Anangpal Tomar: Difference between revisions

{{short description|Indian king}}

'''Anangpal II''', popularly known as '''Anangpal Tomar''', was an [[India]]n emperor who belonged to the [[Tomara dynasty]]. He is credited to have established and populated [[Delhi]] in the 11th century. The Tomar empire reached its zenith during his reign. <ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|title=Tomars of Delhi by Harihar Niwas Dwivedi|publisher=Vidya Mandir Publications|year=1983|isbn=|location=Gwalior|pages=236}}</ref>

The [[Tomar clan|Tomars]] are believed to be descendants of the Pandav [[Arjuna|Arjun]] through his grandson [[Parikshit]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|title=Tomars of Delhi by Harihar Niwas Dwivedi|publisher=Vidya Mandir Publication|year=1983|isbn=|location=Gwalior|pages=188}}</ref>

The capital of Tomars changed a few times during the course of 457 years they ruled in the northern India. The first capital of the Tomar empire was [[Anangpur Dam|Anangpur]] while the last one was [[History of Delhi|Dhillikapuri]]. <ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|title=Tomars of Delhi by Harihar Niwas Dwivedi|publisher=Vidya Mandir Publications|year=1983|isbn=|location=Gwalior|pages=}}</ref>

== Military Career ==

The [[Baolis of Mehrauli|Anangtal Baoli in Mehrauli]] which is the oldest existing primitive form of Baoli in Delhi was built by him only.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Singh|first=Upinder|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KkpdLnZpm78C&q=anangpur+dam+asi&pg=PA200|title=Delhi: Ancient History|date=2006|publisher=Berghahn Books|isbn=978-81-87358-29-9|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|title=Tomars of Delhi by Harihar Niwas Dwivedi|publisher=Vidyamandir Publications|year=1983|isbn=|location=Gwalior|pages=238–239}}</ref>

Anangpal II minted two types of coin - one with the name 'श्री अनंगपाल' and the other with the name 'श्री अणगपाल'.

The 'अनंगपाल' is a pure sanskrit version while 'अणगपाल' has an influence of local Haryana dialect. The use of this अणगपाल is highly important. The actual Father of medieval Hindi is Anangpal ll and its birthplace is Haryana. The source of languages of [[Tulsidas]] and [[Amir Khusrau|Amir khusrau]] was this area only. The credit for the development of Hindi is given to [[Amir Khusrau]] but according to epigraphist H. V. Trivedi, the reality is that it was designed many centuries before him by [[Tomara dynasty|Tomars of Delhi]] and it's complete refinement was done by [[Tomaras of Gwalior|Tomars of Gwalior]]. <ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|title=Tomars of Delhi by Harihar Niwas Dwivedi|publisher=Vidya Mandir Publications|year=1983|isbn=|location=Gwalior|pages=240}}</ref>

According to farishta, in Northern India, there existed a group of almost 150 kingdoms whose rulers considered the Tomar emperors of [[Delhi]] their Chief. This group of kings is believed to have existed during the reign of Anangpal II as well. The rulers of these kingdoms only later on participated in the 1st and 2nd Battle of Tarain under the leadership of Tomar emperor Chahadpal Tomar (better known as Govind Rai) who was the cousion and commander in chief of [[Prithviraj Chauhan]]. <ref>{{Cite book|last=|first=|title=Tomars of Delhi by Harihar Niwas Dwivedi|publisher=Vidya Mandir Publications|year=1983|isbn=|location=Gwalior|pages=283–285}}</ref>

The Indian government has recently formed the ‘Maharaja Anangpal II Memorial Committee’ to popularise the legacy of 11th-century Tomar Emperor Anangpal II. Its proposals 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) so that the narrative takes roots outside India as well. There is also a proposal to make Lal Kot an ASI-protected monument so that vertical excavation could be carried out to establish more links between Tomars and Delhi. “Anangpal II 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 he who built Lal Kot fort and Anangtal Baoli. The Tomar rule over the region is attested by multiple inscriptions and coins, and their ancestry can be traced to the Pandavas (of the Mahabharata)" said BR Mani, former joint director-general of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).