Maharaja Anangpal II Memorial Committee

Why in news?

The government has recently formed the Maharaja Anangpal II Memorial Committee to popularize the legacy of 11th-century Tomar king, Anangpal II.

What is the committee for?

• The National Monument Authority has embarked on a mission to present “correct history” to the people through the works of historians, academics and archaeologists.
• The present committee aims at crediting Tomar king, Anangpal II with giving Delhi its present name and also repopulating it.

Who was Anangpal II?

• Anangpal II, popularly known as Anangpal Tomar, belonged to the Tomar dynasty.
• It ruled parts of the present-day Delhi and Haryana between the 8th and 12th centuries.
• The capital of Tomars changed many times.
• It was initially at Anangpur (near Faridabad) during the reign of Anangpal I (who founded the Tomar dynasty in the 8th century).
• It later changed to Dhillikapuri (Delhi) during the reign of Anangpal II.
• The Tomar rule over the region is attested by multiple inscriptions and coins.
• Their ancestry can be traced to the Pandavas (of the Mahabharata).
• The excavations between 1992 and 1995 at Lal Kot and Anang Tal (in south Delhi), supposed to be built by Anangpal II, reveal the above.
• Anangpal Tomar II was succeeded by his grandson Prithviraj Chauhan.
• Chauhan was defeated by the Ghurid forces in the Battle of Tarain (present-day Haryana) after which the Delhi Sultanate was established in 1192.

What was his connection with Delhi?

• Anangpal II is credited to have established and populated Delhi during his reign in the 11th century.
• He was instrumental in populating Indraprastha and giving it its present name, Delhi.
• The region was in ruins when he ascended the throne in the 11th century.
• It was Anangpal II who built Lal Kot fort and Anangtal Baoli.
• It was discovered recently that Anangpal II was the founder of Dhillikapuri, which eventually became Delhi.
• Tomars and their Delhi link find mention in some modern-day literature as well.
  • Noted medieval historian Professor KA Nizami’s Urdu book named Ehd-e-Wusta ki Dilli mentions this.
  • It is translated in English as ‘Delhi in Historical Perspectives’.
  • It looks at Delhi across six centuries (from 1300 to 1800), tracing the antecedents of Delhi.
  • It refers to Persian annals that describe Delhi as “Inderpat”.
  • And yet, according to the book, Delhi formally emerged as a city only in the 11th century when Tomar Rajputs took over the mountainous Aravalli region.

What is the Committee’s mandate?

• The aim of the ‘Maharaja Anangpal II Memorial Committee’ is to establish Anangpal II as the founder of Delhi.
• Its proposals seminar include building a statue of Anangpal II at the Delhi airport and building a museum dedicated to his legacy in Delhi.
• An exhibition comprising coins, inscriptions and literature held on the sidelines of the seminar will be taken abroad through the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR).
• This way, the narrative would take roots outside India as well.
• There is also a proposal to make Lal Kot an ASI-protected monument.
• If done so, vertical excavation could be carried out to establish more links between Tomars and Delhi.

Source: The Indian Express

Quick Facts

National Monument Authority (NMA)

• The National Monuments Authority (NMA) functions under the Ministry of Culture.
• It has been setup under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010.
• NMA works for the protection and preservation of monuments and sites through management of the prohibited and regulated area around the centrally protected monuments.
• One among the responsibilities is to consider grant of permissions to applicants for construction related activity in the prohibited and regulated area.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) functions under the Ministry of Culture.
• It is the premier organization for archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.
• Maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance is the prime concern of the ASI.
• Besides, it regulates all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
• It also regulates Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.