Capital of India

Current capital of India is New Delhi.

In last thousand years, large parts of India has been under a common rule only for short periods of time.

This article talks about capitals of states that covered more than a quarter of the Indian subcontinent.

Early period

• Pataliputra : It was the capital of :

Nanda Dynasty

Maurya Empire

Gupta Empire

Pala Empire

• Begram and Mathura : They were the summer and winter capitals respectively of the Kushan Empire
• Pratishthānapura : It was the capital of Satavahana Empire
• Kannauj : Capital of Harshavardhana's short lived kingdom; also of Pratiharas.
• Manyakheta, Avanti : Capitals of Rashtrakuta Dynasty and Pratihara Empire respectively.
• Gadhipur: a centre of administration of the Gupta dynasty , also capital under Jamwal kings Gaadhi and Vishwamitra.
• Gangaikonda Cholapuram : Capital of Chola Dynasty during its peak.
• Gaur : capital of Pala dynasty along with Pataliputra
• Sigal: 1st capital of the Sakas 70bce-400
• Taxila : 2nd capital of the Sakas 70bce-400
• Mathura : 3rd capital of the Sakas 70bce-400
• Sakala : Capital of the Indo-Greeks

Medieval period

• Delhi : The current capital of India was the seat of

Delhi Sultanate.

• • Daulatabad: In 1327, Tughlaq dynasty, under Muhammad bin Tughluq (r. 1325-1351), forcibly moved the entire population of Delhi here, for two years, before it was abandoned due to lack to water.
• Ghor: capital of Ghurid Sultanate
• Badaun was the capital of Iltutmish empire.
• Vijayanagara was the capital of [[Vijayanagara Empire under Akbar's reign, from 1571 until 1585, when it was abandoned, ostensibly due to lack of water.
• Murshidabad - In 1704, the nawab Murshid Quli Khan changed the seat of government from Dhaka to Murshidabad, which he renamed "Murshidabad" after himself.
• Munger: Mir Qasim Ali, the Nawab of Bengal (from 1760 to 1764). In 1763, Quasim shifted his capital from Murshidabad to Munger.
• Pune: In 1730, Pune became the seat of the Peshwa of Maratha Empire, the prime minister of the Chhatrapati of Satara.

Modern period

During the British Raj, until 1911, Calcutta was the capital of India. By the later half of the 19th century Shimla had become the summer capital.

King George V proclaimed the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi at the climax of the 1911 Imperial Durbar (12.Dec.1911). The buildings housing Viceroy, government and parliament in New Delhi were inaugurated in early 1931.