Coordinates: 28°40′N 77°14′E / 28.66°N 77.23°E / 28.66; 77.23

View of Old Delhi from Jama Masjid, 1973.

Old Delhi (Urdu: پُرانی دلّی Purānī Dillī) (Hindi: पुरानी दिल्ली), walled city of Delhi, India, was founded as Shahjahanabad (Urdu: شاہجہان آباد) by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1639.^[1] It remained the capital of the Mughals until the end of the Mughal dynasty.^[2][3] It was once filled with mansions of nobles and members of the royal court, along with elegant mosques and gardens. Today, despite having become extremely crowded and dilapidated because of the failure of the predominantly Hindu Indian government to control migrants from moving in, it still serves as the symbolic heart of Islamic metropolitan Delhi.

History[link]

Jama Masjid built by Shah Jahan, 1656.

The site of Shahjahanabad is north of earlier settlements of Delhi, its southern part overlaps some of the area settled during the Tughlaqs in 14th century, when it was the seat of Delhi Sultanate. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty. The five dynasties were the Mamluk dynasty (1206–90); the Khilji dynasty (1290–1320); the Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1414); the Sayyid dynasty (1414–51); and the Lodi dynasty (1451–1526).

Delhi remained an important place for the Mughals, they built palaces and forts here. Most importantly, it was Shah Jahan, who had the walled city built from 1638 to 1649, containing the Lal Qila and the Chandni Chowk. Daryaganj had the original cantonment of Delhi, after 1803, where a native regiment of Delhi garrison was stationed, which was later shifted to Ridge area. East of Daryaganj was Raj ghat Gate of the walled city, opening at Raj Ghat on Yamuna River.^[4] First wholesale market of Old Delhi opened as the hardware market in Chawri Bazar in 1840, the next wholesale market was that of dry fruits, spices and herbs at Khari Baoli, opening in 1850. The Phool Mandi (Flower Market) of Daryaganj was established in 1869, and even today despite serving a small geographical area, it is of great importance, due to dense population.^[5]

After the fall of the Mughal Empire post 1857 revolt, the British Raj shifted the capital of India, to a less volatile, Calcutta, where it remained until, 1911. After the announcement of the shifting capital from Calcutta to Delhi, 1911, the British developed Lutyens' Delhi (in modern New Delhi) just south-west of Shahjahanabad, once the new city started coming the older city started being called Old Delhi in coming decade onwards, as New Delhi became the seat of national government, formally inaugurated in 1931. In the following years, as the walled city got more and more congested, other areas around it were developed, as till 1930s few people ventured outside the walled city.^[6]

Walls and gates[link]

Historic map of Delhi (Shahjahanabad), 1863

It is approximately shaped like a quarter cìrcle, with the Red Fort as the focal point. The old city was surrounded by a wall enclosing about 1,500 acres (6.1 km²), with 14 gates^[7]:

1. Nigambodh Gate: northeast, leading to historic Nigambodh Ghat on the Yamuna River
2. Kashmiri Gate: north
3. Mori Gate: north
4. Kabuli gate: west
5. Lahori gate: west
6. Ajmeri Gate: southeast, leading to Ghaziuddin Khan's Madrassa and Connaught Place, a focal point in New Delhi.
7. Turkman Gate: southeast, close to some pre-Shahjahan remains which got enclosed within the walls, including the tomb of Hazrt Shah Turkman Bayabani.
8. Delhi Gate: south leading to Feroz Shah Kotla and what was then older habitation of Delhi.

The surrounding walls, 12 feet (3.7 m) wide and 26 feet (7.9 m) tall, originally of mud, were replaced by red stone in 1657. In the Mughal period, the gates were kept locked at night. The walls have now largely disappeared,^[8] but most of the gates are still present. The township of old Delhi is still identifiable in a satellite image because of density of houses.

The famous Khooni Darwaza south of Delhi Gate, was just outside the walled city, it was originally constructed by Sher Shah Suri.

