Conquest In The Name Of Creed: Babur And The Seizure Of Delhi
Dillī, a city shrouded in myths and legends, carries a name steeped in the whispers of time. One tale traces its origin to Dhilluor Dilu, a king who, in BC 50, crafted a city and crowned it with his own name.
Another story weaves through the fabric of Prakrit, where the word 'dhili' (loose) reflects the city's tentative beginnings — the Tomaras christened it thus, lamenting the weak foundation of an iron pillar that once stood uncertain. In the chronicles of Panjab Notes and Queries, Dillī in the era of King Prithvīrāj was known as Dilpat, a name that echoed the old Hindī word ' dil,' meaning 'eminence'. Alexander Cunningham, former director of the Archaeological Survey of India, noted the evolution of the name to Dihli or Dehli.
Some scholars suggest that the Tomaras minted coins known as Dehliwal, further embedding the city's name in commerce and culture. In the ancient verses of the ' Bhaviṣya Purāṇa ', it is said that King Prithvīrāj of Indraprastha built a new stronghold in today's Purāṇa Qilā, for the ease of all in his realm. He commanded the crafting of a grand gateway, later calling the fort 'Dehali.'
To some, Dillī or Dhillika remains the city's true origin, while others whisper of its connection to ' dehleez ' or ' dehali ' — Hindustānī words for 'threshold' or 'gateway' — painting Delhi as the grand entrance to the Gangetic Plain, a threshold between realms.
Seven ancient cities thread through the mists of Dillī's storied past, the earliest being Indraprastha, whispered in the Sanskrit epic Mahābhārata (considered Itihasa). Perched on a rise by the Yamunā's sacred flow, Indraprastha's description brushes against the contours of Purāna Qilā, a fourteenth-century stronghold of the Dillī Sultanate, as noted by art historian Catherine B Asher. Yet, the resemblance fades like a mirage in the sun. The Mahābhārata sings of a city adorned in splendour and guarded by mighty walls, but the excavations yield only faint echoes — uneven shards of painted grey pottery, relics of a humbler past, rooted to more than 3000 years ago.
The earliest architectural vestiges (found so far) trace their roots to the Mauryan epoch (fourth century BC). In 1966, an inscription of Emperor Aśoka (BC 273–35) surfaced near Śrīnivaspurī, etched like a whisper of antiquity in stone. The remnants of bygone cities linger across Delhi, each one a spectral monument to the march of time. The first such city unfurled its legacy in the southern expanse of modern-day Delhi, where Tomara Rājput King Ānang Pāl laid the foundation of Lāl Koṭ, accompanied by the reverence of temples in AD 1052. In the mid-twelfth century, the Chauhān Rājputs, under the rule of Vigrahārāja-IV, seized Lāl Koṭ and christened it Qila Rāi Pithorā—a fortress reborn under the shadow of new rulers.
In the year 1052, the city of Dhillikā was woven into existence by Anangpāl Tomar, a scion of ancient dreams. An inscription, marked VS 1383, whispers from the halls of the Delhi Museum, where it declares:
In a country called Haryānā, which is equivalent to heaven on earth,
Tomars built a city called Dhillikā.
The venerable iron pillar, a sentinel of time, also bears testimony to Anangpāl Tomar as Delhi's progenitor. Alexander Cunningham deciphered the inscription as:
In Samvat 1109 [1052 CE], [Anang] Pāl peopled Dilli.
The name 'Delhi' finds its roots tangled in the word 'Dhillikā'. Vibudh Shridhar, a bard of Apabhramsha, through his verses in Pasanaha Chariu (VS 1189–1230), first spun the tale of how Dhillicame to be:
हरियाणए देसे असंखगाम, गामियण जणि अणवरथ काम
परचक्क विहट्टणु सिरिसंघट्टणु, जो सुरव इणा परिगणियं, रिउ रुहिरावट्टणु, बिउलु पवटटणु, ढिल्ली नामेण
There are countless villages in Haryānā country. The villagers there work hard. They don't accept the domination of others and are experts in making the blood of their enemies flow. Indra himself praises this country. The capital of this country is Dhilli.
The epic of Prithvīrāj Rāso too chronicles this tale of the Tomarsand the enduring legend of the loosened nail.
हुुं गड्डि गयौ किल्ली सज्जीव हल्लाय करी ढिल्ली सईव
फिरि व्यास कहै सुनि अनंगराइ भवितव्य बात मेटी न जाइ
Anangpāl established the 'Killi' (nail) in Dhilli.
