Orignal coverage of Delhi’s history is in the onset of the Tomar’s empire in the 8th century. Since then, Delhi has been the epicentre of a succession of mighty empires and powerful kingdoms, making Delhi one of the longest-serving capitals and one of the oldest occupied cities in the world. It is considered to be a city built, destroyed and rebuilt many times, as outsiders who successfully occupy the Indian Subcontinent would ransack the existing capital city in Delhi, and those who came to defeat and stay would be so fascinated by the city’s strategic location as to make it their capital and rebuild it in their own way.

For 457 years (736 to 1193 AD), Delhi was controled by the Tomar clan of Rajputs. It is the longest period for which any known dynasty has ruled over Delhi and nearby areas. The Delhi Sultanate is the name given for a series of five successive empires, which remained as a dominant power of Indian subcontinent with Delhi as their capital. During Sultanat period, the city became a epicenter for culture. The Delhi Sultanate came to an end in 1526, when Babur beat the forces of the last sultan of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodi at the first Battle of Panipat, and formed the Mughal Kingdom.

The Mughals ruled over the area for three countries. During the 16th century, the city declined as the Mughal capital was moved on. The fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built the walled city of Shahjahanabad among Delhi, and its landmarks, the Red Fort and Jama Masjid. His reign would be considered the zenith of the kingdom. After the death of his successor Aurangzeb, the Mughal Kingdom was plagued by a series of revolts. They lost main portions to the Marathas, Sikhs and many governors of erstwhile Mughal region like Bengal, Awadh and Hyderabad.The Jats taken the major important cities of Mughal empire and surrounded Delhi from all sides. Delhi was dismissed and looted by Nader Shah. The Marathas taken Delhi in the battle of Delhi in 1757 and continued to rule it until 1803. When they were beated by the British during the second Anglo-Maratha War. In 1803, the Delhi was taken by the British East India Company.

During office Rule in India, the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah II was reduced to merely a figurehead. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 sought to end office rule and declared Bahadur Shah II the Emperor of India. However, the British soon recaptured Delhi and their other region, ending the short-lived rebellion. This also marked the introduction of direct British Rule in India. In 1911, the capital of British India was moved from Calcutta to New Delhi, the last inner city of Delhi designed by Edwin Lutyens.

The legendary ancient city is believed to have been settled 5000 years ago, as per the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata. A long-standing tradition associates Delhi with Indraprastha and recognize the legendary city with the village Indarpat, which survived till the early 20th century inside the Purana Qila. There is no tangible archeological proof, however, which links the excavated ‘painted greyware’ at Purana Qila with the Bharata Khanda site.