Streets and neighbourhoods[link]

Map of Delhi and New Delhi after the First World War. The descriptions are in Czech.

The main street, now termed Chandni Chowk, runs from the Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid. Originally a canal ran through the middle of the street.

North of the street, there is the mansion of Begum Samru, now called Bhagirath Palace. South is the street is Dariba, a dense residential area, beyond which is Jama Masjid. Daryaganj is a section that used to border the river at Rajghat and Zeenat-ul-Masajid.

The language Urdu emerged from the Urdu Bazar section of Old Delhi. The Din Dunia magazine and various other Urdu publications are the reason of this language staying alive.^[9]

Its main arteries are

• Netaji Subhash Marg/Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg leading to India Gate(north and south)
• Chandni Chowk/Khari Bawli Road (east and west)

Old Delhi is approximately bounded by these modern roads (Google map)

• Gokhle Marg (south)
• Mahatma Gandhi Marg road (east)
• Shraddhananda Rd (west)
• Jawaharlal Nehru Marg (south)

The New Delhi originally referred to the newer sections of Delhï (sometimes termed Lutyens' Delhi) developed during the British administration by Edward Lutyens in 1929 and officially inaugurated in 1931.

Old Delhi in 1876[link]

The Lahori Gate of Red Fort from Chandni Chowk.

In 1876, Carr Stephen described the city as follows:^[10]

Of the two streets described by Bernier, the longer extended from the Lahore Gate of the city to the Lahore Gate of the citadel, and the other from the Delhi Gate of the city to the Lahore Gate of the fort. Both these streets were divided into several sections, each of which was known by a different name.

The section between the Lahore Gate of the fort and the entrance of the street called the Dariba, known as the Khuni Darwazah, was called the Urdu or the Military Bazaar; owing, very probably, to the circumstances of a portion of the local garrison having been once quartered about the place. Between the Khuni Darwazah and the present Kotwali, or the Head Police Station of the city, the street has the name of Phul ka Mandi or the flower market. The houses in front of the Kotwali were built at a short distance from the line of the rest of the houses in the street, so as to form a square.

Between the Kotwali and the gate known as the Taraiah, was the Jauhari or the Jewellers' Bazaar; between the Taraiah and the neighbourhood known as Asharfi ka Katra, was, par excellence, the Chandni Chauk. There was a tank in the centre of the Chauk the site of which is now occupied by the Municipal Clock Tower, and beyond this to the Fatehpuri Masjid was the Fatehpuri Bazaar. The houses round Chandni Chauk were of the same height, and were ornamented with arched doors and painted verandahs. To the north and south of the square there were two gate-ways, the former leading to the Sarai of Jahanara Begam, and the latter to one of the most thickly populated quarters of the city. Round the tank the ground was literally covered with vegetable, fruit, and sweetmeat stalls. In the course of time the whole of this long street came to be known as the Chandni Chauk.

This grand street was laid out by Jahanara Begam, daughter of Shah Jahan. From the Lahore Gate of the fort to the end of the Chandni Chauk the street was about 40 yards wide and 1,520 yards long. Through the centre of this street ran the canal of 'Ali Mardan, shaded on both sides by trees. On the eastern end of the Chandni Chauk stands the Lahore Gate of the Fort, and on the opposite end the handsome mosque of Fatehpuri Begam).

The clock tower no longer exists. The Sarai of Jehan Ara Begum has been replaced by the city hall. The kotwali is now adjacent to Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib.

Historical spots[link]

Old Delhi Chandni Chowk

Old Delhi Railway Station built 1903

Many of the historical attractions are in the Chandni Chowk area and the Red Fort. In addition, Old Delhi also has^[11]:

• Ghalib Ki Haveli that is in Ballimaran is famous for Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, the renowned Urdu and Persian poet.
• Gali Qasim Jan that is in Ballimaran is famous for Mirza Ghalib's haveli, and that of Hakim Ajmal Khan
• Razia Sultana's (Delhi's only female ruler before Indira Gandhi) tomb near Kalan Masjid
• Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque
• Fatehpuri Masjid
• Khari Baoli, Asia's biggest spice market
• Zinat-ul Masjid, Daryaganj built in 1710 by one of Aurangzeb's daughters
• Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi's cremation site memorial
• St. James Church (near Kashmiri Gate) built in 1836, Delhi's oldest church, built by Col. James Skinner.^[12]

