THE History of this remarkable pillar has been the subject of much controversy among English writers, Hindus, and Muhammadans. The Hindus claim to have commenced it, and, according to Syud Ahmed, the Hindu Rajah Rai Pithora built the first story of the Lat or pillar, to enable his daughter to see the river Jumna daily and to behold the rising sun. He supports this view by the assertion that she was of the religion of the Suriij Mokhi, the followers of which regard the Jumna as the daughter of the sun and accordingly consider the worship of the river as a part of their religious duties.

There are various arguments in favour of the pillar having been so commenced by the Hindus, and to facilitate a more ready comparison of the different views held, I have appended the various arguments in favour of the Hindu theory, together with the reasoning of General Cunningham, who holds the opinion that the construction of the Minar is from first to last the work of the Muhammadans and not an adaptation of a pre-existing monument.