Delhi A Travel Guide

India

Chapter 1

History of a City

Indraprastha

The very first city of Delhi was founded by the legendary Pandavas of the Mahabharata in around 1400 BC. It was called Indraprastha.

Purana Qila is considered as Pandava (Indraprastha) Fort

The present site of the Purana Qila has been referred to in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, which states that the Pandavas had founded a city named Indraprastha beside the Yamuna river. It is the first city of Delhi and was the capital of the Pandavas during the course of the great war of Mahabharata.

It is believed that Purana Qila was probably the palace or citadel of Indraprastha and the city had been extended over the plain in a radius of 0.25 kilometers. Pieces of pottery known as Painted Grey Ware and relics dated to around 1000 BC were found at this location. Excavations in 1955 in the southern area of Purana Qila support this claim, for these characteristics have been noticed at several sites associated with the story of the Mahabharata.

There is one more reason to believe that Purana Qila has been built on the remains of Indraprastha. It is the fact that there was a village by the name of Indrapat around the fort walls till 1913.

Lal Kot and Qila Rai Pithora

Lal Kot was the first Medieval city of Delhi founded by Raja Anang Pal. Qila Rai Pithora was the second one; later Prithviraj Chauhan had renamed it Lal Kot.

It happened in what the historians call the early Medieval period of India (11-12 century AD), when the much travelled Rajputs were floating restlessly around, looking for a home. Finally, they took shelter in the Rajputana area. Here again, the strategic location of Delhi came to play-it was the doorway to both the fertile Punjab, the fabled land of the five rivers and the fertile Indo-Gangetic (northern) plain.

The first Rajputs to hit Delhi were the Tomars. The city of Delhi, Lal Kot, was built in 1060 AD by Raja Anang Pal, one of the earliest Tomar rulers to settle in Delhi. The popular tourist resort, Surajkund, near Delhi, was also built by an earlier Tomar ruler, Raja Suraj Pal, in around 736 AD. You can still see parts of Lal Kot scattered around Mehrauli and in the Qutub Minar complex. However, the Tomar rule was pretty short-lived. Soon, the Chauhan Rajputs under the command of Prithviraj Chauhan, seized control of Lal Kot in the 12th century. He renamed the city Qila Rai Pithora. Prithviraj had massive ramparts built around this city. At one time, it had 13 gates. Now, only fragments survive of that immense structure-the Hauz Rani, Barhka and Budaun gates.

All this was happening against a very troubled backdrop in Indian history. There was no clear central authority in sight and each petty ruler was trying to realize the mad dream of ruling all over the country. During that era, the term entire country usually referred to the Gangetic plains and the royal states of the Deccan. This is the main reason why no ruler was able to hold over Delhi for long period and establish a kingdom here. That was also another reason why the Arabs and Turks didn’t have to sweat it out to stamp their authority all over the Indian peninsula.

Invasions by Mahmud of Ghazni

Since 1000 AD, Mahmud of Ghazni (Afghanistan) had made invasions into India and it was almost an annual feature. At that time, the politics of Afghanistan was centered around close ties with Central Asia rather than India. From Mahmud’s point of view, his incursions into India were merely detours and of no lasting political significance. Thus, with no strong central power in India, looting the wealth of India to replenish the coffers of Ghazni must have been as easy as finding it. For Mahmud it made much more sense to hold Khvarazm and Turkistan, as the Ghaznavis did for some years, than northern India since Ghazni had long standing lucrative trade links with China and the Mediterranean.

Ruins of Lal Kot that can still be seen

The speed with which Mahmud returned from campaigns in Northern India to the ones in Central India was quite remarkable. Obviously, his army was both mobile and effective, otherwise these annual plundering in wide and located areas would not have been successful; much of careful planning must have been done by the invaders. To give you an example, the arrival of the Afghan armies in India always coincided with the harvesting season, thus eliminating the necessity to take provisions. This helped in improving the army’s mobility.

Death of Mahmud

Perhaps, India did not regret Mahmud’s death in 1030 AD. It must have been poor consolation for the people of northern India to know that the money he had looted from here went into making enormous libraries, fabulous museums and spectacular mosques in Ghazni. Incidentally, Mahmud was also the patron of the famous historian and scholar, Alberuni, whom he brought back with him from a campaign to Khvarazm. Alberuni’s Tehqiq-i-Hind contains observations about India.

