He was born on the 24th of October, 1775, and so was in his
sixty-first year when the author met him. His father was about
seventy-eight (eighty lunar) years of age at his death.
33. 'Basant' means the spring. The full name of this festival of the
spring time is the Basant Panchami.
34. According to Harcourt (_The New Guide to Delhi_, 1866), the tomb
of Iltutmish was erected by his children, the Sultanas Rukn-ud-din
and Razia, who reigned in succession after him for short periods,
that is to say, Rukn-ud-din Firoz Shah for six months and twenty-
eight days, and the Empress Razia for about three years, from A.D.
1236 to 1239. (See Carr Stephen, p. 73.) Iltutmish died in April,
A.D. 1236, not in 1235. Fergusson observes that this tomb is of
special interest as being the oldest Muhammadan tomb known to exist
in India. He also remarks (p. 509) that the effect at present is
injured by the want of a roof, which, 'judging from appearance, was
never completed, if ever commenced'. Harcourt (p. 120) states that
'Firoz Shah, who reigned from A.D. 1351 to A.D. 1385 [_sic_, 1388],
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.
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