Editing Delhi (section)

=== Early modern period ===
{{See also|Mughal Empire}}
[[File:Delhi Red fort.jpg|thumb|left|[[Red Fort]], a [[List of World Heritage Sites in India|UNESCO World Heritage Site]], was the main residence of the [[List of Mughal emperors|Mughal emperors]] for nearly 200 years. |alt=Red Fort with the Indian Flag at the centre]]
In 1526, [[Babur]], a descendant of [[Descent from Genghis Khan|Genghis Khan]] and [[Timur]] from the [[Fergana Valley]] in modern-day [[Uzbekistan]], invaded India and defeated the last Lodhi sultan in the [[First Battle of Panipat]] and founded the [[Mughal Empire]] that ruled from Delhi and [[Agra]].<ref name=ecosurv1 /> The Mughal dynasty ruled Delhi for more than three centuries, with a sixteen-year hiatus during the reigns of [[Sher Shah Suri]] and [[Hemu]] from 1540 to 1556.<ref name=shershah>{{cite web |url=https://www.indhistory.com/sher-shah-suri.html |title=Sher Shah&nbsp;– The Lion King |access-date=22 December 2006 |work=India's History: Medieval India |publisher=indhistory.com |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061212214725/https://www.indhistory.com/sher-shah-suri.html |archive-date=12 December 2006 }}</ref> [[Shah Jahan]] built the seventh city of Delhi that bears his name ''[[Shahjahanabad]]'', which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1638 and is today known as the ''Old City'' or ''Old Delhi''.<ref name=book11111>{{cite book |title=Travel Delhi, India |page=12 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MsYj4ysWQ6sC&pg=PT10 |isbn=9781605010519 |author1=Mobilereference |year=2007 |publisher=MobileReference.com }}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

After the death of [[Aurangzeb]] in 1707, the Mughal Empire's influence declined rapidly as the Hindu [[Maratha Empire]] from [[Deccan Plateau]] rose to prominence.<ref>{{cite book
 |last = Thomas
 |first = Amelia
 |title = Rajasthan, Delhi and Agra
 |publisher = Lonely Planet
 |isbn = 978-1-74104-690-8|year = 2008
 }}</ref> In 1737, Maratha forces led by [[Baji Rao I]] sacked Delhi following their victory against the Mughals in the First Battle of Delhi. In 1739, the Mughal Empire lost the huge [[Battle of Karnal]] in less than three hours against the numerically outnumbered but militarily superior Persian army led by [[Nader Shah]] of [[Afsharid dynasty|Persia.]] After his [[Nader Shah's invasion of India|invasion]], he [[sack of Delhi|completely sacked and looted Delhi]], carrying away immense wealth including the [[Peacock Throne]], the [[Daria-i-Noor]], and [[Koh-i-Noor]]. The Mughals, severely further weakened, could never overcome this crushing defeat and humiliation which also left the way open for more invaders to come, including eventually the [[British Raj|British]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ak5oFjTys8MC&q=battle+of+karnal+less+than+three+hours&pg=RA1-PA349|title=Later Mughal|last1=Irvine|first1=William|year=1971|access-date=2 October 2020|archive-date=13 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413204034/https://books.google.com/books?id=ak5oFjTys8MC&q=battle+of+karnal+less+than+three+hours&pg=RA1-PA349|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M2uPAgAAQBAJ&q=nader+shah+humiliating+sack+of+delhi&pg=PA288|title=Territories and States of India|isbn=9781135356255|last1=Boland-Crewe|first1=Tara|last2=Lea|first2=David|date=2 September 2003|publisher=Routledge |access-date=2 October 2020|archive-date=13 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413204219/https://books.google.com/books?id=M2uPAgAAQBAJ&q=nader+shah+humiliating+sack+of+delhi&pg=PA288|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.avalanchepress.com/Soldier_Shah.php |title=Iran in the Age of the Raj |publisher=Avalanchepress.com |access-date=11 March 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110113091203/https://avalanchepress.com/Soldier_Shah.php |archive-date=13 January 2011 }}</ref> [[Nader Shah|Nader]] eventually agreed to leave the city and India after forcing the Mughal emperor [[Muhammad Shah]] I to beg him for mercy and granting him the keys of the city and the royal treasury.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QsDSGn8jLPAC&q=muhammad+shah+nader+shah+beg+for+mercy&pg=PA298|title=Soul and Structure of Governance in India|isbn=9788177648317|author1=Jagmohan|year=2005|publisher=Allied Publishers |access-date=2 October 2020|archive-date=13 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413203840/https://books.google.com/books?id=QsDSGn8jLPAC&q=muhammad+shah+nader+shah+beg+for+mercy&pg=PA298|url-status=live}}</ref> A treaty signed in 1752 made Marathas the protectors of the Mughal throne in Delhi.<ref>{{cite book
 |last = Gordon
 |first = Stewart
 |title = The Marathas 1600–1818, Volume 2
 |publisher = Cambridge University Press|year=1993
 |isbn = 978-0-521-26883-7}}</ref> The city was sacked again in 1757 by the forces of [[Ahmad Shah Durrani]], although it was not annexed by the [[Durrani Empire|Afghan Empire]] and being its vassal state under the Mughal emperor. Then the Marathas battled and [[Battle of Delhi (1757)|won]] control of Delhi from the Afghans.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/en/reports/context-culture/bollywoods-great-betrayal-of-afghanistan-panipat-and-the-cost-of-vilifying-ahmad-shah-durrani/ |title=Bollywood's 'Great Betrayal' of Afghanistan: "Panipat" and the cost of vilifying Ahmad Shah Durrani |date=9 March 2020 |access-date=14 December 2021 |archive-date=9 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109114413/https://www.afghanistan-analysts.org/en/reports/context-culture/bollywoods-great-betrayal-of-afghanistan-panipat-and-the-cost-of-vilifying-ahmad-shah-durrani/ |url-status=live }}</ref>