Anangpal Tomar was a ruler who belonged to the Tomara Dynasty and is credited with establishing and populating Delhi in the 11th century. According to legends, he was a descendant of Kuru king Parikshit.
The population mainly grew in and around Lal Kot, a fort which he constructed. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
New Delhi: Delhi is one of the most historically significant cities in India. Since the times of the Delhi Sultanate, it has been the centre of power in India, along with Agra during the reign of the Mughal Empire and along with Kolkata during the rule of the British Empire. Thanks to its incredibly important culture and history, Delhi stands among the most important cities in the world. But who founded this city which is the capital of our country?
Did Anangpal II founded Delhi?
Popularly known as Anangpal Tomar, he is considered to be the founder of Delhi. He was a ruler who belonged to the Tomara Dynasty and is credited with establishing and populating Delhi in the 11th century. According to legends, Tomar was a descendant of Kuru king Parikshit.
The Tomars ruled over a region called Hariyana which means ‘Abode of God’ and was much bigger than the present state of Haryana. Anangpal II reigned over various parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
When did he establish Delhi?
It has been estimated that Anangpal Tomar founded Delhi in 1052 and it was known as Dhillikapuri at that time. Notably, it was the last capital of the Tomara Dynasty. The population mainly grew in and around Lal Kot, a fort which he constructed. He brought the iron pillar from Mathura’s Saunkh and placed it in Delhi in 1052 and also minted coins in his name. The iron pillar was considered a central place and several palaces and temples were built. Finally, Lal Kot was built around them with its construction ending in 1060. It is considered to be the original ‘red fort’ of Delhi.
His son Drupad founded a sword factory in the fort and due to this reason, it got the name ‘Asigarh’. Swords manufactured in this fort were exported even to the Arab countries. Tomar is also believed to have constructed the Patan Fort as the capital of his Tanwarawati kingdom in Rajasthan. He is credited with the construction of the Yogmaya Temple dedicated to Goddess Yogmaya in Mehrauli and also the Anangtal Baoli, Delhi’s oldest existing primitive form of Baoli.
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