Qila Rai Pithora: Scattered ruins narrate the tale of Delhi’s first city

A massive statue of Prithviraj Chauhan, a much-revered king of the Chauhan or Chahamana dynasty, situated in the centre of the fort’s grounds, is supposed to house a library in the building under it. A peek into the building through the locked glass doors, though, reveals empty halls and discarded boards commemorating last year’s World Heritage Week. The grounds surrounding the statue, and the remains of the fort, remain overgrown with grass and heather.

While the origins of the fort remain contested, it is widely believed it was first built by the Tomar dynasty surrounding the iron pillar after it was brought from Udayagiri (present-day Madhya Pradesh) by Anangpal II around 1050 CE. However, there seems to be no consensus on this either. While some say the pillar was moved by Anangpal, others argue that it was already in Delhi by the time the ruler came to power.

According to historian Rana Safvi, the Tomar dynasty decided to place its headquarters at the Aravalli Hills for its strategic and military advantages.

Initially named Lal Kot (Red Fort) — not to be confused with the Mughal-era Red Fort situated 23 km away on the banks of the Yamuna — the fort would serve as the first of the eight cities to come up in Delhi in centuries to come. According to Safvi, it is probable that the fort was constructed to avoid constant raids and attacks that Mahmud of Ghazni had unleashed on Kannauj. There, nestled in the rocky caverns of the Aravalli hills, the Tomars would rule for a century and construct dams and tanks. One can still see the remains of one in Surajkund in present-day Faridabad.

Later, the Tomars would be overthrown by the Chahamanas and Lal Kot would be renamed Qila Rai Pithora, after Prithviraj Chauhan.

However, according to Cynthia Talbot’s The Last Hindu Emperor: Prithviraj Chauhan and the Indian Past, while the ruins of the fort do place it in the pre-Sultanate period, no records exist of the Chahamana king either ruling over Delhi or even visiting it. Nevertheless, the ASI plaque at the fort claims that the fort was captured by Chahamana prince Vigraharaja IV and then reinforced with ramparts by Prithviraja III.

The Chahamanas were ultimately defeated by Qutbu’d-Din Aibak in 1192 CE. According to Safvi, the victorious Ghurid army entered Qila Pithora through the Ranjit Gate and the fort thus became the capital of the Sultanate.

The most notable addition to the fort was perhaps made by Aibak in the form of Qutub Minar to mark his victory over Chauhan. The fort then witnessed several dynasties come and go — the Khaljis, the Tughlaqs, the Sayyids and the Lodhis, to name a few.

According to Safvi, the later Delhi Sultans shifted their base closer to the Yamuna for defence purposes. By the time Firoz Shah Tughlaq established the Firoz Shah Kotla on the banks of the Yamuna to aid the city’s growing demand for drinking water, Qila Rai Pithora was abandoned along with Siri, Tughlaqabad and Jahanpanah forts.