One would think that after this drubbing, the rulers of northern India might have acquired the sense to form a confederacy to save themselves from the wrath of such raids in the future. However, the significance of Mahmud’s raids as forerunners for others to follow was never wisely grasped. His death further relaxed any chances of arriving at a mutual consensus among the rulers. The Rajput clans were with one another at war among themselves in the 11th and 12th centuries. It had become a matter of pride to use every slightest excuse for waging a war. The stage was set for another foreign invasion from the country around the corner.

It was around this time that Prithviraj married the daughter of the king of Kanauj (Jaichand) by kidnapping her in the middle of her wedding. But the couple did not go walking happily even after into the sunset. Their happiness was marred by the second invader from the north-west.

Muhammad Ghauri Invades India

Shiha-bud-din Muhammed Ghauri or Muhammed of Ghaur (between Ghazni and Herat) was no mere invader He wanted to establish a kingdom here. He was shrewd enough to realize that the richer parts of northern India — the areas that he would be able to control-were the upper Indus valley and Punjab. Thus, he planned to conquer these regions.

Initially, the Rajputs ignored his forays into India by mistaking him to be yet another foreigner. In 1185 AD, Ghauri sent the Rajputs abuzz by taking Lahore. Now that he was almost breathing down their neck, there was no doubt that the unwelcome stranger was here to stay. The rulers of northern India half-heartedly threw in their lot with the ruler of Delhi, Prithviraj, and were actually able to defeat Ghauri in the Battle of Tarian in 1191 AD. Unfortunately, here is an example of the foolhardiness of the Rajput code of honour came into play. Prithviraj had Ghauri captured but when the latter appealed for mercy, he made the grand gesture of actually setting Ghauri free.

Prithviraj Captured

Prithviraj must have been very disappointed because Ghauri simply sent for reinforcements and launched another attack next year. The battle of 1192 AD was fought at Tarain again. This time, Ghauri crushed the Rajputs clinically and effectively. When he captured Prithviraj, Ghauri didn’t let him go.

The difference in the psychological approach to war, more than anything else, was the undoing of Indian rulers. The Afghans and Turks regarded war as serious business, a matter of life and death. After the initial defeat at the hands of Prithviraj Chauhan, Ghauri never remained peaceful. Rather, he was sorrow-striken, remained full of anxiety with a resolve to crush the Rajputs. In a striking contrast, Indian princes (mostly Rajputs) took war as a form of sport, they had their own rules of gallantry and chivalry, to show off their bravery and war skills Without doubt, the

Rajputs were better warriors. But when it came to using resources and devising war strategies, the Afghans were superb. The Rajputs, unfortunately, were more concerned with the loss of honour. If they lost, they preferred to die in the battlefield, thus effectively depleting the strength of their armies. The Rajputs scorned strategic retreat which was the strength of the Afghans and Turks. The more patient Afghans were willing to give away a battle to win the war. Anyhow, Delhi and Ajmer passed on to Muhammed of Ghaur, who returned home after leaving Qutub-ud-din Aibak as his deputy in Delhi.

Siri

Siri was the second city of Delhi. It was founded by Ala-ud-din Khilji (or Khalji) and the Siri Fort was one of the best architectures of the Delhi Sultanate. It still draws numerous tourists to experience a fascinating history of the rise and fall of empires. The fort at the heart of Siri, which had been built by Ala-ud-din Khilji as a second city of Delhi is dotted with innumerable relics. Today, Siri stands to remind it’s visitors the tales of its glorious past and the role it had played in the social and political life of the city.

Remains of Siri Fort

Siri owes its origins to Ala-ud-din’s attempts to save his empire from the Mongol attacks. The Mongols easily seeped in through the weak borders of Delhi, threatening the very existence of the city at frequent intervals. When Ala-ud-din ascended the throne in 1296 AD, he founded an empire whose very existence was put at stake by foreign attacks, Siri had, therefore, been constructed by Khilji as a second city through which he was planning to guard his kingdom from foreign attacks. The fort was indeed a solid, stable construction which succeeded in guarding its royal residents from any external disturbance. Although the Fort stands in ruins today, one can decipher from the relics how strong and well-equipped it had been in the past.

Siri Fort stands among the numerous monuments and palaces which Ala-ud-din had constructed. Built in 1311 AD, the fort served as a seat of Ala-ud-din’s administration. Amongst a host of administrative buildings and palaces, the construction, which deserves most credit was the Hazar Sutun, a magnificent palace comprising one thousand pillars. Housed within Siri, was Hauz-e-Alai, a marvellous reservoir which draws numerous visitors due to its serene stretch of water.

The fort, however, failed to stand in the face of time. Although its strong fortifications preserved it from foreign attacks, they failed to guard the fort from the claws of the future rulers. Siri was regularly plundered by rulers, who used construction materials from the majestic structure to adorn their own forts, leaving Siri bereft of any substantia] architecture to boast of.

Siri has carved a special niche for itself as it was Delhi’s first city to be built by a Muslim ruler. Located at the heart of the city, Siri Fort is, therefore, a major attraction for the visitors who come here to unravel an important chapter in the city’s history.

Tughlaqabad

Tughlaqabad was the third city of Delhi founded by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq. The origin of the historic city of Tughlaqabad and the Tughlaqabad Fort goes to the period of the Delhi Sultanate (1191-1526 AD). The Tughlaqs (1321- 1414 AD) who followed by the Khiljis (1290-1321 AD) were great builders and the city of Tughlaqabad and Tughlaqabad Fort were their first major architectural achievement.

The story behind the foundation of Tughlaqabad is an interesting one. Ghazi Mallik, the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty, was once a slave of Mubarak Khilji, the last Khilji sultan. One day, while walking through the area (where the Tughlaqabad Fort is now located), Ghazi Malik suggested to his master that the rocky prominence would be an ideal site for building a fort. The Khilji sultan laughed at his slave and suggested that the slave could build a fort there when he would become a sultan. Later, Ghazi Mallik, as Ghiyas- ud-din Tughlaq, founded the Tughlaq Dynasty in 1321 AD. Thus, he did just that — Tughlaqabad is Delhi’s most colossal and awesome fort, even in its ruined state.

The fort of Tughlaqabad was completed rapidly in a short span of four years (1321-25). The fort’s massive ramparts and bastions (some as high as 15-30m, built of enormous blocks of stone and walls 10m thick at same places) do not look as if they are the handiwork of mortals. Within its sky-touching walls, double-storied bastions, and gigantic towers, were housed grand palaces, splendid mosques and audience halls. The city lay on the eastern outskirts of the massive fort.

Tughlaqabad is a formidable reminder of Delhi’s embattled past and the terror and valour associated with that period. It was a period of political unrest and the Delhi Sultanate had to face a number of attacks from marauding Mongols, who descended on it in waves from the north. In order to counter the Mongol threat, Ghiyas-ud-din repeatedly routed them and raised pyramids of enemy’s heads. He also used elephants to crush the captives to death. The massive fortifications of Tughlaqabad, with immense circular bastions, were raised by Ghiyas-ud-din to protect his subjects.

On the southern side of the fort, is a causeway that takes one across the (now) dry bed of a lake to the tomb of Ghiyas- ud-din Tughlaq. The tomb was built by the ruler himself and is enclosed in a private courtyard within fortified walls. The structure of this simple but elegant building reminds one of the Alai Darwaza — an elegant gateway built by the erstwhile Khilji ruler, Ala-ud-din Khilji, near Qutub Minar, in his endeavour to beautify the Qutub complex. The style of the tomb conforms to the Indo-Islamic style of architecture which was in vogue at that time and was the hallmark of the buildings belonging to the period of the Delhi Sultanate.

The ramparts of Tughlaqabad

Legends Associated with Tughlaqabad

There are a number of legends associated with Tughlaqabad. It is often said that the skulls of the killed Mongol marauders were used in the construction material of this awesome fort.

The demise of Tughlaqabad was not brought about by any foreign invasion but because of the curse of the Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin. The legendary quarrel between the two started when Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq did not allow his people to work for the saint on the construction of a baoli(step well). This angered the saint. A protracted tiff followed, which offended the saint. This led to his famous prophecy Hunuz Dilli dur ast (Delhi is yet far away), for the sultan was in Bengal at that time. He made another ominous reference to the Sultan’s fort when he remarked Ya rahe usar, ya basey

Gujjar (either it remains deserted or be inhabited by the Gujjar cast). Both these prophecies proved to be true. Ghiyas- ud-din was killed at a place near Delhi when a shamiana(canopy or marquee) had collapsed over him during a reception arranged by his son. The sultan could not reach Delhi alive. His successor chose to build his own fort and deserted Tughlaqabad. It soon became a place for the Gujjars, who started tending their cattle within the abandoned fort.

It is generally believed that the death of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq was engineered and plotted by his son. One story describes that Muhammed bin Tughlaq (Ghiyas-ud-din’s son and successor) killed his father by building a false wooden balcony, which collapsed and killed Ghiyas-ud-din.