pillared Hall, 

This is built of marble throughout, the pillars supporting 
twenty-five domes. A beautiful screen of cut marble at one 
time ran round the building (which is in shape a square), but 
this has disappeared in several places, the interstices being 
filled in with boards. Mirza Aziza Kokul Tash Khan's most 
beautiful tomb is within, and the building seems to have 
been intended as a species of mausoleum. The Mirza was 
the son of the Emperor Akber's foster-father, Tagah Khan,* 
who was slain by Adam Khan (see notice of Adam Khans 
Tomb, 6 J.) A distant relation of the late Emperor s has the 
care of the beautiful structure, but very little pains are 
taken to keep it in order. It lies between Humayon's Tomb 
{see 37) and Nizam-oo-deen's Tomb {see 39) at the entrance 
of the village close to Arab-ke-Serai. The chuprassie at 
Humayon's Tomb can direct the visitor as to the directiorL 
Date of erection about A. D. 1600. 



* "Whose other name was Shumsh-oo-deeu Mahomed Khan. 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI, 109 

SB.-^N'izam-oodeen's Tomb. 

This is situated in a species of cemetery in which are 
various other tombs which will be presently noticed. Nizam- 
oodeen lived in the reign of the Emperor Toogluck Shah 
about A. D. 1321, and his memory is still held in great vene- 
ration, crowds attending the annual festival held in his honour* 
The tomb has a very graceful appearance, and is surrounded 
by a verandah of white marble, while a cut marble screen 
encloses the sarcophagus, which is always covered with a cloth* 
Round the grave-stone runs a carved wooden guard, and from 
tlie four corners rise stone pillars draped with cloth, which 
support an angular wooden frame- work, and which has some- 
thing of the appearance of a canopy to a bed. Below thia 
wooden canopy tliere is stretched a cloth of green and red, 
much the worse for wear. The interior of the tomb is covered 
with painted figures in Arabic, and at the head of the grave is 
a stand with a Koran. The marble screen is very richly cut, 
and the roof of the arcade-like verandah is finely painted in a 
flower pattern. Altogether there is a quaint look about the 
buildiug, which cannot fail to strike any one. A good deal 
of money has at various times been spent on this tomb, the 
dome was added to the roof in Akber's time by Mahomed 
Imam-oodeen Hussun, and in the reign of Shah Jehan (A. D. 
1628-58) the whole building was put into thorough repair. 
General Sleeman gave it as his opinion that this Nizam- 
oodeen was probably the head of the Mahomedan thugs or 
assassins of India, and it appears these desperadoes really 
looked up to him as their chief, and for years after his death 
made pilgrimages to bis tomb. It is not at all improbable 
that this worthy saint was the founder of the system of Thuggee 
(or causing death by strangulation,) and that he, by means of 
his numerous disciples, amassed the vast wealth which enabled 
him to set his sovereign at defiance. If stories are true that 



t< 



tc 



110 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

are told of him, he had no slight hand in the death of Toog- 
luck Shah, by whom he had been mortally offended. 

The tomb is in the village of Gheiaspore, and is reached 
after passing through the Chousut Kumba (see 37.) 

4.0.— The Poet Khusroo's Tomb. 

This tomb is by the side of Nizam-oodeen, his contempo* 
rary and friend — erected about A. D. 1305. 

" He moved about where he pleased through the palace 
" of the Emperor Toogluck Shah 600 years ago, and sang 
" extempore to his lyre, while the greatest and the fairest 
" watched his lips to catch the expressions as they came 
warm from his soul. His popular songs are still the most 
pppular, and he is one of the favored few who live through 
ages in the every-day thoughts and feelings of many mil- 
" lions, while the crowned heads that patronized him in their 
" brief day of pomp and power are forgotten or remembered 
*' merely as they happen to be connected with him." — (Gene^ 
ral Sleem/irhs Rambler.) He was known as the Parrot of 
India, and was the earliest writer in Oordoo. 

4i* — Mirza Jehangire's Tomb, 

This also is in the same enclosure, as are the Poet Khusroo 
and Nizam-oodeen's just mentioned. It is a most exquisite 
piece of workmanship. The Tomb itself, raised some few 
feet from the ground, is entered by steps, and is enclosed in 
a beautiful cut marble screen, the sarcophagus being covered 
with a very artistic representation of leaves and flowers 
carved in marble. Mirza Jehangire was the son of Akber 
II., and the tomb was built in A. D. 1832. Sleeman, in 
his rambles, says he knew Mirza Jehangire at Allahabad, 
*' where he was killing himself as fast as he could with HoflF- 
«' man's cherry brandy. This, he would say to me, is really 
" the only licjuor you Englishmen have worth drinking, and 
y its only fault is, it makes one drunk too soon. To ponrolg 



iME NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. Ill 

** his pleasure, he used to limit himself to one large glass 
" every hour till he got dead-drunk." 

The royal reprobate of course soon put an end to his 
life, and his mother fully persuaded the Emperor (the second 
last of the line of Timour) that he had fallen a victim to 
the ill-treatment of the English, who would not let him 
come to Delhi, where this choice scion of the royal family 
was always attempting to procure the assassination of the 
heir-apparent. 

43, — Tomb of Jehanara Begum. 

Also,. in the same cemetery with the above, the sarcopha- 
gus is enclosed in a marble screen. Jehanara Begum was 
the daughter of the Emperor Shah Jehan, and sister to the 
unfortunate Dara Sheko, the heir-apparent to Shah Jehan's 
throne, but who was defeated and put to death by his 
younger brother, Aurungzib, who deposed his father, and. 
mounted the throne in his place. Jehanara was a most esti- 
mable princess, adorned with every virtue that a woman 
possesses : she refused to share the splendours of Aurungzib's 
court, and preferred to stay with her father. On her tomb 
are these words, — a part of the inscription is said to have 
been written by herself: — "Let no rich canopy cover my 
*' grave: this grass is the best covering for the tomb of the 
'' poor in spirit. The humble, the transitory Jehanara, the 
" disciple of the holy men of Cheest, the daughter of the 
*' Emperor Shah Jehan." 

The Emperor Shah Jehan was deposed in A. D. 1658, 
and lived seven years after. It was this sovereign who 
built the present city of Delhi, which he termed Shahjeha- 
nabad. It may be mentioned here that Aurungzib, on 
ascending the throne, took the name of Alumgire, by which 
he is designated in Indian History and all regular documents. 

43, — Tomb of Mahomed Shah, 

Close to the above ; it is also surrounded by a cut screen of 



112 THE NEW GUIDE TO BELHL 

white marble. The Emperor Mahomed Shah lived in trou- 
blous times. In his reign Nadir Shah, the Persian, in A. D. 
1739, invaded Hindoostan and utterly defeated the imperial 
armies. The two sovereigns marched into Delhi, and orders 
were given for the safeguards of the inhabitants, but the turbu- 
lence of the Delhi population could not be restrained ; they 
fell on the Persian troops, and a general tumult took place. 
Nadir Shah endeavoured to stop this, but he was himself 
vigorously attacked, and one of his chiefs being killed at his 
side, he ordered a general massacre. The ill-fated city was 
given up to every horror that lust, vengeance, rapine and 
thirst of blood could bring in their train, and was soon 
involved in one scene of " desolation, blood and terror." — 
(Elphinatone,) The spot where Nadir Shah sat while watch- 
ing the massacre of the inhabitants was till lately to be seen, 
but the gateway adjoining has been pulled down in the course 
of the late improvements in the city. Mahomed Shah 
survived the sacks of Delhi for many years, and died in his 
bed in A. D. 1748. 

