I asked some of the attendants of the tomb, on my way back, what he had come to pray for; and was told that no one knew, but every one supposed it was for the death of the Emperor, his father, who was only fifteen years older, and was busily engaged in promoting an intrigue at the instigation of one of his wives, to oust him, and get one of her sons, Mirza Salim, acknowledged as his successor by the British Government.  It was the Hindoo festival of the Basant,[33] and all the avenues to the tomb of this old saint were crowded when I visited it.  Why the Muhammadans crowded to the tomb on a Hindoo holiday I could not ascertain.

The Emperor Iltutmish, who died A.D. 1235, is buried close behind one end of the arched alcove, in a beautiful tomb without its cupola.  He built the tomb himself, and left orders that there should be no ‘parda’ (screen) between him and heaven; and no dome was thrown over the building in consequence.  Other great men have done the same, and their tombs look as if their domes had fallen in; they think the way should be left clear for a start on the day of resurrection.[34] The church is stated to have been added to it by the Emperor Balban, and the Minar finished.[35] About the end of the seventeenth century, it was so shaken by an earthquake that the two upper stories fell down.  Our Government, when the country came into our possession, undertook to repair these two stories, and entrusted the work to Captain Smith, who built up one of stone, and the other of wood, and completed the repairs in three years.  The one was struck by lightning eight or nine years after, and came down.  If it was anything like the one that is left, the lightning did well to remove it.[36]

About five years ago, while the Emperor was on a visit to the tomb of Kutb-ud-din, a madman got into his private apartments.  The servants were ordered to turn him out.  On passing the Minar he ran in, ascended to the top, stood a few minutes on the verge, laughing at those who were running after him, and made a spring that enabled him to reach the bottom, without touching the sides.  An eye-witness told me that he kept his erect position till about half-way down, when he turned over, and continued to turn till he got to the bottom, when his fall made a report like a gun.  He was of course dashed to pieces.  About five months ago another fell over by accident, and was dashed to pieces against the sides.  A new road has been here cut through the tomb of the Emperor Ala-ud-din, who murdered his father-in-law-the first Muhammadan conqueror of Southern India, and his remains have been scattered to the winds.[37]