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Delhi is a city with a rich and varied history. Many rulers and dynasties have fought over this area and built their citadels here. Their monuments still remain and are open to visitors, providing a memorable tour of historic Delhi.
The earliest origins of Delhi continue to be excavated. It is believed there were settlements in the region of Delhi during the Early-Stone Age. According to the Mahabharata, the Pandavas built their capital, Indraprastha, near present day New Delhi. The Mauryan Empire extended beyond Delhi in the 3rd century B.C. Lal Kot, the first city of Delhi was built in the 11th century A.D., by the Tomar ruler, Anangpal. Tomar rule ended with the invasions of Muhammed Ghauri and his general, Qutub-ud-din Aibak, who became the first Sultan of Delhi, in 1206. Aibak began the construction of India's tallest stone tower, the Qutab Minar.
Successive rulers built new cities - Alauddin Khilji (1296-1316) built Siri, Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq (1321-51) built Tughlaqabad, Feroz Shah Tughlaq (1351-88) built Ferozabad. In 1398, Delhi was sacked by the Central Asian conqueror Timur the Lame. In the early 16th century, opponents of the Lodi rulers in Delhi ironically invited Babur, a descendant of Timur, to help them defeat Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. Babur (1526-1530) took over the throne at Delhi and founded the Mughal Empire. This extended over North India and was later expanded by Babur's descendants, the most illustrious of whom was his grandson, Akbar the Great.
Babur's son Humayun (1530-40 and 1555-56) laid the foundation of the city of Dinpanah, that was destroyed and rebuilt by Sher Shah Suri (1540-45) as the Old Fort or Purana Kila, which can be seen today near Delhi Zoo. Akbar's grandson, Shah Jehan (1628-58) built Shahjehanabad, which was the Mughal capital till 1857, when Delhi was an important centre of the revolt against British Rule.
In 1911, the British shifted their capital from Calcutta to Delhi and built New Delhi as an imperial capital, with sandstone buildings and tree-lined avenues. After India gained independence in 1947, New Delhi has remained the seat of the Indian government and is today a vibrant and cosmopolitan city, where medieval monuments and brand new shopping malls coexist.
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