U^—Baoli or Well, near Nizam-oodeen's Tovib. 
This is close to the above-mentioned tombs, and is said 
to have been commenced- by Nizam-oodeen (see 39) in 
A. D. 1321. Its waters are supposed to possess miraculous 
powers of healing, «&c., and numbers attend for bathincr 
purposes during the saint's festival. There are a class Jt 
bathers here who, for a trifling fee, plunge from the tops of 
the neighbouring buildings into the depths below ; as a siglit, 
it is far better worth paying a few annas for, than is "the 
exhibition at the Mehrowlie wells {see Kootub, 69.) 

4-0. — Jumaat Khana Mosque. 

This is close to Nizam-oodeen's Tomb, (see 39) built of 
red sandstone, in A. D. 1353, by Feroz Shah. 



THE NEW GUIDE TO BELHI. 113 

Jfi. — Tomb of Syud Abid. 

Between Nizam-oodeen's Tomb and Purana Keela (see 
^7.) It is of cement and covered with encaustic tiling, 
which has suffered very much from age and exposure to the 
climate. Syud Abid was, it is said, killed in some battle, 
but he is not referred to in any history. The tomb is by 
itself in an enclosure, not far from Arab-ke^Serai (see 33.) 

47. — Musjid Eesa Khan. 

Built by Eesa Khan, a nobleman of Shir Shah's court 
(A D. 1540-45.) It is a fine building, enclosed by a high 
wall, situated in what is called Eesa Khan's Kotla just 
opposite Humayon's Tomb, At the corners of the Kotla there 
are light pavilions with cupolas covered with encaustic tiles. 

48. — Tagah Khan's Tomb. 

This is the tomb of Shumsh-oodeen Mahomed Khan 
Ghazni, called also Azim Khan. This nobleman was Ak- 
ber's foster-father, and he was killed by Adam Khan (see 61) 
in A. D. 1561. The Tomb is built of white marble and red 
sandstone, and is near Arab-ke-Serai (see 33.) 

49. — Tomb in Garden of Humayon's Tomb. 

Built of red sandstone, with carved work in the interior. 
There are two marble sarcophagi inside, but they are much 
injured. It is not known to whose memory this tomb is 
erected. 

60. — Doorga Yoosoof KutaL 

This is an edifice covered with enamelled work, and is wor- 
thy of a visit. It was built by feheikh Alla-oodeen, who died 
in A. D. 1524, and is of red sandstone. A mosque is close to 
it, but is in a state of ruin. Situated near Khirkee (see 8.) 

51. — Mausoleum of Sooltan Gari. 

This lies to the West of the Kootub, some four miles oflf the 

P 



II* THE NEW aUIDE TO DELHI, 

road lying through Mahsoodpore, the mausoleum being in 
the village of MuUickpore Koyee, which is now deserted, the 
wells in the neighbourhood being to this day perfectly dry. 
Sooltan Gari was the son of the Emperor Shumsh-oodeen 
Altomsh, who reigned from A. D, 1211 to A. D. 1236. 
The building is one of much interest and worthy of visit ; 
it ia principally composed of marble. The tombs are- in an 
underground room, which is very hot and stifling. 

m.— The Eootnb and Ruins, &c., 4a 
SS. — The Kootub Minor. 
This pillar is situated about eleven miles from Delhi, on the 
road from Delhi to Goorgaon. It has suffered much from 
earthquakes and lightning, but in A. D. 1826 the British 
Government had it put into thorough repair at an outlay of 
over ^£2,000. 

The Minar is the highest pillar in the world, standing 
S38 feet 1 inch above the level of the ground ; the diame- 
ter of the base being 47 feet 2 inches, with an upper dia- 
meter of nearly 9 feet. The base or plinth of the pillar is 
2 feet in height, the shaft is 231 feet 1 inch, and the base of 
stump of the old cupola is 2 feet more. It is said to have 
once had seven storeys, and to have been 300 feet high, but 
there is no warrant for this statement. At present there 
are five galleries, including the one at the top. The pillax 
itself is of a peculiar formation ; in the lowest storey the 
flutes are alternately angular and circular ; in the second 
circular, and in the third angular only ; the section above 
' " ' eed with marble, having a belt of dark stone at the 
Lud the upper section of all is of the red sandstoqe 
the whole of the outside of the pillar is built, hav- 
)elts of marble and some ornamental marble work 
;he summit, 
lower storey is 94 feet 11 inches in height, and the 



tc 

€< 

U 



ti 

it 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 115* 

** upper storey is 22 feet 4 inches; the two measurements 
together being just equal to half the height of the column ; 
the length of the second storey is 50 feet 8J inches, the 
third is 40 feet 9J inches, the fourth is 25 feet 4 inches, 
" or just one-half of the height of the second storey. Omitting, 
*' then, only the stump of the old cupola, the column is just 
*' five diameters in height, and the L)wer storey is just 
*' two diameters in height. The circumference of the base is 
equal to the sum of the diameter of the six storeys of the 
building, the old cupola being considered as a sixth 
*' storey." — (General Cunningham.) In 1794 the pillar was 
over 242 feet high, but as the capital was injured, Fergusson 
considers that probably 20 feet might be added to make up 
the proper height. The minaret of the mosque of Hussun at 
Cairo is known to be loftier than this pillar, *' but as the 
^ Minar is an independent building, it has a far nobler ap- 
"pearance, and both in design and finish far surpasses its 
*' Egyptian rival, as indeed it does any building of its class." — 
(Fergusson.) 

The history of the Kootub Minar " is written in its inscrip- 
"tions. In the basement storey there are six bands or 
*' belts of inscriptions encircling the tower. The uppermost 
■^ band contains only some verses from the Kor&n, and the 
- next below it gives the well-known ninety names (Arabic) 
" of the Almighty. The third belt contains the name and 
*' praises of Mauz-oodeen Abul Muzafur Mahomed Bin Sam. 
*' The fpurth belt contains only a verse from the Kor^n, and 
" the fifth belt repeats the name and praises of the Sultan 
^^ Mahomed Bin Sam. The lowermost belt has been too 
" much injured, both by time and by ignorant restorations, to 
*f admit of being read, but Syud Ahmud has traced the words 
^rAmir-ool Amra or Chief of the Nobles. The inscription 
*' over the entrance doorway records that the Minar of Sultan 
{' Shumsh-oodeen Altomsh having been injured, was repaired 



116 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

" during the reign of Sekunder Shah, son of Behlol, by Futeh 
" Khan, the son of Khawas Khan, in A. H. 909, or A. D. 
" 1503. In the second storey the inscription over the door- 
" way records that the Emperor Altomsh ordered the com- 
" pletion of the Minar. The lowermost belt contains the 
*' verses of the KorS,a respecting the summons to prayer on 
" Friday, and the upper line contains the praises of the 
"Emperor Altomsh. Over the door of the third storey the 
" praises of Altomsh are repeated, and again in the belt of 
*' inscriptions round the column. In the fourth storey the 
" door inscription records that the Minar was ordered to be 
"erected during the reign of Altomsh. The inscription 
*• over the door of the fifth storey states that the Minar having 
" been injured by lightning was repaired by the Emperor 
" Feroz Shah in A. H. 770, or A. D. UGS"— (General Cun- 
mngham.) The pillar appears to have been completed about 
A. D. 1235. 

Kootub-oodeen succeeded Shahab-oodeen as sovereign of 
Delhi in A. D. 1206, having long ruled India as viceroy ; he 
died in A. D. 1210, and was succeeded by his son Aram, who 
was desposed by his brother-in-law, Shumsh-oodeen Altomsh, 
who died in A. D. 1236, the Kootub having been completed 
in his reign. It is not known how the name Kootub or Kutb 
arose ; it seems it is quite modern, the old word for it be- 
ing the lAt (pillar) or the Minar. 

