DELHI
Famous As : The Capital Of India & It's Administrative Center
English, Hindi, Urdu And Punjabi
Delhi is no fairytale city but a city where dreams come to
reality. Its strategic location was one of the prime reasons why
successive dynasties chose it as their seat of power. Delhi is truly a
symbol of the old and the new; a blend of ancient well preserved
monuments
and temples
along with jam-packed burger joints and upmarket
shopping malls.
The city is lushed with a plethora of temples,
forts,
mosques as
well as parks, gardens
and beautiful colonial mansions. Delhi may seem daunting to a first time
visitor but as a national capital and the gateway to the North, it is a
must visit city on any travelers itinerary. Impressive
museums and
interesting nightlife, Delhi has a lot to offer for everyone.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
The Origin
The earliest reference to a settlement at Delhi is found in the epic
Mahabharata, which mentions a city called Indraprastha, built about 1400
BC under the direction of 'Yudhistra', a 'Pandava' king, on a huge mound
somewhere between the sites where the historic
Old
Fort and
Humayun's
Tomb were later to be located. Although nothing remains of
Indraprastha, according to legend it was a thriving city.
The first reference to the place-name Delhi, seems to have been made in
the 1st century BC, when Raja Dhilu built a city near the site of the
future
Qutub
Minar and named it after himself.
A Conglomerate Of Seven Cities
One of the most fascinating aspects of Delhi is the visibility of its
historic p
ast.
Some of the large portions of the city could be well earmarked as
archeological parks because the rulers of successive dynasties between the
13th and the 17th centuries established seven cities in different parts of
Delhi. A chronological review of these cities fortunately also serves as
suitable itinery for tourists and highlights the important
monuments
amongst the 1300's.
Delhi's History goes much further back in time than the 13th century. The
core of the first of the seven cities was created by Anagpal Tomar who is
said to have built LAL KOT, which is the first known regular defence work
in Delhi. The Chauhan Rajput's later captured Delhi from the Tomars.
Prithviraj III, also known as Rai Pithora, extended Lal Kot, adding
massive ramparts and gates and made Quila Rai Pithora the first city of
Delhi. Today only, the ramparts are visible near the Qutub Minar, though
the city is known to have had several Hindu and Jain
temples.
Soon afterwards, in two successive battles of Tarain 1191, the Rajputs
first managed to hold off an invading force from Afghanistan, led by
Muhammad Ghuri but surrendered a few months later. Unlike other invaders
of Central Asia who swept into the northern plains, Muhammad Ghuri came to
stay and not only plunder.
After Ghuri's assasination in 1206, his provinces, forts and monuments
were kept intact in the hands of his Turkish general, Qutub-ud-din-Aibak.
Qutub-ud-din was the founder of the Slave or Mamulak dynasty also known as
Delhi Sultanate and became the first Muslim ruler of Delhi. He also raised
the construction of Qutub Minar. His successor, Iltutmish, was arguably
the greatest of the early Delhi Sultans.
The Slave Dynasty (1211-1227) was followed by the Khalji dynasty
(1296-1316) and during the rule of Ala-ud-din Khalji, the second city of
Delhi was built - "SIRI".
Today Siri is situated where the Siri Fort and the modern day Asiad
Village Complex are located. The third city of Delhi -
TUGHLUQABAD
was founded by the Tughluq dynasty soon after in 1320 AD but very little
remains of this can be seen in present day Delhi. The fourth city of Delhi
-
JAHANPANAH
was built between Lal Kot and Siri in 1327 AD. The next Sultan Firoz Shah
built the fifth city of Delhi - FIROZABAD in 1354 AD.
The Tughlaq's were followed by the Central Asian Turk-Timur, who was
later succeeded by the Sayyid dynasty. The Lodi dynasty soon followed and
the only interesting
architectural
features added by them were the tombs, the best of which may be seen at
the Lodi
Gardens. The famous battle of Panipat fought in 1526 AD marked the
beginning of Mughal rule in India, a period in history that was very
significant.
Babur and Humayun were the early Mughal rulers followed by a 15-year
break in Mughal rule when Sher Shah Suri an Afghan king ruled over Delhi.
He built the fort DIN-PANAH - the 6th city on the banks of the
Yamuna,
which in present day Delhi is known as the
Purana
Qila. When Emperor Akbar took over, the capital was shifted to Agra.
However in 1628 AD, Delhi was once again made the capital of the Mughal
Empire under Emperor Shah Jahan. In Shah Jahan's rule, Delhi witnessed the
construction of some of the finest pieces of Mughal architecture. There
was the new walled capital of SHAHJAHANBAD - the 7th city of Delhi, which
is now Old Delhi with the
Red
Fort and the
Jama
Masjid.
The Colonial Era
For the next many decades, Delhi witnessed tumultuous times, different
rulers and dynasties and finally in 1803 AD, the British who had already
established their presence in India, took over power in Delhi. Delhi was
the focal point for the first war of independence in 1857. Though the
revolt did not reach its desired conclusion, Delhi became a thorn in the
eyes of the British.
As the Britishers shifted their capital from Calcutta to Delhi, all the
activities during the freedom struggle were directed towards Delhi. Thus,
Delhi also bears the marks of the freedom struggle. The ultimate goal of
the Azad Hind Fauz during the freedom struggle was to capture Delhi and
established Swaraj. The slogan 'Dilli Chalo' is still used by leaders and
political parties when they oraganise any rally or demonstration. It was
the hosting of the tricolour at Red Fort in Delhi, which marked a chapter
in the history of India.
In 1950, Delhi was made the capital of Independent India and in 1992 it
was declared a state.
