History of Delhi,
the capital of India, goes back to the times of Mahabharata when the Kauravas and the Pandavas fought for the city of Indraprastha (old name of Delhi). The Pandavas founded their capital Indraprastha in this region known as Khandava-Prastha. The excavations of Indraprastha located in the sixteenth century Purana Qila shows evidence of continuous
habitation for almost 2500 years.
Delhi had the privilege of being the capital of India (Bharat) even during the pre-historic and historic times. Excavations elsewhere like Mandoli and Bhrgarh and discovery of tools belonging to the stone age near Anangpur, at Jawaharlal Nehru University Campus have given evidence of survival of mankind in this region as early as the 2nd millennium BC and 1st millennium BC. Remains of 4th-5th century AD also have been traced here.
Delhi witnessed the rise
and fall of many empires like the Mauryans and the Mughals. The Ashokan edict in East of Kailash in South Delhi and the remains belonging to the Mauryan period found in Purana Quila point to the importance of Delhi during the Mauryans.
The Khiljis, the Tuglaqs and the Mughals have left their strong imprint on Delhi in various ways. The rulers of the Sultanate build new cities as Delhi grew. The first city of Delhi, Lal Kot was founded by the Tomar ruler, Anangpal, in the 11th century. It was extended to Qila Rai Pithora by King Vigraharaja IV (Circa 1153-64). Qutbuddin Aibak became Delhi's first Sultan in 1206 and laid the foundation of Qutub Minar, India's tallest stone tower.
The other major cities are Siri built by Alaud-Din Khalji, Tuglaqabad built by Ghiysud-Din Tughlug and Firuzabad founded by Firuz Shah Tughluq. Humayun laid the foundations of the sixth city – Dinpanah which was destroyed and reconstructed by Sher Shah Suri as Purana Qila. It was during the Mughal period that Delhi achieved its
architectural marvel. Monuments built by Akbar, Jehangir and Shah Jahan attracts tourists till this day. It was in 1803 AD that Delhi was partially handed over to the British. The rule of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar is crucial when we talk of Delhi’s history. Though the Mughal empire was on the decline, Bahadur Shah Zafar succeeded in creating a court of great brilliance in Delhi. The British slowly took control of Delhi and imprisoned him for being one of the masterminds of the Sepoy Mutiny or the first war of India’s Independence in 1857. They removed his name from the coins and eventually banished the Mughals from the Red Fort. Importance of Delhi dwindled a bit whenthe capital was shifted from Delhi to Calcutta now known as Kolkata in 1911.
Today, New Delhi stands tall amidst modern buildings, skyscrapers and architectural brilliance. Delhi has managed to survive each time it was ravaged by wars and battles. Each building and wall has its own story to narrate as you walk down the narrow
streets of Old Delhi. Today it is
home to more than 14 million people. People from all over the country settle in Delhi for a better livelihood.
Though autonomy was granted to the capital after Independence, it largely remained a Chief Commissioner’s regime. In 1956 Delhi was converted into a Union Territory (UT) and the Chief Commissioner was replaced by a Lt. Governor. In 1991 when the National Capital Territory Act was passed by the parliament a system of diarchy was introduced. Under this system, the elected
Government was given extensive powers except law and order which remained with the central Government. The actual enforcement of the legislation came in 1993.