Delhi's
history goes much further back in time than the 13th century. In 1955,
excavations at the Purana Qila revealed that the site was inhabited 3000
years ago. Ware pottery known as Painted Gray Ware and dated to 1000 BC
confirmed this as being yet another site associated with the epic Mahabharata.
The excavations also cut through houses and streets of the Sultanate,
Rajput, post-Gupta, Gupta, Saka-Kushan and Sunga periods, reaching down
to the Mauryan era (300 BC), thus revealing almost continuous habitaion.
The association of Emperor Ashoka (273-36 BC) with Delhi has come to light with the discovery of a Minor Rock Edict in the locality known as Srinivaspuri. A clearer picture of the city emerges from the end of the 10th century, when the Tomar Rajputs established themselves in the in the Aravalli hills south of Delhi. The isolated, rocky outcrop facilitated the defence of the royal resort which the Rajputs called Dhilli or Dhillika. The core of the first of the seven cities was created by Anangpal Tomar who is said to have built Lal Kot, which is the first known regular defence work in Delhi. The Chauhan Rajputs later captured Delhi from the Tomars.
Prithviraj
III, also known as Rai Pithora, extended Lal Kot, adding massive ramparts
and gates, and made Qila 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. Prithviraj was ruling Delhi
when Muhammad of Ghur invaded India, and died fighting the invader at
the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192. Ghur returned, but left as his viceroy,
his slave Qutbuddin Aibak. In 1206, Qutbuddin crowned himself as the Sultan of the Slave or Mamluk dynasty, and became the first Muslim ruler of Delhi. Qutbuddin, had however, commenced his architectural career even before he chose to become the sultan. The mosque was essential to the Islamic emphasis on congregational prayer, while the burial of the dead, as opposed to cremation, introduced the tomb to India. The earliest of these Islamic structures are to be seen in the Qutub complex and the incorporation of many Hindu elements is due to the ready availability of building material and the use of local craftsmen.
Qutbuddin raised the Quwwat-ul-Islam (might of Islam) mosque, which is the earliest extant mosque in India. Within its spacious courtyard he retained the 4th century Iron Pillar, probably the standard of an ancient Vishnu temple. The pillar has puzzled scientists, as its iron has not rusted in all these centuries. In 1199, Qutbuddin raised the Qutub Minar either as a victory tower or as a minaret to the adjacent mosque. From a base of 14.32 mtrs it tapers to 2.75 mtrs at a height of 72.5 mtrs. It is still the highest stone tower in India, one of the finest tower Islamic structures ever raised and Delhi's recognized landmark.
It
was completed by the Sultan's successor and son-in-low, Iltutmish. The
tomb of Iltutmish, which he himself built in 1235, is nearby. Its interiors
are profusely decorated with calligraphy, thought the dome has collapsed.
The Khalji rulers displaced the Slave dynasty in 1290, and when Alauddin
Khali ordered renovations of the mosque in 1311, he also raised the impressive
Alai Darwaza, the southern entrance to the mosque. It is the first example
of a building employing wholly Islamic principles of construction, including
the true arch. In 1303, Alauddin, established the second city of Delhi,
called Siri, of which nothing remains but the embattlements. He also had dug a vast reservoir, Hauz Khas, to sypply water to his city. Contemporary historians describe the Delhi of that time as being the "envy of Baghdad, the rival of Cairo and the equal of Constantinople". (for the sake of convenience, tourists visiting the Qutb complex could also see the Tomb of AdhamKhan and Zafar Mahal in Mehrauli, and the Tomb of Jamai-Kamali behind the Qutb Minar. These, however, belong to a later date.) The Khalhjis were replaced by the Tughlaq dynasty in 1321. of its eleven rulers, only the first three were interested in architecture and each of them established a new city
Delhi : A Transition through Time - As you walk along the narrow bylanes of this city of dreams, tread softly. Every crumbling wall has a story to tell. Every yesterday is replete with history. Rulers have come and gone. The city has lived through wars and resurrection, repeatedly rising from the ashes. Cradling civilisations since times immemorial Delhi goes back hundreds of thousands of years back into time. Stone tools belonging to early stone age were discovered from the Aravalli tracts in and around Anangpur, the Jawaharlal Nehru University Campus, the northern ridge and elsewhere - evidence that the Early Man lived here.
Excavations at Mandoli and Bhorgarh in east and north-west Delhi respectively have thrown up remains of chalcolithic period dating back to 2nd millennium BC, 1st millennium BC as well remains of 4th-5th century AD have been traced here. The excavations of the ancient mound of Indraprastha, capital of the Pandavas, located withing the fold of the sixteenth century Purana Qila revealed evidence of continuous habitation of the site for almost 2500 years.
According
to the Mahabharata, the Pandavas founded their capital Indrapratha in
the region known as Khandava-prastha. Delhi was also witness to the glories
of the Maurya Empire during 3rd century BC. The Ashokan edict engraved
on a rock in East of Kailash as well as remains found in Purana Quila
excavations belonging to the Mauryan period point to Delhi's importance
during this era. The first city of Delhi, Lal Kot was founded by the Tomar ruler Anangpal, in the 11th century. It was extended to Qila Rai Pithora by King Vigraharaja IV (Circa 1153-64). Qutbuddin Aibak became Delhi's first Sultan in 1206 and laid the foundations of the Qutb Minar, India's tallest stone tower at the site of the first city of Delhi subsequently the kings of the Sultanate dynasties, Khaljis, Tughluqs Sayyids and Lodis continued to build. New cities as Delhi grew.
The second city around Siri by Alaud-Din Khalji (1296-1316); Tughlaqabad, the third city built by Ghiysud-Din Tughlug (1321-51); Firuzabad, the fifth city of Delhi, is now represented by Kotla Firuz Shah, founded by Firuz Shah Tughluq (1351-88). It was Humayun who laid the foundations of the sixth city - Dinpanah.
This
was destroyed and reconstructed as the Purana Qila by Sher Shah Suri however,
it was the Mughals who took Delhi to the zenith of architectural glory.
While some construction activities did continue during the reign of Akbar
(1556-1605) and Jehangir (1605-27), it was Shah Jehan (1628-58) who built
the seventh city, Shahjahanabad which remained the Mughal capital until
1857. The British in 1911 shifted the capital of India to Delhi. The eighth
city of New Delhi took shape in the imperial style of architecture. From then to now Delhi continues to throb with vitality and hope. The ruins and ramparts still stand tall in dignity - and amidst them rise modern buildings and giant skyscrapers. It's a breathtaking synthesis of yesterday and tomorrow, the holding on to the past and surging ahead to the furture. Call it what you will.. it's Delhi.