The history of the pillar is involved in great obscurity, 
it being a popular legend that the Hindoo Eajah Pithora 
commenced a pillar on the site of the present Minar, at the 
request of his daughter, who was desirous of seeing the Rivel* 
Jumna daily, and from its summit beholding the rising sun. 
Whether the Hindoo Rajah did commence the building can 
never be satisfactorily determined, but the glory of its com- 
pletion undoubtedly rests with the Mahomedans alone. There 
are various arguments in favour of the pillar having been at 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 



117 



any rate commenced by the Hindoas, but these arguments^ 
General Cunningham in the most able manner takes up and 
summarily disposes of. Below is an abstract of his reasoning 
on the subject ; for the convenience of the reader it is a little 
condensed. 



It is urged — 

1.— That a pillar being 
placed by itself and alone, is 
contrary to the Mahomedan 
practice. 



2.— That the slope of the 
Kootub Minar is greater 
than that of other Minars. 



3,_If the Minar had been 
intended for a Mazineh, it 
would have been erected at 
one end of the Mosque. 

4._The entrance door 
faces the North as the Hin- 
doos have their doors, where- 
as the Mahomedans always 
place their doors facing the 
East. 



Reply. 
1.— The Kootub Minar is 
a Mazineh (or place from 
whence the crier calls to pray- 
er) as are the Minars of Ghuzni, 
which are built half a mile 
apart, and were standing 180 
years before the Kootub Minar 
was commeaced. 

2. — ^This slope is the pecu- 
liar characteristic of Pathan 
architecture. (The Pathana 
ruled in Delhi, be it remem- 
bered, at the time referred to.) 

3— The Koel Minar at the 
Jumma Musjid at Koel is 
isolated, as is the Kootub 
Minar. 

4.— In the Koel Minar (built 
by the son of the Em- 
peror who built the Kootub) 
the entrance is to the North, 
and the entrance to the two 
great tombs of Bahawul Huk 
and Kuknoodeen in Mooltan 
are not to the East, but to 
the South, as are also those 



118 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 



5. — It is customary for 
the Hindoos to commence 
such buildings as the Kootub 
without a platform or plinth, 
whereas the Mahomedans al* 
ways have a plinth. 



6. — There are bells sculp- 
tured on the bands on the 



of the Taj Mahal and other 
tombs. Besides, many Hin- 
doo temples have their en- 
trances to the East and not 
to the North. Out of 50 
temples General Cunningham 
examined, 38 had their en- 
trances to the East, 10 to the 
West, and only 2 to the North,^ 

5.— Not so. The Bud- 
dhist Temple at Buddha Gya 
springs from a plinth 20 feet 
high. In the Fort of Gwa- 
lior there are two Brahnaini- 
cal Temples, and many in 
Cashmere, raised on plinths. 
The great pillar at Chitorfe has 
also a plinth 8 or 10 feet in 
height. The Mahomedans cer- 
tainly have built on plinths^ 
but these were the plinths in 
many cases of the idol temples 
overthrown, as at Mathura, 
Kanouj and Jounpore; but the 
early Mahomedans did not 
place their buildings on a raised 
terrace or platform, vide mos- 
ques in Persia or Syria. The 
contemporary tombs of Altomsh 
close to the pillar is also with-* 
out a plinth, 

6. — The Mahomedans had 
no objections to use such por» 



thb; new guide to delhi. 119 

Kootub Minar, which indi- tionsof architectural ornament 
cate that the Hindoos were as were free from fijrures of 
the builders, as these bells men and animals ; in the 
are used in idol- worship, and Jumma Musjid at Kanouj, the- 
would be an abomination to Hindoo ornaments are retain- 
the Mahomedans. ed ; indeed, in the Kootub 

galleries, the representation of 
bells is sculptured on many of 
the stones, and it is evident 
that the Mahomedans did not 
object to their pourtrayal, for 
in no case have these sy mbols 
of idol-worshippers been des- 
troyed. 
The Kootub Minar is charmingly situated among ruins 
and grass land ; 379 steps, in excellent repair, built of kharra- 
stone, lead to the summit, from whence there is a magnificent 

view. 

63.—Bhoot Khana, or Idol Temple. 
A ruined colonnade, composed of Hindoo pillars (see 
64). It was supposed that this was actually an idol temple 
built to Vishnoo, but there is no doubt now that the 
pillars were put in their present position by the Mahome- 
dans. *' It was at first by no means easy to det ermine 
*' whether the pillars now stand as originally arranged 
*' by the Hindoos, or whether they have been taken down 
and arranged by the conquerors. It was imagined that 
they were open colonnades surrounding the palace of 
'^ Pithora, but even supposing this to be so with regard to the 
*' pillars, it is quite evident that all the enclosing walls were 
'^ erected by the Moslems ; all the spring courses being 
" covered with ornaments in their style, and all the open- 
*' ings possessing pointed arches which the Hindoos never 
" used." * * * The pillars " belong to the 9th or 10th cen- 



it 
it 



120 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

" tury, and are among the few examples to be found in 
*' India that seem to be over-laden with ornament." * * * 
" In some instances the figures that were on the shafts of 
" the pillars have been cut off as offensive to Mahomedan 
" strictness with regard to idolatrous images, but on the roof 
•* and less seen parts the cross-legged figures of the Jaina 
*' saints and other emblems of that religion may still be 
" detected." — (Fergusson.) This gallery is well worthy of a 
'' protracted visit ; hardly any two of the pillars are the same, 
but enough remains to show how beautiful the carving must 
have been before the iconoclastic Mahomedans destroyed 
what they had not the soul to appreciate. The pillars 
have in several places given way, and on the South side they 
have almost disappeared. The gateway to the North is 
worth a close examination ; over its upper joint there is some 
fine carving in stone, which still is in fair order. Oddly 
enough, this is partially hidden by a huge stone, which has 
been let in, as if apparently to conceal the work behind it. 

S4, — Musjid'i'Kootub'Ool-Islam. 
It is supposed that the entire range of buildings at the Koo- 
tub were laid out as a mosque or as adjuncts to the mosque, 
and it is not difficult to trace where the sacred edifice actually 
stood. It was constructed from the spoils of twenty-seven 
idol temples that were pulled down aft^r the capture of Rae 
Pithora's Fort in A. D. 1193, and it appears to have been only 
three years in building. 

" The front of the Musjid is a wall 8 feet thick, pierced 
" by a line of seven noble arches ; the centre arch is 22 feet 
"wide and nearly 53 feet high, and the side arches are 
"10 feet wide and 24 feet high. Through these gigantic 
" arches the first Mussulmans of Delhi entered a mao-ni- 
" ficent room, 135 feet long and 31 feet broad, the roof 
** of which was supported on five rows of the tallest and 



« 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 121 

*' finest of the Hindoo pillars. The mosque is approached 
** through a cloistered court (see 53) 145 feet in length 
"from East to West and 96 feet in breadth. In the 
^' midst of the West half of this court stands the celebrated 
'^ iron pillar {see 62) surrounded by cloisters formed of 
several rows of Hindoo columns of infinite variety arid 
design, and of most delicate execution. There are three 
** entrances to the court of the Musjid, of which the Eastern 
''entrance was the principal one. The South entrance 
" has disappeared long ago. During the reign of Altomsh 
" the son-in-law of Kootub-oodeen, the gre^t mosque was 
" much enlarged by the addition of two wings to the North 
'* and South, and by the erection of a new cloistered court 
" six times as large as the first court. The fronts of 
'^ the two wing buildings are pierced by five arches each, the 
"middle arch being 24 feet span, the next arches 13 feet, 
"and the outer arches only 8 J feet. The walls are of the 
*' same thickness, and their ornamental scrolls are of the 
" same delicate and elaborate tracery as those of the original 
" mosque. But though the same character is thus preserved 
" in these new buildings, it would seem* that they were not 
^ intended simply a* additions to the Jumma Musjid, but as 
" new and separate mosques. In February 1853 I exa- 
" mined very minutely the pillared cloisters of the great 
''mosque^ and I then cqx&q to the conclusion that the 
" square about the iron pillar is all made up, the outer 
" walls are not Hindoo, the pillars are all made up of pieces 
" of various kinds, the shaft of one kind, being placed above 
" that of another for the purpose of obtaining height. The 
'■' general effect is good, but a closer inspection reveals the 
" incongruities of pillars, half plain and half decorated, and 
" of others that are thicker above than below J' * * ^ « The ' 
" colonnades of the court of the Musjid ijrere composed of 
" the pillars of twenty-seven Hindoo temples." * *  " Thef^ 



122 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

9 

** is no doubt now that the court round the iron pillar (see 68) 
'' vras put up by the Mahomedans as an entrance pourt to the 
'* mosque which lies to the West." — (General Cunningham.) 

