Purana Qila

Why in news?

• In Delhi’s Purana Qila (Old Fort), new excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have uncovered a continuous history spanning more than 2,500 years.

More about the news:

• The purpose of this cycle of archaeological excavation at the location is to descend to the historical period known as the “Mahabharat period,” which is thought to have begun around 900 BCE.
• The last two archaeological excavations, in 2013-14 and 2017-18, found cultural deposits from Maurya to Shunga, Kushana, Gupta, Rajput, Sultanate, and Mughal periods.

Purana Qila Complex

• The Purana Qila stands on the South Eastern part of the present city of New Delhi.
• The Mughal Emperor Humayun built the Purana Qila as a part of his new city of Dinpanah in the 16th century.
• Humayun started building the Purana Qila in 1533 CE as a part of his new fortified city named Din Panah or the “Sanctuary of Faith”.
• A local tradition believes that the area in which the Purana Qila stands today is the site of Indraprastha, the capital of the Pandavas of the great epic Mahabharata.
• Sher Shah Suri took over the Qila in 1540 CE. The Suri reign of 15 years was significant in terms of the architectural development of the fort. Sher Shah renamed Din Panah Sher Garh and built various important structures within it.
• After Humayun’s death, Akbar continued to rule from Din Panah until 1571 CE when he founded the new Mughal capital of Fatehpur Sikri in Agra.
• Delhi’s imperial significance then declined for some time until the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan.
• Shah Jahan, however, opted to build his new capital city of Shahjahanabad (1639 CE) instead of reviving Din Panah.

Excavations:

• Excavations at this site in 1954–55 and 1969 -1973, conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India revealed a few shards of pottery belonging to the Painted Grey Ware (PGW) variety, that historians trace to the Mahabharata period (1500-1000 BCE).
• They also revealed the existence of stratified layers belonging to 8 periods starting from the 4th century CE and continuing right up to the 19th century, confirming that the site had a long and unbroken chain of habitation for centuries.
• Apart from archaeology, textual sources such as the Ain-i-Akbari of Abul Fazal (16th century), mention that Humayun had built the fort at the site of Indraprastha-the ancient capital of the Pandavas.
• In fact, till 1913, there was in existence a village named Inderpat within the fort walls.
• The village was relocated after the British started building the modern capital of Delhi.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Consider the following statements regarding ‘Purana Qila Complex’ of Delhi:

1. It finds mentions in Ain-i-Akbari of Abul Fazal

2. Sher Shah Suri took captured the Qila in 16^th century

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer