|
Delhi
has not always been the capital of India but it has played an important
role in Indian history. The settlement of Indraprastha, which featured
in the epic Mahabharata over 3000 years ago, was located approximately
on the site of present -day Delhi. Over 200 years ago, Pataliputra (near
modernday Patna) was the capital of Emperor Ashoka, kingdom More
recently the Mughal emperors made Agra the capital through the 16th and
17 centuries. Under the British, Calcutta was the capital until the
construction of New Delhi in 1911. Of course, it is only comparatively
recently the India as we know it has been unified as one country. Even
at the height of their power the Mughals did not control the sough of
India, for example. But Delhi has always been an important city or a
capital of the northern region of the subcontinent.
The
have been at least eight cities around modern Delhi. The first four were
to the sough around the area where the Qutab Minar stands. The earliest
known Delhi was called Indraprastha and was centered newer present-day
Purana Qila. At the beginning of the 12th century the last Hindu kingdom
of Delhi was ruled by the Tomara and chauthan dynasties and was also
near the Qutab Minar and Suran Kund, now in Haryana.
The
city was followed by Siri, constructed by Ala-ud-din near present-day
Haunz Khas in the 12th century. The third Delhi was Tughlaqabad, now
entirely in ruins,. which stood 10 km sough-east of the Qutub Minar. The
fourth Delhi dates from the 14th century and was also a creation of the
Tughlaqs. Known as Jahanpanah, it also stood near the Qutab Minar.
The
fifth Delhi, Ferozabad, was sited at Feroz Shah Kotla in present-day New
Delhi Its ruins contain al Ashoka pillar, moved here from elsewhere, and
traces of a mosque in which Tamer lance prayed during his attack on
India.
Delhi
has seen many invaders through the ages. Tamer lane plundered in the
14th century; the Afghan Babur occupied it in the 14th century; the
Afghan Babur occupied it in the 16th century, and in 1739 the Persian
emperor, Nadir Shah, sacked the city and carted the Kohinoor Diamond and
the famous peacock Throne off to Iran. The British captured Delhi in
1803 but during the Indian Mutiny of 1857 it was a centre of resistance
against the British.
Now
Hindu Punjabis have replaced many of the Muslims,. and Hindi
predominates.
|