This tale cannot be removed from history ever
The story of Dillī (Delhi) can be narrated for hours and days. Such is the intense past of the ground where Mahabharat transpired.
But now, I move towards narrating Bābur's annexation of Delhi.
Delhi's ancient walls trembled in fear. The tomb of Shaikh Niz̤āmu'd-dīn Auliyā bore witness to their dark deeds, its silent stones mourning the loss of innocence. But was it really a loss of innocence? Hadn't Shaikh Niz̤āmu'd-dīn arrived in Bharat to robe away its peace and condemn the Kafirs to death?
Yet again I seek a pause in the tale of Bābur. Before we move ahead with the narrative around Bābur and his taking away of Dillī, let's inspect a bit into the character of Auliyā through his own words.
Nizamuddin Auliyā in the thirteenth century, condemned the Hindūs to the fire of hell, saying, 'The unbelievers at the time of death will experience punishment. At that moment, they will profess belief (Islam) but it will not be reckoned to them as belief because it will not be faith in the Unseen . . . the faith of (an) unbeliever at death remains unacceptable.' He asserted that 'On the day of Resurrection when unbelievers will face punishment and affliction, they will embrace faith but faith will not benefit them . . . They will also go to Hell, despite the fact that they will go there as believers.'
In his khutba, Nizamuddin Auliyā condemned the kafirs as wicked, saying, 'He (Allah) has created Paradise and Hell for believers and the infidels (respectively) in order to repay the wicked for what they have done.'
Auliyā's convictions on Jihād against non-Muslims are encapsulated in his reflection that the Surah Fatihah, the opening chapter of the Quran, lacks two of Islam's cardinal articles: 'warring. with the unbelievers and observing the divine statutes . . .' His creed extended beyond mere belief to action, as he ventured into India with his faithful followers, prepared to embark on the battlefield. He actively partook in a jihād led by Nasiruddin Qibacha in Multan, a crucial moment in which his prowess proved pivotal. In a moment of crisis, when defeat loomed over Qibacha's army, Auliyā intervened with mystical intervention, bequeathing a magical arrow. 'Shoot this arrow at the direction of the infidel army,' he instructed. Qibacha, following his directive, unleashed the arrow, and with the break of dawn, the enemy vanished like smoke, leaving no trace behind.
When Qazi Mughisuddin sought insight into the prospects of victory in the Jihād spearheaded by Malik Kafur in South India, Auliyā's response echoed with unwavering confidence. 'What is this victory?' he proclaimed, his words dripping with assurance. 'I am waiting for further victories.' His untiring faith in divine intervention and the righteousness of his cause rendered him a beacon of hope and inspiration to those who followed him into battle.
With the dawn of 25 April, the true extent of their malevolence was revealed. Bābur, a spectre haunting the tombs of kings, paid homage to those who had fallen before him. The shadows of Sl. Ghiyās̤u'd-dīn Balban and Sl. 'Alāu'u'd-dīnKhiljī loomed like giants, their whispers echoing through the corridors of time.
In the heart of Dillī, Bābur, surveyed his new dominion. Khiljī, his Minār, the Ḥauẓ-shamsī, Ḥauẓ-i-khaṣ, and the tombs and gardens of Sl. Buhlūl and Sl. Sikandar (Lūdī) lay before him. After taking stock of these symbols of power, Bāburdismounted at the camp, boarded a boat, and drank 'araq, celebrating his ill-gotten gains.
Bābur then bestowed the Military Collectorate (shiqdārlīghī) of Dillī upon Red Walī, installed Dost Dīwān in the Dillī district, sealed the treasuries, and handed them over to his loyal minions. His actions, cloaked in the guise of administrative order, were but the machinations of a subverter consolidating his control over a conquered realm.
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As the night descended once more, they stood on the banks of the Jūn, their eyes fixed upon the fortress of Tūghlūqābād, a bastion of their unyielding grip on power. With each passing day, their hold tightened like a noose around the neck of a nation gasping for freedom. And thus, the dark reign of Bābur and his cohorts continued, casting a shadow of fear and despair over the land.
The author is an architect and historian. This extract has been taken from his book, 'Babur: The Quest for Hindustan', with the permission of the publisher. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views.
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August 04, 2025, 10:46 IST
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