History of Delhi

The history of Delhi traces a long succession of settlements, capitals, and political powers in northern India, culminating in its role as the capital of independent India.

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Indraprastha: An ancient city in the Mahabharata, traditionally identified with a site in present-day Delhi. The epic tradition associates Delhi’s earliest royal past with this city, though its historical identification remains debated.
Delhi Sultanate: A series of Muslim dynasties that ruled much of northern India from Delhi between 1206 and 1526. The sultanate made Delhi a durable center of conquest, administration, and dynastic change.
Siege of Delhi (1857): A major episode of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 in which British forces recaptured Delhi from rebel forces. The recapture ended Mughal rule and brought severe destruction and political repression to the city.
Prithviraj Chauhan: A twelfth-century Chahamana ruler associated with Ajmer and Delhi, defeated by Muhammad of Ghor. His defeat in 1192 is often treated as a turning point before Ghurid control of Delhi.
Qutb Minar: A 73-meter minaret in Delhi begun under Qutb al-Din Aibak and completed by later rulers. Its changing construction records the early Sultanate’s monumental presence near Mehrauli.
Painted Grey Ware culture: An Iron Age archaeological culture of northern India, known for distinctive grey-painted pottery. Finds associated with this culture provide evidence for early settlement in the Delhi region.
Mughal Empire: An empire founded in South Asia in 1526 that ruled much of the subcontinent until the nineteenth century. Mughal rulers transformed Delhi into an imperial capital, especially under Shah Jahan.
Delhi Durbar: A series of grand imperial assemblies held by the British in Delhi to proclaim royal authority in India. The durbars staged Delhi’s role as the ceremonial center of British imperial rule.
Qutb al-Din Aibak: A Ghurid general who became the first ruler of the Mamluk dynasty in Delhi in 1206. His rule established the first dynasty conventionally counted as the Delhi Sultanate.
Humayun's Tomb: A sixteenth-century Mughal garden tomb in Delhi built for Emperor Humayun. Its design shows the architectural traditions that preceded the Taj Mahal.