MEDIVEAL HISTORY OF DELHI ON THE

BASIS OF LALKOT &

ANANGPUR

Some ancient monuments of India…

Red Fort…

Jantar Mantar..

Lotus Temple…

Qutub Minar,,,

1) RECENT ARCHAEOLIGICAL INVESTIGATIONS ATEST TO EARLY INHABITATIION OF DELHI IN THE LOWER PALAEOLITHIC AGE & HUMAN ACTIVITIES ARE NITICED IN THE FOLLOWING MIDDLEM, BADKHAL LAKE PALAEOLITHIC, UPPER PALAEOLITHIC,CHALCOLITHIC AND EARLY IRON AGES WITH THE BEGINNING OF THE HISTORICAL PERIOD.

2) THE DISCOVERY OF OVER THREE DOZEN PRE HISTORIC SITES (CHAKRABARTI AND LAHIRI 1987;SHARMA AND OTA 1991) THROUGHOUT DELHI AND ADJOINING PARTS OF HARYANA AND MOSTLY COFINED TO THE BORDERING HILLY AREA CONTAINING VILLAGES AND PLACES LIKE KALKAJI, J.N.U CAMPUS, LADO SARAI CHHATARPUR, ANANGPUR, SURAJKUND AND MANY SITES IN BETWEEN AND AROUND SURAJKUND- GURGAON STRETCH AND DIFFERENT RIDGES AROUND WATER RESERVOIR OF SURAJKUND, ANAGPUR DAM BADKHAL LAKE-SOHNA ROAD, PROVE THAT THE SOUTHERN HILLY AREA OF DELHI BORDERING HARYANA WAS ENVIRONMENTALLY BETTER SUITED FOR PREHISTORIC MAN.

3) ALTHOLUGH DURING THE EXCAVATIONS CONDUCTED BY THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA FRON 1969-1973, A CONTINUOUSLY RICH OCCUPATIO N FROM MAURYA TO SUNGA, KUSHAN ,GUPTA, POST GUPTA,RAJPUT, DELHI SULTUNATE UPTO THE MUGHAL PERIOD WAS REVEALED AT THE SITE, NO SEPARATE HORIZON OF PAINTED GREY WARE CULTURE COULD BE TRACED WHILE THE PGW SHREDS WERE FOUND IN ACCUMULATIONS IN LATER DATE .

LALKOT

4) A PLIMINARY STUDY OF THE EXCAVATED REMAINS REVEALED A CULTURAL SEQUENE OF TWO CULTURAL PERIODS:

PERIOD I - RAJPUT PERIOD(MIDDLE OF THE 11TH CENTURY TO THE END OF 12TH CENTURY AD.)

PERIOD II – SULTUNATE PERIOD(END OF THE 12TH CENTURY TO THE MIDDLE OF THE 14TH CENTURY AD)

5) DURING THIS FIELD SEASON, DUE TO MASSIVE STRUCTURAL ACTIVITIES OF THE SULTUNATE PERIODA LIMITED AREA , RESTRICTED IN ONE PART OF THE QUADRANT NO.1 OF SQUARE C7 WAS EXCAVATED DEEP INTO THE NATURAL ROCK WHEREIN 13 LAYERS WERE ENCOUNTEREDUPTO A DEPTH OF ABOUT 5 METERS .

6) THE PHASE I OF RAJPUT PERIOD IS REPRESENTED BY RED WARE ALSO WITH RED SLIP, DECORATED RED WARE WITH PAINTED DESIGN BLACK IN COLOUR, INCISED DESIGNED AND OCCASIONALLY STAMPED DESIGNS . AMONGST THESE THE VASES ARE DECORATED WIITH INCISED HORIZONTAL BANDS WAVY LINES AND A LINE OF NOTCHED TRIANGLES N THE SHOULDER. SOME POSTS ARE DECORATED WITH BLAK PAINTED ZIG-ZAG LINES ON THE TOP OR SIDE OF THE RIM OF THE VASES, SMALL BASINS AND LIDS AND CRIS-CROSS PATTERN AND HORIZONTAL BANDS ON THE SHOULDER OF THE VASES .