Some of the historical mansions include^[13][14]:

• Begum Samru's Palace of 1806 (see [1])now called Bhagirath Palace.
• Naughara mansions in Kinari Bazaar, 18th century Jain mansions.
• Khazanchi haveli
• Haveli of Mirza Ghalib, Gali Qasim Jan that is in Ballimaran
• Chunnamal haveli, Katra Neel
• Haveli of Zinat Mahal, Lal Kuan Bazar
• Haksar Haveli, Bazar Sitaram, where Jawaharlal Nehru was married in 1916 to Kamla Nehru.
• Haveli Naharwali, Kucha Sadullah Khan, where Pervez Musharraf, former president of Pakistan was born

Old Delhi Cuisine[link]

Historic Karim's at Old Delhi.

Old Delhi is well known for its cuisine, both vegetarian and Mughlai cuisine. Chandni Chowk is home to the famous Gali Paranthe Wali and Ghantewala halwai.

Old Delhi is the home to legendary Mughlai restaurants such as Karim's (located in Jama Masjid area) and the Moti Mahal (located in Darya Ganj). There are a plenty of other restaurants in Muslim areas of Old Delhi such as Jama Masjid, Balli Maran, and Chitli Qabar that sell mouth-watering, spicy Mughlai delicacies such as Tandoori Chicken, Butter Chicken, Nahari, Korma, Biryani, Seekh Kebabs, etc.

Old Delhi is also famous for its street food. Chandni Chowk and Chawri Bazaar areas have many street joints that sell spicy chaat (tangy and spicy snacks).

See also[link]

• List of tourist attractions in Delhi

Further reading[link]

• Delhi, the emperor's city: rediscovering Chandni Chowk and its environs, by Vijay Goel. Lustre Press, 2003. ISBN 81-7436-240-1.

References[link]

• H.C. Fanshawe (1998). Delhi, past and present. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 81-206-1318-X. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=vJ4HFt5S8CcC&pg=PA67&dq=Daryaganj&hl=en&ei=rtN0To2yKsjNrQfjlYXAAw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CE0Q6AEwCDgU#v=onepage&q=Daryaganj&f=false. 
• Stephen P. Blake (2002). Shahjahanabad: The Sovereign City in Mughal India 1639-1739. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-52299-4. http://books.google.com/books?id=vJ0e0kfgttUC&pg=PA58&dq=%22Paharganj%22&sig=ACfU3U1wLEEtlwGHpwtxlCFPk0fQSickQA. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Old Delhi

• Street Pictures from Old Delhi
• "Purani Dilli continues to prosper". The Tribune. November 4, 2000. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20001104/windows/estate.htm. 

Delhi
—  Federal district  —
National Capital Territory of Delhi
From top clockwise: Lotus Temple, Humayun's Tomb, Connaught Place, Akshardham Temple, and India Gate.
Delhi Location of Delhi in India.
Coordinates: 28°36′36″N 77°13′48″E / 28.61°N 77.23°E / 28.61; 77.23Coordinates: 28°36′36″N 77°13′48″E / 28.61°N 77.23°E / 28.61; 77.23
Country	India
Government
• Chief Minister	Sheila Dikshit (INC)
• Lt. Governor	Tejendra Khanna
Area
• Federal district	1,484.0 km2 (573.0 sq mi)
• Land	159.0 km2 (61.4 sq mi)
• Water	18.0 km2 (6.9 sq mi)
Elevation	0–125 m (0–409 ft)
Population (2011 estimate)
• Federal district	11,007,835
• Density	3,886/km2 (10,065/sq mi)
• Metro	16,314,838
• Demonym	Delhiite
Time zone	Indian Standard Time (UTC+5.30)
ZIP code(s)	110001-110098, 1100xx
Area code(s)	+91 11
Website	delhi.gov.in