These arches are now in a ruined state ; the repairs on the 
large central arch were undertaken by the British Go- 
vernment ; they are, comparatively speaking, quite recent. 
It must be remembered that the present city of Delhi was 
not in existence at the time referred to. 

56. — Tomb of Shumah-oodeen Altomsh. 

This lies at the North>west corner of the Kootub grounds, 
and abuts on the road. It is erected to the memory of 
the Emperor Altomsh, who expired in A. D. 1236, and 
was erected by Sultan Ruqu-oodeen and Sultana Kezia, 
ohildren of the above. Fergusson calls it the oldest authentic 
]\{ahomedan tomb in India. Feroz Shah, who reigned from 
A. D. 1851 to A. D. 1385, is said to have placed a roof to the 
building, but it is doubtful if there ever was one, as there are 
no traces of the same. The interior, a square of 29| feet, 
is beautifully and elaborately decorated, and in wonderful 
preservation, considering its age and the exposure to which 
it has been subjected. The walls are over 7 feet thick, the 
principal entrance being to the East. The tomb is built of 
red sandstone and marble ; the sarcophagus is in the centre, 
and is of pale marble. Shumshroodeen Altomsh was the 
slave and eventually the son-in-law of Kutb^oodeen, first 
Emperor of Delhi. 

SS. — A la^oodeen's Palace. 

This lies to the South-west of the arches in the Eootub 
grounds, and although termed above a p{).lace, it may have 
been anything. The walls are of enormous thickness, but 
much injured, and there is not a roof left to any of the many 
adjacent rooms. 

. The Emperor Ala-oodeen commenced to govern in A. D. 
1295, and had a long and splendid reign, though he himself 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 123 

was a most ignorant and brutal tyrant. Popular report 
gives this as his last resting-place, as also as to its being 
his palace while alive ; but there is no proof that he was in- 
terred on this spot, as there is no trace of any sarcophagusT 
to be found anywhere. One story has it that he built this 
structure as a tomb for himself in A. D. 1307. 

This sovereign, by a gross act of treachery, assassinated 
his uncle Jellal-oodeen Kilji, the reigning Emperor, and 
endeavoured at first to atone for his wickedness by ruling 
wisely, but this desire to make up for past evil deeds did 
not last long. "He was liberal in bestowing wealth and 
" honors, and was profuse in gifts as well as in shows and 
" magnificence ; but as in the midst of his course of conci- 
" liation he could not refrain from acts of rapacity, and 
" never repressed his arbitrary temper, he was only parti- 
^ ally successful in his attempts to gain popularity, and 
" although his reign was long and glorious, he was always 
" disturbed by conspiracies and rebellions, and disquieted by 
suspicions even of his own family, and of those most 
trusted by him." — (Elphinstone.) In this reign the city 
of Siri, now Shahpore, some six miles to the North-east of the 
Jtootub pillar, was entrenched ; it was here that the Moguls 
attacked him, but it appears they left India without coming 
to any engagement. Ala-oodeen " was so absolutely illite- 
" rate that he began to learn to read after he had been for 
" some time on the throne ; yet so arrogant, that his most 
" experienced ministers durst not venture to contradict him, 
" and the best informed men about his court were careful 
to keep down their knowledge to the level of his acquire- 
ments." — (Elphinstone.) He died in A. D. 1317. 

57. — Ala-oodeen's Gateway. 

This is a pendentive to Emam Zamin's Tomb, and is immic* 
diately behind the Kootub Minar. " This is called by 



-4* 
It 



it 



it 



124 THE NEW GUIDE TO IbELHr. 

" Syud Ahmud the Alai-Darwaza or Gate of Ala-oodeen, 
" but this appellation is not known to the people. The 
" age of the building is however quite certain, as the name 
" of Ala-oodeen is several times repeated in the Arabic 
*' inscriptions over three of the entrances, with the addition 
" of his well-known title of Sekander Sain, and the date 
" of A. H. 710, or A. D. 1310. The building is a square 
*'of 34J feet inside and 56 J feet outside, the wall being 
"11 feet thick. On each side there is a lofty doorway 
"with a pointed horse-shoe arch, the outer edge of the 
"arch being fretted and the under-side panelled. The 
" comers of the square are cut off by bold niches, the head 
" of each niche being formed by a series of five pointed 
" horse-shoe arches lessening in size as they retire towards 
" the angle. In each corner there are two windows of the 
" shape and style as the doorways, but only one-third of 
" the size. These are closed by massive screens of marble 
" lattice- work. The exterior walls are panelled and inlaid 
*' with broad bands of white marble, the effect of which is 
"certainly pleasing. The walls are crowned by battle- 
" mented parapet surmounted by a hemispherical dome. 
" For the exterior view of the building this dome is perhaps 
" too low, but the interior view is perfect, and taken altogether. 
" I consider that the gateway of Ala-oodeen is the most 
"beautiful specimen of Pathan architecture that I have 
" seen." — (General Cunningham,) 

Fergusson says : — " Its walls are decorated internally 
" with a diaper pattern of unrivalled excellence, and the 
" mode in which the square is changed into an octagon is 
" more simply elegant than any other example in India." 
There are four entrances to this beautiful structure ; the 
interior is in very fair repair, but on the outside it has 
sjuffered a good deal, the carvings in marble and red sand- 



THE NEW^ GUIDE TO DELHI. 125 

stone have disappeared, and the roof itself must have re- 
ceived injury, for the fine tracery on the marble has been 
effaced by layers of cement and whitewash. 

58. — Emam ZamirCs Tomb. 

This adjoins A.la-oodeen s Gateway (see IfHf) and stands 
behind the open colonnade running along the South side of 
the Minar. It is situated in a low walled enclosure on ar 
raised terrace ; the sarcophagus is inside the tomb, which 
last has nothing about it worthy of much observation*. 
It is said to have been built in the life-time of Emam 
Zamin, about A. D. 1535, during the Emperor Humayon s 
reign, 

59. — Top of the Kootub Minar. 

This octagonal stone pavilion was put up over the 
Minar by Major Smith, of the Engineers, who had the 
superintendence of the repairs of the Kootub, but it was 
taken down by the order of Government. It is now placed 
on a raised plot of ground in front of the long colonnade 
which runs from the pillar to the East. It is not in the 
least ornamental, but it would be more expensive than it is 
worth to remove it and clear the ground on which it stands, 
so it will probably remain where it is, as useless as it is 
unsightly. Built in A. D. 1826. 

GO. — The unfinished Minar. 

