(The Indian Express has launched a new series of articles for UPSC aspirants written by seasoned writers and scholars on issues and concepts spanning History, Polity, International Relations, Art, Culture and Heritage, Environment, Geography, Science and Technology, and so on. Read and reflect with subject experts and boost your chance of cracking the much-coveted UPSC CSE. In the following article, Devdutt Pattanaik, a renowned writer who specialises in mythology and culture, traverses through many lives of Delhi.)

When we think of Delhi today, we think of it being the nerve centre of political activity and India’s capital. But it was not always so. It is associated with Indraprastha, the capital of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata, though there is little archaeological evidence that helps us know the exact location and extent of the city. 

Purana Qila’s Kal Bhairav temple is said to have been established by the Pandava Bhima as per local beliefs. Painted grey ware pottery dating back to more than two thousand years ago has been discovered here, suggesting robust economic activity around the time the Rig Veda reached its final form.

Over the centuries, Delhi was ruled by the Mauryas and the Guptas. In the 11th Century, the Tomaras, one of the early rulers of Delhi, established Lal Kot, a fortified city and a precursor to what Delhi would later become. Later, the Chauhan dynasty, under Prithviraj Chauhan, expanded their influence in the region. Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated by Muhammad Ghori in the Second Battle of Tarain (present-day Haryana) in 1192. 

After defeating Prithviraj Chauhan, Muhammad Ghori established the Ghurid Dynasty and raided Indian local kingdoms as far east as Bengal. In 1206, under Qutb-ud-din Aibak — a former slave who became a general under Muhammad Ghori — the Delhi Sultanate emerged, marking the beginning of Muslim rule in Delhi. The local language of Delhi, Hindavi, would be adapted over time in the Deccan region, giving rise to the barrack language of Deccani and then Urdu, a language used by soldiers of the Delhi Sultanate. 

The Delhi Sultanate was a series of dynasties, including the Mamluk, Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, and finally, the Lodi dynasty. The development of what we call “Indo-Islamic” architecture began here, with the construction of iconic structures like the Qutub Minar and the Siri Fort. 

The construction of  the Qutub Minar began under Aibak and was completed under Iltutmish, while the Siri Fort was built by Alauddin Khilji to give refuge to people escaping the onslaught of the Mongols who were sweeping through Afghanistan. Moreover, the Tughlaqs aso built many cities such as Tughlaqabad, Jahapanah and Firozabad.

Then came the Lodi Gardens, with Lodi tombs, built in the 15th Century, which even today is a centre of cultural activity. In 1398, Timur, the Central Asian conqueror, invaded Delhi, infamously known as the “Sack of Delhi”, because of the widespread destruction and mass slaughter. After this, Delhi lost its splendour until the arrival of the Mughals, who claimed descent from both Mongols and Timur. 

The Mughals who arrived in the 16th century initially favoured Agra over Delhi, unlike the Delhi Sultans.  However, in the mid-16th century Sher Shah Suri defeated Humayun — temporarily interrupting Mughal rule — and built the old fort known as Purana Qila. 

In 1638, Shah Jahan moved the Mughal capital from Agra back to Delhi, establishing what we today call “Old Delhi” or Shahjahanabad, marked by iconic structures like the Red Fort and Jama Masjid. 

Much like Timur, in 1739, Nadir Shah, the Persian ruler, invaded Delhi in a brutal sack of the city. It was then that the infamous Koh-i-Noor diamond was taken away from India, as part of the treasures looted by Nadir Shah. 

Similar to the Mughals, the British, too, did not initially favour Delhi as the capital, preferring Calcutta (Kolkata) instead. It was later, in 1911, that they shifted their capital to Delhi. They began planning the city. Unlike Shahjahanabad, there would be wide, open roads, and the architecture, like the Rashtrapati Bhavan, would be colonial, with a dash of Rajput and Islamic styles. 

The city was designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. This is what we today call in common parlance “Lutyens Delhi”. The British inaugurated Delhi as the capital of British India in 1931. 

Post partition  there was a significant demographic change as Delhi became a major destination for refugees coming from Pakistan. The city now had to accommodate these refugees as well as create artwork that replaced imperial ideas with ideas of democracy and republic. 

The old circular Parliament Building was modelled on the circular shrines of Yoginis. The new Parliament, built in the 21st century, is triangular and has six entrances with names reminiscent of Hindu temples: gaja (elephant), ashwa (horse), shardula (lion), makar (dolphin), hamsa (swan), and garuda (eagle).

How do the historical phases of Delhi’s development illustrate the impact of various rulers on the city’s identity?

After the Central Asian conqueror Timur invaded Delhi in 1398, infamously known as the “Sack of Delhi”, the city lost its splendour. Comment. 

How did the local language Hindavi evolve into Deccani and later Urdu during the Delhi Sultanate period?

How did Muhammad Ghori’s defeat of Prithviraj Chauhan and subsequent raids across India pave the way for the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate?

Discuss the significance of Shah Jahan’s rule in Mughal history?

(Devdutt Pattanaik is a renowned mythologist who writes on art, culture and heritage.)

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