Delhi (/ˈdɛli/; locally pronounced Dillee or Dehli), officially the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT),^[1] is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India.^[2][3][4][5] It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16.7 million inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census. The region has been given special status of National Capital Region under The Constitution (69th Amendment) Act, 1991. There are nearly 22.2 million residents in the greater National Capital Region urban area (which also includes the cities Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon,Sonepat and Faridabad along with other smaller nearby towns).^[6]

Delhi is known to have been continuously inhabited since at least the 6th century BCE,^[7] though human habitation is believed to have existed since the second millennium BCE. Delhi is also widely believed to have been the site of Indraprastha, the legendary capital of the Pandavas during the times of the Mahabharata.^[8] Delhi re-emerged as a major political, cultural and commercial city along the trade routes between northwest India and the Gangetic plain after the rise of the Delhi sultanates.^[9][10] It is the site of many ancient and medieval monuments, archaeological sites and remains.

In 1639, Mughal emperor Shahjahan built a new walled city in Delhi which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1649 to 1857.^[11][12] British had captured Delhi by 1803 and George V announced in 1911 that the capital of British controlled parts of India would be Delhi. So a new capital city, New Delhi, was built to the south of the old city during the 1920s.^[13] When India gained independence from British rule in 1947, New Delhi was declared its capital and seat of government.

The name Delhi is often also used to include urban areas near the NCT, as well as to refer to New Delhi, the capital of India, which lies within the metropolis. Although technically a federally administered union territory, the political administration of the NCT of Delhi today more closely resembles that of a state of India with its own legislature, high court and an executive council of ministers headed by a Chief Minister. New Delhi, jointly administered by both the federal Government of India and the local Government of Delhi, is also the capital of the NCT of Delhi.

Etymology and idioms[link]

A very common view is that its eponym is Dhillu or Dilu, a king of the Mauryan dynasty, who built the city in 50 BC and named it after himself.^[8][14][15] The Hindi/Prakrit word dhili (loose) was used by the Tomaras to refer to the city because the Iron Pillar built by Raja Dhava had a weak foundation and was replaced.^[15] The coins in circulation in the region under the Tomaras were called dehliwal.^[16] Some other historians believe that the name is derived from Dilli, a corruption of dehleez or dehali—both terms meaning 'threshold' or 'gateway'— and symbolic of the city as a gateway to the Gangetic Plain.^[17][18] Another theory suggests that the city's original name was Dhillika.^[19] As per Bhavishya Purana (Sanskrit-भविष्य पुराणम्), Prithviraj Chauhan, the King of Indraprastha built a new fort for convenience of all four castes, in his kingdom. He ordered to construct a gateway (Hindi- देहली) to that Fort and later named the fort the same (dehali). It later became Dilli (Hindi - दिल्ली). This fort is believed to be constructed in Purana Qila area.

The people of Delhi are referred to as Dilliwallahs or Delhiites.^[20]

Delhi is referenced in various idioms of the Northern Indo-Aryan languages. Examples include:

• Abhi Dilli door hai (or, its Persian version, Hanouz Dehli dour ast, literally meaning Delhi is still far away, which is generically said about a task or journey still far from completion. In Persian del or dili can mean heart, while other meanings include cordial, centre, love, etc.^[21][22]
• Dilli dilwalon ka shehr or Dilli Dilwalon ki meaning Delhi belongs to the large-hearted/daring.^[23]
• Aas-paas barse, Dilli pari tarse, literally meaning it pours all around, while Delhi lies parched. An allusion to the sometimes semi-arid climate of Delhi, it idiomatically refers to situations of deprivation when there is plenty all around.^[22]
• Dilli kee Sardi. A proverb used to refer to the winters of Delhi, which amidst the concrete build-up of the metropolis and the immense greens looks breathtaking. Popularly used in Bollywood, including a song, this proverb highlights the chilly and beautiful Delhi winters where temperatures just manage to stay above the 0°C mark.