" This massive pillar is built wholly of the rough shapeless 
*' grey stone of the country, and the surface is so uneven 
" that there can be no boubt it was the architect s intention 
'* either to have faced it with red-stone or to have covered it 
** with plaster. The Minar stands upon a plinth 4J fe'et in 
«' width and the same in height, which is raised upon a ter- 
" race of 1 foot in breadth and 7^ feet in height. The rough 
** mass of the superstructure is 257 feet in circumference and 



1 



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it 
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tc 



126 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

" 82 feet in diameter, but with a facing of red-stone this 
" diameter would have been increased to at least 85 feet, or 
nearly double that of the Kootub Minar, as is usually 
stated by the people. The entrance is to the East side, 
and on the North, at some height, there is a window 
intended to light the spiral staircase. But the steps were 
never commenced, and there is only a circular passage^ 
" 9 feet 9 inches wide, round the central pillar, which is 
*' 27 feet in diameter. The thickness of the outer wall is 
" 10 feet 3 inches, the whole pillar being 81 feet in diameter, 
" as noted abovei The total height of the column as it now 
" stands is about 75 feet above the plinth, or 87 feet above 
" the ground level." * * * <• Syud Ahmud states that 
"the building of the Minar was commenced in A. H. 711 
*'or A. D. 1311, but as Ala-oodeen did not die till A. D. 
"1316 (1317?) the work was probably stopped some time 
*' before the end of the reign." — (General Cunningham.) 
This Minar is 425 feet from the Kootub Minar, and in round 
terms may be said to be of twice the dimensions of the latter. 
General Sleeman considered that this pillar was commenced 
by Shumsh-oodeen in A. D 1215, but this is most clearly 
an error, supported by no competent authority. General 
Cunningham compares its outer appearance to that of 
a gigantic cog-wheel, which it certainly does strongly 

resemble. 

61,— Adam Ehan*8 Tomb. 

A large massive building to the South-west of the Kootab. 
It has a simple grandeur, which is not added to by any deco- 
rations. It is built almost entirely of kharra-stone, and is 
to the memory of Adam Khan, who was slain by the order of 
the Emperor Akber in A. D. 1562. The story is as follows : 
Adam Khan was one of the great nobles at Akber's court, 
and an insurrection breaking out in the Province of Malwa he 
was sent to quell it. This he succeeded in doing, but object- 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 127 

ing to give up the spoil he had acquired, the young Emperor 
suddenly marched upon him, and before Adam Khan could 
form any decisive plans, he was vigorously attacked and 
compelled to submit to his sovereign, who generously par- 
doned his humbled vassal. He was, however, removed from 
Malwa, but not taking the lesson he had learnt to heart, 
he indulged his fierce and haughty temper, and so little 
cared for the authority of the Emperor that, in a quarrel 
that ensued between himself and Akber's vizier and foster- 
father, Shumsh-oodeen Mahomed Khan, he stabbed the lat- 
ter while at prayers in a room adjoining the Emperor's own 
apartment. Akber ran out on hearing the noise, and with 
diflSculty restrained himself from slaying the murderer with 
his own hand, but he checked his wrath and ordered him to 
be thrown down headlong from the place where the crime 
had been committed. The native story is that Adam Khau 
was twice hurled from the battlements. 

The tomb, which is also called Bhool Bholinja and Goom- 
gushtagee, is of Pathan architecture. The sarcophagus 
has been removed from the interior, and is now in the outer 
verandah to the North-east. 

62.— The Iron Pillar. 
" This," says General Cunningham, " is one of the most 
''curious monuments in India." * * *" It is a solid shaft 
" of mixed metal upwards of 16 inches in diameter, and about 
" 50 feet in length." * * * « The total height of the 
" pillar above the ground is 22 feet ; " * * * " its depth 
under ground is considerably greater than its height above 
ground, as a recent excavation was carried down to 26 feet 
*' without reaching the foundation on which the pillar rests." 
General Cunningham considers that the whole length would 
not be less than 60 feet, and that it would weigh upwards of 
17 tons. The pillar was probably erected by Rajah Dhava in 



4< 
4( 



128 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

A. D. 319 ; this sovereign's name is imprinted on it. Anang 
Pal II., of the Tomara dynasty, seems to have been the 
sovereign who had it dug up, but the popular legend gives 
the credit or otherwise of this to Rajah Pithora, the last of 
the Hindoo sovereigns, who was defeated by Shahab-oodeen. 
(Anang Pal II. reigned a few yearg before Pithora.) 

Durinor the vear 1871, excavations were made around the 
pillar by orders of General Cunningham. The bottom of the 
pillar was found to be shaped like a flat turnip, and to terminate 
about three feet below the present ground level. This turnip 
root of the pillar rests on eight pieces of iron, which are 
fixed with lead into blocks of stone, at equal inteiTals apart. 
A bamboo stick was passed completely underneath the pillar. 

This wonderful fragment of antiquity is situated in the 
Bhoot Khana, or grand square of the mosque, and was pro- 
bably a triumphal pillar erected by Rajah Dhava. The 
native legend referred to above is as follows : — 

That Rajah Pithora, dreading the fall of his dynasty, con- 
sulted the Brahmins as to what steps should be taken to 
ensure its continuance. He was informed that if he sunk 
an iron shaft into the ground, and managed to pierce the 
head of the snake-god Lishay who supported the world, his 
kiugdom would endure for ever. The pillar was accord- 
ingly constructed, and the directions of the Brahmins im- 
plicitly obeyed. How long the shaft remained undisturbed 
is not said, but the Rajah, either distrusting his priestly 
advisers, or desirous of seeing for himself whether the suake 
liad been touched, contrary to the entreaties of the Brah- 
mins, had the pillar taken up. To the surprise of the spec- 
tators and the consternation of the sovereign, the end of 
it was found covered with blood, and the Rajah was informed 
that his dynasty would shortly cease. He ordered the 
pillar to be again inserted in the ground, but the serpent 
below appears to have had enougli of cold iron, and the 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 129 

Brahmins declared that the $ceptre would soon pass away 
from the hands of the Hindoo sovereign. The charm was 
anyhow broken, for Shahab-oodeen shortly after wrested 
from Pithora his life and his kingdom, and from that day to 
this no Hindoo king has ever ruled in Delhi* 

63.— Fort ofLalkot. 
This lies to the East and North of the Kootub grounds : 
leaving Adam Khan's Tomb (see 61) on the West, the ram- 
parts can be easily traced running along the South, and on 
the Western side the huge masses of stone work and the im- 
mense fortifications will well repay a ramble. The pedes- 
trian can scramble quite round the battlements ; the pathwiay 
on the North and East is in capital order ; on returning, thd 
Hindoo temple, the Jogh Maya^ should be kept to the left, 
And just beyond this, entrance can be easily obtained withiii 
the Kootub grounds. " The Fort of Lalkot, which was built 
'* by Anang Pal 11. in A. D. 1060, is of an irregular rounddd 
" oblong form, 2 J miles in circumference. Its walls are atf 
" lofty and massive as those of Toogluckabad, although the 
blocks of stone are not so colossal. By different measure- 
" ments I found the ramparts to be from 28 to 30 feet in thick- 
*' ness, of which the parapet is just one-half. These massivd 
^' ramparts have a general height of 60 feet above the bottom 
" of the ditch, which still exists in very fair order all round 
" the fort, except on the South side, where there is a deep 
" and extensive hollow that was most probably once filled 
*' with water. About one-half of the main walls are still 
" standing as firm and solid as when they were first built. 
*' At all the salient points there are large bastions from 60 
*' to 100 feet in diameter. Two of the largest of these, which 
*' are on the North side, are called the Futteh Burj and the 
*'Sohan Buij. The long lines of walls between these 
"bastions are broken by numbers of smaller towers well 
" displayed out at the base, and 45 feet in diameter at the 



