QILA RAI PITHORA WALLS

Qila Rai Pithora was established as an extension to the walls of Lal Kot, the fort built by Anang Pal, a Tomar Rajput ruler who built Lal Kot in the mid-eleventh century. The Chauhan Dynasty replaced the Tomars in the mid-twelfth century. The last ruler of this dynasty, Prithviraj Chauhan, enlarged the fortress of Lal Kot to form Qila Rai Pithora. It was the fi rst seat of urban settlement in Delhi and one of the several cities of Delhi. After the Tomar and Chauhans, it was occupied by the rulers of the Delhi Sultanate who made it their capital for more than a century. The Qila Rai Pithora can be clearly differentiated from the Lal Kot walls through its construction. It is considerably lower, though thicker, and consists of a brick infi ll between two layers of stone rubble. The Qila Rai Pithora had a circumference of about 8 km. An external continuous moat also existed around the fort wall which was fed by the natural drainage of the hilly terrain. The Chauhans also added thirteen gateways of which only ten gateways have been excavated so far. The Badun Gate was the main entrance to the city.

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