History[link]

The iron pillar of Delhi, is said to have been fashioned at the time of Chandragupta Vikramaditya (375–413) of the Gupta Empire.^[24][25]

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Red fort is the location from which the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation on Independence Day

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Built in 1560, Humayun's Tomb is the first example of Mughal tomb complexes.^[26]

At 72.5 m (238 ft), A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Qutub Minar is the world's tallest free-standing brick minaret.^[27]

The ancient Yogmaya Temple, claimed to be one of the five temples of the Mahabharata era in Delhi.

Human habitation was probably present in and around Delhi during the second millennium BC and before, and continuous inhabitation has been evidenced since at least the 6th century BC.^[7] The city is believed to be the site of Indraprastha, legendary capital of the Pandavas in the Indian epic Mahabharata.^[8] Settlements grew from the time of the Mauryan Empire (c. 300 BCE).

Remains of seven major cities have been discovered in Delhi. Anang Pal of the Tomara dynasty founded the city of Lal Kot in AD 736. The Chauhans conquered Lal Kot in 1180 and renamed it Qila Rai Pithora. The Chauhan king Prithviraj III was defeated in 1192 by the invader Muhammad Ghori.^[8]

In 1206, Qutb-ud-din Aybak, the first ruler of the Turkic Slave Dynasty established the Delhi Sultanate. Qutb-ud-din started the construction the Qutub Minar and Quwwat-al-Islam (might of Islam), the earliest extant mosque in India.^[8][28] After the fall of the Slave dynasty, a succession of Turkic dynasties, the Khilji dynasty, the Tughluq dynasty, the Sayyid dynasty and the Lodhi dynasty held power in the late medieval period, and built a sequence of forts and townships that are part of the seven cities of Delhi.^[29]

In 1398, Timur Lenk invaded India on the pretext that the Turkic Muslim sultans of Delhi were too lenient towards their Hindu subjects. Timur entered Delhi and the city was sacked, destroyed, and left in ruins.^[30] Near Delhi, Timur massacred 100,000 captives.^[31] Delhi was a major centre of Sufism during the Sultanate period.^[32]

In 1526, Zahiruddin Babur, a Timurid descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan 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.^[8] The Mughal dynasty ruled Delhi for more than three centuries, with a sixteen-year hiatus during the reign of Sher Shah Suri, from 1540 to 1556.^[33] During 1553–1556, the Hindu king, Hemu Vikramaditya acceded to the throne of Delhi by defeating forces of Mughal Emperor Akbar at Agra and Delhi. However, the Mughals reestablished their rule after Akbar's army defeated Hemu during the Second Battle of Panipat.^[34][35][36] Shah Jahan built the seventh city of Delhi that bears his name (Shahjahanabad), and is more commonly known as the "Old City" or "Old Delhi". The old city served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1638.

After 1680, the Mughal Empire's influence declined rapidly as the Hindu Maratha Empire rose to prominence.^[37] In 1737, Maratha forces sacked Delhi, following their victory against the Mughals in the First Battle of Delhi. In 1739, a weakened Mughal Empire lost the Battle of Karnal, following which the victorious forces of Nader Shah, the Turkic ruler of Afsharid dynasty, invaded and looted Delhi, carrying away many treasures, including the Peacock Throne.^[38] A treaty signed in 1752 made Marathas the protector of the Mughal throne at Delhi.^[39] In 1803, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, the forces of British East India Company defeated the Maratha forces in the Battle of Delhi, ending the Maratha rule over the city.^[40]

After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, Delhi came under direct rule of the British crown and was made a district province of the Punjab.^[8] In 1911, the capital of British India was transferred from Calcutta to Delhi, following which a team of British architects led by Edwin Lutyens designed a new political and administrative area, known as New Delhi, to house the government buildings. New Delhi, also known as Lutyens' Delhi, was officially declared as the capital of the Union of India after the country gained independence on 15 August 1947.