7) THE PHASE II OF RAJPUT IS CHARACTERIZED BY THE OCCASIONAL APPEARANCEOF PLAIN GLAZED WARE OF ORDINARRY TERRACOTTA CORE , BLACK SLIPPED GREY WARE WITH ASSOCIATED RED WARE . SMALL SPOUTED VASES SMALL SPOUTEED VASES OCCASIONALLU DOUBLE MOUTHED , SHARP EDGED MEDIUM SIZED BOWLS , COOKING HANDI WITH LEDGED SHOULDER ND MILD CARINATION , INVERTED FLAT TERMINAL TOP LID , SMALL TO LARGE SIZE BASINS , MINIATURE BOWLS AND VASES ARE TE CHARACTERISTIC SHAPE OF PERIOD I.

8) THE CONNICAL HOLLOW KNOBBED LID AND RISING BASE WERE INTRODECED IN THE SECOND PHASE. PESENCE OF GLACED WARE OF ORDINARY CORE INDICATED THAT THIS PHASE WAS MUCH CLOSER TO THE MUSLIM INVASION OF DELHI AS DURING THE MUSLIM PERIOD ITS USE WAS PLENTIFUL. OTHER FINDS OF THIS PERIOD INCLUDE

(A) A COPPER RING. (B) TWO TERRACOTTA BEADS (C) A LIPPED EARTHEN POT (D) RED WARE CIRCULAR DISCS OR HOP SCOTCHES (E) SOME FRAGMENTS OF LEGS OF TERRACOTTA FIGURINES… 9) THE SULTUNATE PERIOD(PERIOD II) IS REPRESENTED BY 4

STRUCTURAL PHASES . PHASE I IS CHARACTERIZED BY SMALL PLASTERED WATER TANKS OF BRICK MASONRY OF WHICH THE WESTERN ONE HAS A SMALL CIRCULAR HOLE , PROVIDED AT THE SOUTHERN WALL AT THE BOTTOM , A LIME FLOOR AND A MAGNIFICANT CIRCULAR , EIGHT LOTUS PETAL DESIGNED WATER CISTERN WIH BRICK MASONRY AND LIME PLASTER AND 1.40m IN DIAMETRE AND 0.72m DEEP , ORNAMENTED WITH TWO SERIES OF CIRCULAR DRAINS AROUND IT.

10) THE TOP LEVEL OF THE CISTERN SYNHETISED WITH THE LIME PLASTER FLOOR WITH SOME SORT OF CANOPY IMPROVISED , AS EVIDENCED BY THE TWO STONE PILLARS – BASES OD RAJPUT PERIOD SET IN THE FLOOR IN ONE ALIGNMENTAND THE TWO OTHER PILLAR BASES MAY BE TRACED AFTER REMOVAL OF THE ADJOINING WESTERN BAULK .

10) THE SIGNIFICANT FEATURE OF THE SULTUNATE PERIOD WAS THE USE OF PLAIN AND PAINTED GLAZED WARE , BOTH OF SANDY , FRIABLE WITH WHITISH GRITTY COREAS WELL AS ORDINARY TERRACOTTA CORE WITH ASSOCIATED RED WARE , BLACK SLIPPED GREY WARE AND THICK GREY WARE . THE UNDERGLAZED DECORATIONS ARE PATTERNS PAINTED WITH BRUSHES MOSTLY IN BROWN OR BLACCK PICKED OUT WITH BLUE OR GREENISH BLUE . MOST F THE SHERDS ARE PAINTED WITH ONE COLOUR – GREEN , BLUE , GREENISH BLUE , PINK OR BROWN . THE IMPORTANT SHAPES OF THE GLAZED WARE ARE SHALLOW DISHES AND BOWLS WITH RING BASR DECORATED WITH FLORAL AND GEOMETRICAL PAINTED DESIGNES . A MEDIUM SIZE VASE WITH ELONGATED BODY AND OF ORDINARY GLAZEDRED WARE IS REMARKABLE . CHIENESE CELADON IS RREPRESENTED BY A FEW SHERDS FROM THE UPPER LAYER AND ITS INDEGENOUS VARIETY SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME VERY POPULAR HAVING SANDY FRIABLE BROWNISH WHITE CORE AND GTEENISH SURFACE . TWO SHTEDS OF PAINTED GREY WARE OF PROTOHISTORIC OROGON WERE ALSO FOUND IN DIFFERENT PITS OF LAYER -2 IN QUDRANT NO.I OF C-I , AND QUADRANT NO. 1 OF C -7 WHICH SUGGEST THE LOCATION OF SUCH A PROTOHISTORIC SITE IN THE VICINITY.