130 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

" top, with curtains of 80 feet between them : along the 
" base of these towers, which are still 30 feet in height, 
*' there is an outer line of wall forming a raoni or faussee 
•' braie, which is also 30 feet in height. The parapet of 
*' this wall has entirely disappeared, and the wall itself is 
" so much broken as to aflford an easy descent into the 
*' ditch in many places. The upper portion of the counter- 
'* scarp wall has nearly all fallen down, excepting on the 
*' North-west side, where there is a double line of works 
** strengthened by detached bastions. The positions of three 
*'of the gateways in the West half of the fort are easily 
*f recognizable, but the walls of the East half are so much 
'^ broken that it is now only possible to guess at the probable 
^position of one other gate. The North gate is judiciously 
" placed in the re-entering angle close to the Sohan Burj, 
'f where it still forms a deep gap in the lofty mass of ram- 
" part by which the cowherds enter with their cattle. The 
*' West gate is the only one of which any portion of the 
''walls now remains. It is said to have been called the 
'* Eanjit Gate. This gateway was 17 feet wide, and there is 
" still standing on the left hand side a large upright stone 
" with a groove for guiding the ascei^t and descent of the 
'^portcullis. This stone is 7 feet in height above the rub-i 
" bish, but it is not probably less than 13 or 15 feet. It is 
" 2 feet 1 inch broad and 1 foot 3 inches thick. The ap- 
" proach to this gate is guarded by no less than three small 
"outworks. The South g£|.te is in the Southmost angle, 
"near Adan^ Khan's Topib (see 57)— it is now a mere 
" gap in the mass of rampart. S3rud Ahniud states on the 
" authority of Zia Barni, that the W^st gate of Rae Pithora's 
" Fort was called the Ghuzni Gate after the Mussulman con- 
" quest, because the Ghuzni troops had gained the fortress 
'* by that entrance. I feel satisfied that this must have beeu 
*' the Ranjit Gate, for the following re^^ons :— first, the 



if 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 131 

'' Mussulmans never make any mention of Lalkot, but al- 
ways include it as a part of Rae Pithora's Fort ; secondly, the 
possession of the larger and weaker fortress of Rae Pithora 
" could not be called the conquest of Delhi while the stronger 
*' citadel of Lalkot held out. The evident care with which 
" the approach to the Ranjit Gate has been strengthened 
" by a double line of works and by three separate outworks 
** immediately in front of the gateway itself, shows that this 
" must have been considered the weakest point of the for- 
*' tress, and therefore that it was the most likely to have been 
"attacked. For this reason I conclude that the Ranjit Gate 
" was the one by which the Mussulmans entered Lalkot, the 
*' citadel of Delhi, and that having proved its weakness by 
'* their own success, they at once proceeded to strengthen 
'^ the works at this point for their own security."— ((Jenerai 
Cunningham.) 

Lalkot was the fort of the city of the Hindoo Rajah Pithora, 
who, in A. D. 1193, was defeated and slain by Shahab- 
oodeen. There is hardly a trace of any buildings within the 
ramparts now, but the battlements to the West and North 
are in a fair state, being very massively put together. The 
plan of defence seems to have been a rampart wall faced 
with loose stones, and protected at irregular distances by 
small bastions, the ditch below is of great depth, and beyond 
this rises another wall which has also defensive works built 
on it. Comparing the Lalkot with the old British stronghold 
near Dorchester — and as they are of much the same size — the 
comparison is not an unfair one ; it may be said that the work 
in the Lalkot is the stronger of the two, and that the archi- 
tectural skill in the British fort cannot be compared to that 
shown in the Lalkot, which, indeed, in the days in which it 
was built, must have been almost impregnable. The defences, 
as far as we pan now judge of them, must have been admira- 



132 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 

ble, the advanced works being well covered by the ramparts 
and comer bastions. It is most clearly evident that the 
Mahomedans must have added to the old Hindoo fortification, 
as in the ditch of the fort to the North-west side there are 
two arches, and it is known that the Hindoos in those days 
did not use the arch at all This is some little confirmation, 
if any were required, to General Cunningham s clearly- 
expressed opinion that the conquerors added to the works 
after the capture of the citadel. 

61— Fort of Rajah Fithora. 

" From the North-west angle of Lalkot (see 63) the lines 
" of Rae Pithora's walls can still be distinctly traced running 
" towards the North for about half a mile. From this point 
" they turn to the South-east for one and a half miles, then 
"to the South for one mile, and lastly to the West and 
" North-west for three-quarters of a mile, where they join the 
"South-west angle of Lalkot, which, being situated on 
" higher ground, forms a lofty citadel that completely com* 
" mands the fort of Rae Pithora. The entire circuit of the 
" walls of the two forts is four miles and three furlongs, or 
" rather more than half the size of the modem city of Shah 
"Jehanabad or Delhi."  *  "The Fort of Kae 
^' Pithora, which surrounds the citadel of Lalkot on three 
"sides, would appear to have been built to protect the 
" Hindoo city of Delhi from the attacks of the Mussulmans." 
* * * " As the first appearance of the formidable Ghoris 
" before Lahore corresponds so nearly with the accession of 
" Prithvi Rajah ' or Pithora,' I think it very probable that 
" the fortification of the city of Dilli was forced upon the 
"Rajah by a well-grounded apprehension that Dilli itself 
" might soon be attacked, and so it happened, for within two 
" years after the battle of Tilaori, the Rajah was a prisoner, 
" and Dilli was in the possession of the Mussulmans."  * * 



THE NEW GUIDE TQ JX&tWT. 133 

" The defences of the city are in every way interior to those 
" of the citadel. The walls are one-half the height and the 
" towers are placed at much longer intervals." * * * « Xhe 
" Fort of Rae Pithora is said to have had nine gates besides 
"the Ghuzni Gate. Four of these gates can still be traced. 
" The first is on the West side, and is covered by an out- 
" work ; the second is on the North side towards Indraput ; 
" the third is on the East side towards Toogluckabad, and 
" the fourth is on the South-east side. But besides these 
" there must have been other grates somewhere on the South 
" side, one of which could not have been far from Sir T. 
" Metcalfe's house/' (See 68.) " Such was the Hindoo city 
" of Dilli when it was captured by the Mussulmans in Janu- 
" ary 1193. The circuit of its walls was nearly 4 J miles, 
" and it covered a space of ground equal to one-half o€ the 
" modern Shahjehanabad, the capital of the Mogul sovereigns 
" of India. It possessed twenty-seven Hindoo temples, of 
" which several hundreds of richly-carved pillars remain 
" to attest both the taste and the wealth of the last Hindoo 
" rulers of India." — (General Cunningham.) 

65, — Haji Baba Rose BeKs Tomb. 

In the North-west ditch of the Lalkot (see 63) in a wild 
and deserted spot lie the remains of Rose Beh. He himself 
led the assault on the Lalkot, when it was attacked by 
Shahab-oodeen in A. D. 1193, and was slain heading the 
storming party. The tomb is visited occasionally, and as it 
lias been lately white-washed, it is evident that there are 
some who have an interest in keepRig it in a state of repair. 
66, — Tomb of Moulvie Joomalie Koomalie, 

This lies to the South-east of the Metcalfe House (see 68) ; 
the road to it from the Kootub Minar passes below the Met- 
calfe Hjouse across a bridge. The tomb is situated on a rising 
ground adjoining the Musjid of Fuzool-oolla, aiid is covered 



134 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI* 

with encaustic tiling ; the interior is worked up with lines of 
color. Date of erection about A. D. 1535, in the time of the 
Emperor Humayon. It is fast falling into decay, and losing 
all pretensions to any beauty it may have had. 

67, — MiLsjid of Fuzool-oolla or Jelial Khan. 

This stands next to the tomb above-mentioned. It has 
only one dome, and is said to have been built in A. D. 1528, 
during the reign of the Emperor Baber. 

68, — Metcalfe House, 

This was the tomb of Mahomed Koolee Khan, who was 
the Emperor Akber's foster-father. It may be remembered 
that Akber had four foster-mothers, and probably as many 
foster-fathers ; this one referred to here is not the one who 
was killed by Adam Khan, {see 61,) The tomb is now fitted 
up as a European residence, and was a favorite resort of Sir 
Theophilus Metcalfe, Eesident at the Court of Delhi. 