During the partition of India, thousands of Hindu and Sikh refugees, mainly from West Punjab fled to Delhi, while many Muslim residents of the city migrated to Pakistan. Migration to Delhi from the rest of India continues, contributing more to the rise of Delhi's population than the birth rate, which is declining.^[41]

The Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 declared the Union Territory of Delhi to be formally known as National Capital Territory of Delhi.^[42] The Act gave Delhi its own legislative assembly in Civil lines, though with limited powers.^[42] In December 2001, the Parliament of India building in New Delhi was attacked by armed militants resulting in the death of six security personnel.^[43] India suspected the hand of Pakistan-based militant groups in the attacks resulting in a major diplomatic crisis between the two countries.^[44] Delhi again witnessed terrorist attacks in October 2005 and September 2008 resulting in the deaths of 62 and 30^[45] civilians respectively.

Geography[link]

River Yamuna near Delhi

Lightning strikes near India Gate, New Delhi. Delhi receives much of its rainfall during the monsoon season which lasts from July to September

The National Capital Territory of Delhi is spread over an area of 1,484 km² (573 sq mi), of which 783 km² (302 sq mi) is designated rural, and 700 km² (270 sq mi) urban. Delhi has a maximum length of 51.9 km (32 mi) and the maximum width of 48.48 km (30 mi). There are three local bodies (statutory towns) namely, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (area is 1,397.3 km² or 540 sq mi), New Delhi Municipal Committee (42.7 km² or 16 sq mi) and Delhi Cantonment Board (43 km² or 17 sq mi).^[46]

Delhi is located at 28°37′N 77°14′E / 28.61°N 77.23°E / 28.61; 77.23, and lies in northern India. It borders the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh to the east and Haryana on the north, west and south. During British Raj it was adjacent to the province of Punjab and still historically and culturally tied closely to the region of Punjab.^[47] Almost entirely within the Gangetic plains, two prominent features of the geography of Delhi are the Yamuna flood plains and the Delhi ridge. The low-lying Yamuna flood plains provide fertile alluvial soil suitable for agriculture but are prone to recurrent floods. Reaching up to a height of 318 m (1,043 ft),^[48] the Delhi ridge forms a dominating feature in this region. It originates from the Aravalli Range in the south and encircles the west, northeast and northwest parts of the city. Yamuna, a sacred river in Hinduism, is the only major river flowing through Delhi. Another river called the Hindon River separates Ghaziabad from the eastern part of Delhi. Delhi falls under seismic zone-IV, making it vulnerable to major earthquakes, but earthquakes have not been common in recent history.^[49] Delhi has the third highest tree-cover among cities in India.^[50]

Delhi was one of the world's ten most polluted cities in the 1990s, with vehicles producing 70% of the polluting emissions.^[51] In 1996 the Centre for Science and Environment started a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court of India that ordered the conversion of Delhi's fleet of buses and taxis to be run on Compressed Natural Gas and banned the use of leaded petrol in 1998. In 2003, Delhi won the United States Department of Energy’s first ‘Clean Cities International Partner of the Year’ award for ‘‘bold efforts to curb air pollution and support alternative fuel initiatives’’.^[51]

Climate[link]

Delhi features an atypical version of the humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). Summers are long and extremely hot, from early April to mid-October, with the monsoon season in between.^[52] Early March sees a reversal in the direction of wind, from the north-western direction, to the south-western. The months of March to May see time of hot climate.^[52] Monsoon arrives at the end of June, along with increase in humidity.^[52] The brief, mild winter starts in late November and peaks in January and is notorious for its heavy fog.^[53]

Extreme temperatures range from -0.6 to 46.7 °C (30.9 to 116.1 °F).^[54] The annual mean temperature is 25 °C (77 °F); monthly mean temperatures range from 13 to 32 °C (55 to 90 °F).^[55] The average annual rainfall is approximately 714 mm (28.1 in), most of which is during the monsoons in July and August.^[8] The average date of the advent of monsoon winds in Delhi is 29 June.^[56]