AMONG OTHER FINDS MENTION MAY BE MADE OF : 1) 31 COPPER COINS OF HORSEMANAND BULL TYPE AND COINS OF

MUHAMMAD GHORI , RAZIA SULTANA , KAIKUBAD , JALALUDDIN KHALJI ALAUDDIN KHALJI , GHAYASUDDIN TUGHLAQ , AND OTHER TUGHLAQ COINS WITHOUT NAMES .

2)FRAGMANTS OF INSCRIBED PERDIAN GLAZED TITLE WITH ARABIC LEGANDS .

3) A LARGE NUMBER OF CRUDE HANDMADE TERRACOTTA HUMAN AND ANIMAL FIGURINES . THE HUMAN FIGURINES INVARIABELY REPRESENT BEARDED SOLDIERS , CATEGORISED UNDER RAJPUT PERIOD LEVEL AT PURANA QILA , BUT FOUND IN LARGE NUMBERS FROM SULTUNATE PERIOD LEVELS IN THE PRESENT EXCAVATIONS . AMONG ANIMAL FIGURINES HPRSE IS THE MOST COMMON .

4) BEADS OD SEMI PRECIOUS STONES ,GLASS AND TERRACOTTA . 5) FRAGMANTS OF A LARGE NUMBER OF THIN GREEN GLASS

VESSELSAND BOTTELS PROBABLY WITH CONCAVE BASE. 6) GLASS BANGLES 7) IVORY RING . 8) TERRACOTTA LIPPED LAMPS AND DIPA – STAMBHA 9) TERRACOTTA GLAZED TILES . 10) EAR- CLEANER OF COPPER, INCENSE BURNER OF COPPER OR

BRASS , DECORATED DOOR NAILS OF IRON AND OTHER METALLIC OBJECTS .

IN THE TANK AREA OF THE ADJOINING ANANG TAL THE UPPER PART IS PARTLY EXPOSED IN THE SOUTH –WESTERN CORNER. THE EXPOSED AREA SUGGESTS SOME TYPES OF STEPS OR RETAINING WALL WITH WHITE AND LONG PLATFORM OF THE TANK .THIS ALSO SUGGESTS THAT THE REPAIRS AND ADDITIONS WERE DONE AFTER THE PERIODS OF ITS ORIGINAL CONSTRUCTION MOST PROBABLY BY ANANGPAL II . THE WIDE PLATFORM OF THICK WALL CONCRETE PLASTER WAS STRENGTHED BY SEMI –DRESSED STONE BLOCKS TIGHTENED WITH IRON CLAMPS , AND JUST OVER IT THE SIDE WALL OF THE STEP WAS PARTLY PREPARED WITH RECTANGULAR BLOCKS OF DRESSED STONES ALSO TIGHTENED WITH IRON CLAMPS . THE REMARKABLE FEATURE OF THE RJPUT PERIOD WAS THE PRESENCE OF INCISED MASONSMARKS ON THE SEMI –DRESSED STONE BLOCKS WHICH WERE USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TANKS..

SOME PICTURES RELATED TO LALKOI….

1) THE FORT OF ANANGUR IN DISTRICT FARIDABAD, HARYANA IS LOCATED TOWARDS WEST OF THE VILLAGE OF THE SAME NAME.IN ITS VICINITY IS A HILLOCK. ON ITS EASTERN SLOES IS LOCATED THE OLD HABITATIONAL AREA . IT HAS , HOWEVER . CONSIDERABELY INCREASED IN THE PRESENT DAY CENTURY ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF MODERN STRUCTURS AROUND.THE VILLAGE ANANGPUR IS SUITED SOME 30KM SOUTH OF DELHI AND 5 KM SOUTHWEST OF SURAJKUND. THE REGION IS A QUARTZITE TABLE LAND OF THE ARAVALLIS IN ITS TUGHLAQABAD-GURGAON STRETCH , WITH AN AVERAGE HEIGHT OF ABOUT 243 M ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL .

2) ANANGPUR ALSO CALLED AS “ANEKPUER OR ARANGPUR” WAS INHABITED BY ANANGPAL OF THE TOMAR DYNESTY . THERE WERE DEFINITELY TWO AND POSSIBLY THREE RULERS OF THE SAME NAME IN THE DYNASTIC HISTORY OF THE TOMARS . ANANGPAL II CONSTRUCTED THE LALKU AND INHABITED THE FIRST CITY OF DELHI IN BETWEEN AD1052 – 1060. THUS , IT SEEMS THAT ANANGPUR WAS EITHER FOUNDED BY ANANGPAL II, OR IF EARLIER THAN HIM , THEN MOST PROBABLY BY ANANGPAL I .CUNNINGHAM WAS CITED THE OPINION OF SIR SYED AHMED ANOUT THE FOUNDATION OF ANANGUR IN SAMVAT 733 B ANANGPAL I . BUT ACCORDING TO HIM THE ABOVE DATA SEEMS TO BE IN THE VALABHAI ERA OF AD 318 . THUS THE FOUNDATION OF ANAGGPUR , AS PER HIS REVIEW , SEEMS TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN AD 1051 BY ANANGPAL II WHO ALSO FOUNDED THE CITY OF DELHI IN THE SAME YEAR.ACCORDING TO ONE RECENT REVIEW, THE DATE OF ANANGPAL I RANGES FROM AD 736 TO 754.

ANANGPUR

3) SINCE ANANGPAL II CONSTRUCTED THE LALKOT AND PEOPLED DELHI IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 11TH CENTURY AD , THE QYESTIONS ARISES ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THE HABITATION AND THE SEAT OF ADMINISTRATION OF THE TOMAR RULERS OF DELHI WHO PRECEDED ANANGPAL II. IT IS , THEREFORE A QUITE LOGICAL AND TRADITIONALLY ACCEPTED THAT THE TOMARS , WHO HAD THE STATUS OF FEUDATORY RULERS UNDER THE PRATIHARAS IN THE BEGINNING , HAD SETTLED , IN THE ARAVALLIS , MOST PROBABLY AT ANANGPUR , IN THE 8TH CENTURY AD. IT IS THEN THAT THEY SHIFTED THEIR ROYAL SEAT TO LALKOT AND FOUNDED A NEW CITY CALLED DILLI…. DILLIKA OR DILLIKAPURI . IT WAS DONE IN THE ERSTWHILE TEMPLE TOWNSHIP OF YOGINOPURA , WHERE THEY HAD CONSTRUCTED A NUMBER OF TEMPLES , RUINED ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMANTS OF WHICH ARE SCATTERED IN THE QUTB ARCHEAEOLOGICAL AREA AND IN ITS VICINITY .

4) DURING THE COURSE OF EXPLORATION OF THE AREA IN 1992 , A NAGARI INSCRIPTION WRITTEN IN 5 LINESWITHIN A SQUARE FRME ON AN UPRIGHT QUARTZILE STONE BLOCK , STANDING VERTICALLY IN THE FIELDS , WAS FOUND. IT MENTIONES PROBABLY A SOME YEAR AND NUMERALS , NOT EASILY LEGIBLE . THE LOWER PART OF THE STONE SCLUPTURE OF 9TH -10TH CENTURY ,SHOWING A SEATED DRUMMER TO THE LEFT OF THE MAIN BROKEN FIGURE WAS THE ONLY ANTIQUARIAN REMAIN NOTICED IN THE LOWER AREA OF THE HILL IN THE VILLAGE .

SOME PICTURES

RELATED TO ANANGPUR

SLIDE PREPARED BY - ISHA BHATNAGAREDITED BY –

SONALI SHAH,

KAUSHALYA,RAS

HMI & NEETU

MEENA