69, — The two Diving Wells in Mehrowlie. 

The one near the Kootub was built by Mahomed Daoud 
Khan in 1263 A. H. Anang Pal II. is said to have built the 
other, but this seems doubtful. 

The depth of the well in the village of Mehrowlie (close to 
the Kootub) is something over 80 feet, and a certain class of 
divers for a present of four annas unhesitatingly jump down 
below. Commencing as children, at short distances, they are 
at length enabled to plunge from the summit of this well 
without'danger. The legs are opened wide till just before 
immersion, when they af e sharply closed. The diver, after a 
moment's disappearance, again emerges from the water, 
5wims to the side, and runs up the steps none the worse for 
his seemingly perilous venture. 

70, — Ruins helow Metcalfe House, 
These lie to the South-east of the Metcalfe House (see 68.} 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 135 

They are but a mass of dismantled buildings, but will repay 
a visit. 

71. — Royal Tombs in Mehrowlie. 

These are in the town of Mehrowlie, close to the Kootub. 
They are well worth seeing, and no one should leave the 
Kootub without paying them a visit. They are all close to- 
gether. The chuprassie at the D&k Bungalow can give direc- 
tions as to the road, &c. 

In closing this notice of the Kootub Minar and adjacent 
ruins and buildings, it may be as well to state that there is 
very fair accommodation to be obtained on the spot. There 
are two Dak Bungalows in the entrance square of the grounds, 
and any one can take rooms in the Metcalfe House by paying 
for the accommodation afforded (i. e, one rupee per day for 
each person.) Provisions, however, can only be supplied at 
the Dlik Bungalow. 

If only one day can be given to the Kootub, the hotel- 
keepers in Delhi can make all the arrangements for thej 

road. 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHT. 



137 



CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX-CONTAINING PROBABLE DATES OF 
ERECTION OP VARIOUS BUILDINGS, &o., &c. 



No. 



2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 

1 
2 
3 



6 

7 
8 

9 



20 

21 
22 



Name. 



B. C. 



Eort or Palace in Delhi 



*•• 



Dewan Aam 
Dewan Khass 
Pearl Mosqne 
Jumma Musjid 
Selimgurh .. 

Kala or Kalan Musjid 
Kirkhee 



!•• 



Sut-poolla Bund 
Begumpore 
Bttddee Mnnzil 
Hous-Khass 



Junter Munter (Ob- 
servatory) 

Roshun Chirag, Delhi 
Toogluckabad 



Hazar-Seitoon(the 1,000 
pillared hall) ... 

The Barber's House ... 

Emperor Tooglnck Shah's 
Tomb ..i 

Feroz Shah's Lat or 
PiUar 



Ferozabad City 

Delhi Shir Shah 
The Jail 



about 



ff 



9> 



99 



»> 



f} 



about 



about 



f» 



♦« 



A. D. 



1638 
1638-58 

it 

1658-1707 

1638-58 

1546 

1380 

» 

I) 

}f 

it 

it 

1720 

uncertain 

1321-25 

1326 
1324 

uncertain 

1351-85 
1351-58 
1540^45 



Remarks. 



In reign of Emperor Shah 
Jehaoi. 



Do. do. 
Do. do. 



do. 

do. 



Do. do. Aurungzib. 

Do. do. Shah Jehan.' 

Do. do. Selim Shah. 

Do. do. Feroz Shah., 

Do. do. do. 

Do. do. do. 

Do. do. do. 



Do. do. 



do. 



Do. The Emperor j'eroz 
Shah is buned here. 

In reign of Mahomed Shah. 

Emperor Belol Lodi buried 
here. 

Commenced and finished 
in reign of Emperor Toog" 
luck Shah. 

In reign of Emperor 
Mahomed Toogluck I. 



Said to have been exacted 
by the Emperor himself. 

Placed in its present posi* 
tion about that period. 

Built by Emperor Feroz 
Shah. 

Do. do. Shir Shah. 
Formerly used as a Ser^. 



8 



138 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 



No. 
23 

24 
A, 
25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 
31 

32 
33 
34 
35 

36 

.37 

38 
'89 
40 
41 
42 

. 43 
44 

45 
46 



Name. 



B. C. 



Sufter Jung*8 Tomb 

C Group of 4 Tombs 
} f acmg Softer Jung's 
(. Tomb 

TheTirBoorja 

Mobarikpore Kotla ... 

Purana Keela 

Eeela Eona Musjid ... 
Sher Mundil ... 



about 



tf 



about 



tt 



Kala Mahul 



(•• 



(•• 



IaI Bungalow 

Arab-ke- Serai 

Neela Boorj 

Mukburrah Ehan Khan 
na 

Emperor Humayon's 
Tomb 

BaraPooI 

Chousut ^umba 

Nizam-oodeen's Tomb 

Poet Khusroo's Tomb... 

Mirza Jehangire's Tomb 

Tomb of Jehanara 
Begum 

Tomb of Emperor Ma» 
homed Sh&h. 

Baoli or Well, near 
Nizam-oodeen's Tomb 

Jumaat Khana Musjid 
Tomb of Syud Abid ... 



about 



A. D. 



175660 






about 



>i 



about 



}> 



about 
about 



doubtful. 

1540-45 
1540 

1538 

unknown 
1632 

1540 

1560 

unknown 

1625 
1560 



Bemakks. 



Munsoor Ali Khan, entit- 
led Sufter Jung, was vizier 
to the Emperor Ahmed 
Shah. 



II 



}> 



••« 



1600 
1350 
;i350 
1832 

1680 

1750 

1330 
1353 

unknown 



In reign of Emperor Shir 
Shah. 

On the site of the ancient 
city of indra Prastha, 15th 
century B. C. 

Built by the Emperor 
Humayon £vnd Shir Shah. 

In Purana Keela. 

In reign of Emperor Shah 
Jehan. 

Do. do. Humayon. 

In reign of Emperor Akb^r. 



In reign of Emperor 
Jehangire. 

Built by his widow Hajee 
Begum. 

Bridge near Humayon'^ 
Tomb. 



She was the daughter of 
the Emperor Shah Jehan. 



Built by Emperor Fepoz 
Shah. 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 



139 



No. 


Name. 


B. 0. 


A. D. 


Bbmarks. 


47 


Tomb and Musjid of 
Eesa Khan 


••• 


1540-45 


In reign of Emperor Shir 
Shah. 


48 


Tagah Khan's Tomb ... 


••• 


1561 


Do. do. Akber. 


49 


Tomb in Garden of Hu- 
mayon*a Mausoleum... 


•»« 


unknown. 




50 


Doorgah Yosoof Kutal 


»*» 


1524 


In reign of Emperor Baber. 


51 


Mausoleum of Sooltan 
Gari 


••• 


1230 


Sooltan Gari was the son 
of the Emperor Shumsh- 
oodeen Altomsh. 


52 


The Kootub Minar ... 


about 


1220 


In the reign of Altomsh. 


53 
54 


Bhoot-khana, or Idol 
Temple 

MuRJid-i-Kootub-ool- 
Islam 




1220 
1220 


In the reign of Altomsh, 
the Pillar Era of the 9th 
and 10th centuries A. D., 
aijd were placed by the 
Mahomedans in their 
present position. 


55 
56 


Tomb of Emperor Shum- 
sh-oodeen Altomsh ... 

Emperor AU-'Oodeen's 
Palace 


. .« 
••• 


1236 
1295-1317 


Built by Sultana Rezia 
and Sultan Ruquoodeen^ 
children of deceased. 


57 


Emperor Ala-oodeen*s 
Gateway 


ft 


1311 




58 


Emam Zamin's Tomb 


••• 


1535 


In reign of Emperor Hnma« 
yon. 


59 


Top of Kootub Minar... 


... 


