- Delhi has a long history as the site of ancient Indraprastha from around 5000 BC and was founded as a city called Dhillika in 800 BC. It has since been ruled by various dynasties and empires including the Tomar Rajputs, Delhi Sultanate, Mughals, and British. Delhi served as an important link between Central Asia and the rest of India throughout its history.

3. Delhi is believed to be the site
Delhi is believed to be the site
of Indraprastha,
of Indraprastha,
capital of the Pandavas in the
capital of the Pandavas in the
Indian epic Mahabharata,
Indian epic Mahabharata,
founded around 5000 BC.
founded around 5000 BC.
Hindu texts state that the city
Hindu texts state that the city
Delhi used to be referred to in
Delhi used to be referred to in
Sanskrit as Hastinapur,which
Sanskrit as Hastinapur,which
means elephant-city
means elephant-city
The name Delhi may be
The name Delhi may be
derived from
the word Dhillika
derived from
the word Dhillika
Delhi has always been a
Delhi has always been a
convenient link between
convenient link between
Central Asia, the northwest
Central Asia, the northwest
frontiers and the rest of the
frontiers and the rest of the
country.
country.

5. • The Indian capital city of Delhi
has a long history.
Raja Dhilu (King Dihlu)
founded ancient Delhi in 800
BC.
• The earliest architectural relics
date back to the Maurya Period
(300 BC); since then, the site has
seen continuous settlement
• In 1966, an inscription of the
Mauryan Emperor Ashoka (273-
236 BC) was discovered near
Srinivaspuri, which is near
Noida.
• Two sandstone pillars inscribed
with the edicts of Ashoka were
brought to the city by
Firuz Shah Tughluq in the 14th
century.
• The famous Iron pillar near the
Qutub Minar was commissioned
by the emperor Kumara Gupta I

6. The Tomar Rajput dynasty
founded Lal Kot in 736
near the Qutub Minar.
The Chauhan Rajput kings
of Ajmer conquered Lal Kot
in 1180 and renamed it
Qila Rai Pithora.
The Chauhan king Prithviraj III
was defeated in 1192
by the Afghan Muhammad
Ghori.
Anangpal Tomar, a Chandravan
-shi Rajput ruler of Delhi ,
often described as the founder
of Delhi, built the citadel
Suraj Kund around 731.

8. From 1206, Delhi became the capital
of the Delhi Sultanate under the
Slave Dynasty. After the end of the
Slave dynasty, a succession of
Turkic and Central Asian dynasties,
the Khilji dynasty, the Tughluq
dynasty, the Sayyid dynasty and
the Lodhi dynasty
held power in the late medieval
period and built a sequence of
forts and townships in Delhi.
In 1398, Timur Lenk invaded India
In 1526, Zahiruddin Babur, the
former ruler of Fergana, defeated
the last Lodhi sultan and founded
the Mughal dynasty which ruled
from Delhi, Agra and Lahore.

9. In the 16th century there was
an interruption in the Mughal
rule of India as Sher Shah Suri
defeated Babur's son Humayun
The third and greatest Mughal
emperor, Akbar, moved the
capital to Agra resulting in a
decline in the fortunes of Delhi.
In the mid-seventeenth century,
the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
(1628-1658) built the city that
sometimes bears his name
(Shahjahanabad).
In 1659. Nader Shah defeated
the Mughal army.After this
victory, Nader captured and
sacked Delhi.

10. In 1761, Delhi was raided
by Ahmed Shah Abdali.
At the Battle of Delhi on
11 September 1803,
General Lake’s
British forces defeated
the Marathas.
Delhi passed to British
control in 1857 after the
First War of
Indian Independence;
the last Mughal Emperor
Bahadur Shah Zafar II
was was exiled to Rangoon.

12. State
established:
736 AD
Language Khariboli, Haryanvi
Dynasties Tomaras-Chauhans
(736-1192)
Mamluks (1206-90)
Khilji (1290-1320)
Tughlaqs (1320-1413)
Sayyids (1414-51)
Lodhis (1451-1526)
Mughals (1526–1857)
British (1857-1947)
Independence (1947-)