Purana Qila

Purana Qila (lit. ’Old Fort’) is one of the oldest forts in Delhi, India. Built by the second Mughal Emperor Humayun and Surid Sultan Sher Shah Suri,[1] it is thought by many to be located on the site of the ancient city of Indraprastha.[2] The fort formed the inner citadel of the city of Dinpanah.[3] It is located near the expansive Pragati Maidan exhibition ground and is separated from the Dhyanchand Stadium by the Mathura Road, Delhi.

History

Historical settlements

Excavations point to traces from the 3rd century BC, the pre-Mauryan period. The first two rounds of excavations – in 1954–55 and 1969–72 – by B. B. Lal, then director of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), had unearthed traces of Painted Grey Ware culture. Historian Alexander Cunningham identified the fort with that of Indraprastha, though he referred to the gate and mosque structure as built by Muslims.[4]

Dinpanah

The origins of the gate of Purana Qila lie in the walls of Dinpanah, the new city of Delhi being constructed by Mughal emperor Humayun, in the general vicinity of the ancient Indraprastha Pandvas Fort.[5] Abul Fazl stated that he built the fort on the site of ancient Indraprastha.[6] The founder of the Suri Dynasty, Sher Shah Suri, defeated Humayun and made changes to the fort, strengthening its fortifications and completing its walls. He also had another fort built there called Shergarh, where the governor resided. His project, however, was a continuation of Humayun’s construction of a citadel for a royal city. He also built many structures inside the fort. Additions to the fort have been believed to have been made even after his rule. The extent of his contribution to the fort’s construction is disputed. The historical attribution of its construction is also uncertain judging from primary sources. Muhammad Khwandamir said that Humayun laid the foundation of the city on a mound near Yamuna. The construction of the walls and fortifications were almost finished by Humayun’s time. Tarikh-i-Da’udi states that Sher Shah Suri’s royal city remained incomplete upon his death and he had named his fort Shergarh. Abbas Sarwani states the two forts being constructed by him were incomplete when he died. Tarikh-i-Khan-Jahan states that Salim Shah Suri had constructed a wall defending Dinpanah of Humayun.[7]

Purana Qila and its environs flourished as the “sixth city of Delhi”. On 7 October 1556 Hindu king Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, who had defeated Akbar’s forces at Battle of Delhi (1556) was crowned in Purana Qila. The Mughals would one month later decisively defeat Hemu and his army at the second battle of Panipat.

British Era

Edwin Lutyens who designed the new capital of British India, New Delhi, in the 1920s, had aligned the central vista, now Rajpath, with Purana Qila.[8] During the Partition of India, in August 1947 the Purana Qila along with the neighbouring Humayun’s Tomb, became the site for refuge camps for Muslims migrating to newly founded Pakistan. This included over 12,000 government employees who had opted for service in Pakistan, and between 150,000–200,000 Muslim refugees,[9] who swarmed inside Purana Qila by September 1947, when Indian government took over the management of the two camps. The Purana Qila camp remained functional until early 1948, as the trains to Pakistan waited until October 1947 to start.[10]