1826 




60 


• 

The unfinished Minar... 


about 


1310 


In reign of Emperor Ala* 
ood-een I. 


61 


Adam Khan^s Tomb ... 


about 


1565 


Adam Khan was slain in 
1552. 


62 


The Iron lAt or Pillar 


«*t 


319 


Actual date of erection 
unknown : the earliest 
date recorded on the 
shafts is A. D. 319. 


63 


Fort of Lalkot 


•t( 


1052 


Built by Rajah Anang Pal 
11. 


64 


The Khass Keela 


about 


1190 


Built by Rajah Pithora. 



140 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 



65 
66 

67 
68 
69 
70 

71 



Haji BabaBose Beh's 
Tomb ... 

Tomb of Moulvie Joo- 
malie Koomalie 

MuBJid of Fazool-oola 

Metcalfe House ... 

The two Diving Wells 

Ruins below Metcalfe 
House 

Boyal Tombs in Meh- 
rowlie 



B. C. 


A. D. 


about 


1193 


about 


1535 


••« 


1528 


• • . 


uncertain 


•• • 


unknown 


••• 





Remarks. 



In reign of Emperor 
Humayon. 

In reign of Emperor Baber. 

This is the Tomb of 
Mahomed Koolee Khan. 



All these are of a recent 
date. 



MISCELLANEOUS TOMBS, &c., OP WHICH NO SPECIAL MENTION 

18 MADE IN THE GUIDE. 



No. 

72 

73 

74 

75 
76 

77 
78 

79 
80 



Name. 



B. C. A. D. 



The Flagstaff Tower ... 

The Kuddum Shurreef 
Futtehpoori Musjid ... about 

Jeenutool Massy 

Tomb of Ghazee-ood- 
deen . ... 

Jaina Temple ... quite 

Ali Murdan's Canal ... 

MunderKalka 

The Jogh Maya »., 



1640 



RSMABKS. 



modem 
1628-58 



On the ridge where the 
fugitives in the Mutiny 
of 1857 took refuge. 

Opposite Purana Keela. 

Built in Emperor Shah 
Jehan's reign. 

Near the Turcoman Gate. 

At the A jmere Gate. 

Near the Chandni Chouk. 

In reign of Emperor Shah 
Jehan. 

A very ancient Hindoo 
shrine, about six milea 
from Delhi. 

A very ancient Temple 
(Hindoo) close to the 
Kootub. 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELSL l4l 

CHRONOLOGICAL INDEX TO THE SOVEREIGNS OP DELHI. 
A. D. 

1191 Shahaboodeen attacks Delhi and is defeated* 

1 193 Shahab-oodeen takes Delhi. Kutb-oodeen is left in charge (Gheia8*oodeef| 
Ghori and Shahab-oodeen were associated together in the governing 
of Ghaani, the latter being the Military Governor.) 

1202 Gheias-oodeen Ghori died, leaving Shahab-oodeen to rule. 

120G Shahab-oobecn assassinated. Mahomed' Ghori succeeded to the sole 
government of Ghazni and India. 

Indian CHRONOLoaY, 

1206 Kutb-oodeen Eiback, the former Viceroy of India, mounted the throne.' 

1210 Aram, his son, succeeded — was dethroned. 

1211 ShiUnsh-oodeen Altomsh succeeded— died in 1236. 

1236 Ruqu-oodeen, son of above, succeeded-^deposed in seven monthi* 

1236 Sultana Bezia, sister of above— deposed and put to death, 

1239 Moiz-oodeen Behram— assassinated. 

1241 Ala-oodeen (Masoud) I. — deposed and assassinated. 

1246 Nasir-oodeen Mahmud — died 1266. 

1266 Gheias-oodeen Bulbun— died 1286. 

1286 Kei-Kobad — dethroned and assassinated 1288. 

House o^ Khilji. 

1288 Jelal-oodeen !Khilji — assassinated 1295 by his nephew and successor. " 
1295 Ala^oodeeh (Khilji) II., called Sekander— died 1316. 
1317 Mobarik Khilji— murdered by Vizier Khusroo 1321. 

House of Toooluck. 

1221 Gheias-oodeen Toogluck— killed by fall of a pavilion 1325. 

1325 Mahomed (Toogluck) L— died 1351. 

1351 Feroz Shah (Toogluck) in 1385 gives up government. 

1385 Nasir-oodeen, son of above, succeeded. 

1886 Nasir-oodeen expelled. Gheias-oodeen II. (Toogluck) ascended the throU6« 
Feroz Shah died 1388. 

1389 Gheias-oodeen II. deposed and murdered. Abubekr succeeded. 

1389 Abubekr Toogluck is defeated and dethroned by Nasir-oodeen. 

1394 Nasir-oodeen Toogluck died, succeeded by Humayon. 

1394 Humayon I. reigned 45 days, died, and was succeeded by his brother. 

1394 Mahomed Toogluck IL died in 1412. 

1412 Doulut Khan Lodi expelled by Khizr KhaUj Governor of the Punjab* 



142 THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. - 

- GOVKRNMBKT OF THE SEIADi. 

A. D. 

1414 Seiad Khizr Ehan. 
1421 Seiad Mobarik. 

1435 Seiad Mahomed, 

1444 Seiad Ala-oodeen made over Delhi to Behlol Khan Lodi. 

' House of Lodi. 

1450 Behlol Khan Lodi died, succeeded by Sekander Lodi. 

1488 Sekander Lodi died at Agra, 1516. 

1516 Ibrahim Lodi succeeded — defeated and slain at Paneeput by Baber in 1526. 

House of Timour. 
1526 Baber ascended the throne, died in 1530, buried at Cabul. 
1530 Humayon II. ascended the throne ; is expelled by Shir Shah. 

House of Sub. 

1540 Shir Shah Sur ascended the throne, killed in action 1545. 

1545 Selim Shah Sur died, 1553. 

1553 Mahomed Shah Sur Adili ascended the throne ; the Emperor Humayon 
returned in 1556. 

House of Timour. 

1556 Humayon II. restored, killed by a fall inside Purana Keela. 

1556 Akber succeeded, died in 1605. 

1605 Jehangire succeeded, died in 1627. 

162S Shah Jehan ascended the throne, deposed in 1658. 

1653 Aurungzib (or Alumgire I.) died 1707, aged 89. 

1707 Bahadur Shah succeeded. 

1712 Jehandar Shah succeeded, put to death by his nephew and successor. 

1713 Farokshir, grandson of Bahadur Shah, succeeded — deposed and assassi- 

nated 1719. 

1719 Rafi-u-Dirjat died in three months, 

1719 Rafi-oo-dowla died in a month or so. 

1719 Mahomed Shah died in 1748. 

1748 Ahmed Shah deposed and blinded 1754. 

1754 Alumgire II. murdered by Ghasi-oodeen 1759. 

1759 Shah Alum. 

Akber Shah. 

Bahadur Shah. The Mutiny of 1857 saw the end of the Timour Djmaaty. 



THE NEW GUIDE TO DELHI. 



143 



Summary. 

Sovereigns before the Khilji Dynasty 
Sovereigns of the Khilji Djmasty 
Ditto ditto Toogluck do, ... 

Dowlut Khan Lo^i 

Rulers of the Family of the Seiada ... ' 

Sovereigns of the House of Lodi ... 

Ditto ditto Timour 

Ditto ditto Sur 

Ditto ditto Timour— after restoration 



••• 



Total 



• • • • • 



11 
3 

10 
1 
4 
3 
2 
3 

15 

62 



Of the sovereigns of Delhi, 15 out of 52 met with violent deaths ; of these 
15, no less than 11 were murdered; 

From A. D. 1206 to A. D. 1857 gives 651 years, in which period 52 
sovereigns sat on the throne of Delhi, giving an average reign to each of about 
12 years, 6 months and 6 days, __ 



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