History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c35.s14.23

v3.c35.s14.23

The famous iron pillar of Delhi, a pillar unrusted for 1500 years, with letters still clearly readable, is said to have been brought from Mathurā and set up near his new Delhi by Anangapāla about 1052 A. D. There is a note of this on the pillar. This prince seems to have become powerful when the power of the Kanauj emperors was destroyed by Mahmud; and he founded a new town, called it Delhi and made it his capital as we will show presently. The family of Anangapāla ruled in Delhi and the surrounding country for about a century when it was conquered about 1152 A. D. by Visaladeva or Vigraharāja III, Chāhamāna, uncle of Prithvīrāja, from whose time the country passed under the rule of the Chauhans. The story of the Rāsā that Anangapāla, the last Tomara king, gave the kingdom to Prithvīrāja as he was his daughter's son and being himself childless retired to Badarikāśrama is not reliable as Prithvīrāja's mother was a Chedi princess, not a Tomara. In fact the whole story of the Rāsā proves to be imaginary and it is rather difficult to treat as historical many of the events and statements recorded therein. The Gazetteer states that the fort, called Lalkot and still visible, was built by the first Anangapāla (II); and Prithvīrāja built the outer wall of the old town which is still traceable. When Kutubuddin attacked and took the city, the wall and the fort were there and seemed to be invulnerable.