The original ancient name of the region was Indraprastha, first named in the Mahabharata era [6.6, 6.8], while the name "Delhi" or "Dhillika" came later from King Dhillu or the Tomara dynasty.
The most famous ancient name of Delhi is Indraprastha, alongside other historic terms like Khandavaprastha and Dhilli. According to the Hindu epic Mahabharata, it was built as the capital city of the Pandavas.
The "real" founder depends on if you mean the city's ancient origins or its first sovereign empire. The city was founded in the 11th century by Raja Anangpal II of the Tomar dynasty, who established Dhillikapuri (modern Delhi) and built the Lal Kot fort.
3 August 2026 Delhi News, Breaking News, Delhi Samachar | CM Rekha Gupta, Parvesh Verma
Who ruled Delhi before the British?
It was ruled by the Mughals in succession to Khiljis and Tughlaqs. In 1192 the legions of the Afghan warrior Muhammad of Ghori captured the Rajput town, and the Delhi Sultanate was established (1206).
No, "Delhi" is not a Muslim name. The name has ancient Hindu roots and is believed to have originated from Raja Dhilu, a Mauryan king who ruled in the first century BCE.
Shah Jahan built the seventh city of Delhi that bears his name Shahjahanabad, which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1638 and is today known as the Old City or Old Delhi.
In 1911, the British government decided to move the capital of British India from Calcutta to the ancient city of Delhi. This was an opportunity to create a truly imperial, planned city and, thanks to the appointment of Sir Edwin Lutyens as architect, this was achieved with remarkable success.
The correct answer is Calcutta. Calcutta was the capital of India till 1911 when it was shifted to Delhi by the King of England who made this announcement from the Delhi Durbar. It was on 13 February 1931 that the Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin, inaugurated New Delhi as the country's new capital.
Before 1947, the region was officially called British India or the British Indian Empire (also known as the British Raj), which included modern-day Pakistan and Bangladesh. Local populations and historical texts also commonly referred to the land as Bharat or Hindustan.
The most famous ancient name of Delhi is Indraprastha, alongside other historic terms like Khandavaprastha and Dhilli. According to the Hindu epic Mahabharata, it was built as the capital city of the Pandavas.
The Mughals came first. The Mughal Empire began in 1526 after Babur won the First Battle of Panipat, while formal British influence started much later when the East India Company arrived for trade in the early 1600s and took political control in 1757.
Came the Lodhis and the Mughals, when the name Dilli was finally established and so it remained till the time of the British, who anglicized it to Delhi, which was retained after Independence.
The first prominent Hindu king and founder of Delhi's early medieval settlement is Raja Anangpal I of the Tomara dynasty, who established the region in the 8th century, while Anangpal II later built the Lal Kot fort in the 11th century.
Hinduism is the majority religion in Delhi, making up about 81.68% of the total population according to official census data. Other religious groups include Islam (12.86%), Sikhism (3.4%), and Christianity (0.87%).
Upper-caste communities form the largest overall demographic group in Delhi, accounting for an estimated 35% to 40% of the total population. Within this group, specific prominent components include Brahmins (around 13%), Rajputs (8%), Vaishyas (7%), and Punjabi Khatris (5%).
Historically, historical records and chroniclers like Ziauddin Barani indicate that Alauddin Khilji deeply favored and shared an intense emotional and physical relationship with his general and slave-commander, Malik Kafur. While popular culture and epic poetry (such as Malik Muhammad Jayasi's Padmavat) famously depict an obsession with Rani Padmavati, historians note that tale is a fictional legend rather than a factual romance.
The Khiljis came first. The Khilji dynasty ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1290 to 1320, founded by Jalal-ud-din Khilji. The Mughal Empire was established much later, from 1526 to 1858, beginning with Babur's victory in the First Battle of Panipat.
