Location
: North India.
Famous As :
The Capital Of India & It's
Administrative Center
Languages
Spoken: English, Hindi,
Urdu And Punjabi |
Tourism in
Delhi
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 past. 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.
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India
Travel Guide / States / Delhi Travel Guide
