Khulasatu-t Tawarikh, of Subhan Rai (Elliot & Dowson, extracts)

1

[In Hindu and Persian histories I have read that in ancient times the city of Hastinapur was the capital of the rulers of Hindustan. This city stood upon the bank of the Ganges, and a great deal has been written about the (great) extent and size of this city in that age. It is very populous at the present time, but nothing like what it was in those old days. When dissensions broke out between the two royal races the Kauravas and Pandavas, the latter removed from Hastinapur to the city of Indarprast on the Jumna, and made it their capital. A long while afterwards, in the year 440 of Bikramajit, Raja Anang Pal Tonaur built the city of Dehli near to Indarprast. Afterwards Rai Pithaura, in the year twelve hundred and something of Bikramajit, built a fort and city to which he gave his own name. Sultan Kutbu-d din Aibak and Sultan Shamsu-d din Altamsh occupied the fort of Rai Pithaura. In the year 666 Hijra (1267-8 A.D.) Sultan Ghiyasu-d din Balban built another fortress, which he called Shahr-zaghan. In the year 686 Hijra (1287 A.D.) Sultan Mu'izzu-d din Kai-Kubad built another city of handsome edifices on the Jumna, to which he gave the name of Kilu-gari. Amir Khusru extols this city in his Kirdnu-s Sa'adain. Sultan Jalalu-d din Khilji founded the city Kushk-lal (red palace), and Sultan 'Alau-d din the city of Kushk-Siri and made them their respective capitals. Sultan Ghiyasu-d din Tughlik Shah, in the year 725 Hijra (1325 A.D.), raised the city of Tughlikabad. His son, Sultan Muhammad Fakhru-d din Jauna, founded another city, and erected in it a palace of 1000 pillars. He also built some other fine mansions of red stone (rukham). In the year 755 Hijra (1354 A.D.) Sultan Firoz Shah built the large city of Firoz-abad, and having cut the river Jumna, he conducted the water to his city. Three kos distant from the city he raised another palace, containing in it a lofty pillar, which still remains standing on a little hill, and is commonly called the lath of Firoz Shah. Sultan Mubarak Shah founded the city of Mubarak-abad. In the year 943 Hijra (1536 A.D.) Nasiru-d din Muhammad Humayun Badshah, having restored and repaired the fort of Indarprast, gave it the name of Din-panah, and made it his royal residence. Sher Shah Afghan, having pulled down the city known as Kushk-Siri, built another one. Salim Shah, his son, in the year 958 Hijra (1546 A.D.) built the fort of Salim-garh, which still stands in the river Jumna, opposite the citadel of Shah-Jahan-abad.
Although each of the rulers of Hindustan founded a city, and made it the seat of his government, still in all parts of the dominions Dehli is famous as the capital of all the rulers of Hindustan. In the year 1048 A.H. (1638 A.D.), and in the twelfth year of his reign, Shahabu-d din Muhammad Shah Jahan Badshah-i Ghazi Sahib-Kiran-isani built a city near Dehli, which he named Shah-Jahan-abad. Through the building of this great city, all the cities which have been mentioned as having been built by former kings have been eclipsed, and are included under the general name of Shah-Jahan-abad, just as the many rivers which fall into the Ganges are known only by the name of Ganges.]