Shahjahanabad,[History of Mughal Architecture
By Ram Nath, Abhinav Publications, 2006][City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi
By William Dalrymple, Olivia Fraser, HarperCollins, 1993] when the British Empire (whose Indian capital was at Kolkata) took over as paramount power in the Indian subcontinent. After the inauguration of New Delhi as the capital of India, the locality started to be colloquially known as Old Delhi in order to distinguish it from the capital city or the rest of the Delhi.
It serves as the symbolic heart of metropolitan Delhi and is known for its bazaars, Restaurant, street food, Shopping and its Islamic architecture; Jama Masjid being the most notable example, standing tall in the midst of the old city. Only a few havelis are left and maintained.
Upon the 2012 trifurcation of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Shahjahanabad became administered by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation,
History
Delhi Sultanate era and beginning of the Mughal era
The site of
Shahjahanabad is north of earlier settlements of Delhi. Its southern part overlaps some of the area that was settled by the
in the 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
Khalji dynasty (1290–1320), the
Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1414), the
Sayyid dynasty (1414–51) and
Lodi dynasty (1451–1526).
For a period from 1538/1540 until 1555, the Mughals lost control over their empire under
Humayun, and the
Sur Empire ruled parts of India until the Mughals retook control of India, lastly defeating them and finally establishing control and stability of their empire.
Mughal era
Delhi remained an important place for the Mughals, who built palaces and forts. Most importantly,
Shah Jahan ordered his famous chief architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori to build the walled city between 1638 and 1649, containing the
Delhi Fort and the
Chandni Chowk.
Delhi was one of the original twelve
(imperial Mughal provinces), renamed Shahjahanabad in 1648, bordering
Awadh, Agra,
Ajmer,
Multan and
Lahore subahs.
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.
[Fanshawe, p. 67] The first wholesale market of Old Delhi opened as the hardware market in
Chawri Bazaar 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.
Colonial era
After the fall of the
Mughal Empire post 1857 revolt, the
British Raj shifted the capital of British controlled territories in India to a less volatile city,
Calcutta in
Bengal, where it remained until 1911. After the announcement of the change, the British developed Lutyens' Delhi (in modern
New Delhi) just south-west of Shahjahanabad. At this point, the older city started being called
Old Delhi, as New Delhi became the seat of a national government. It was formally inaugurated as such in 1931.
1876 description
In 1876, Carr Stephen described the city as follows:
[Carr Stephen, Archaeology and Monumental Remains of Delhi (Author, 1876), pp. 246-47]
The clock tower no longer exists, although the location is still called Ghantaghar. The sarai of Jahanara Begum has been replaced by the city town hall. The kotwal is now adjacent to Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib.
The Old Delhi Railway Station, was designed in the architectural style of the nearby Red Fort, which was constructed during the administration of the British colonial government and opened in 1903.
The British also built the State Bank of India branch building in Chandni Chowk
Demographics
The population of Old Delhi remains a mix of many different ethnic groups. While the region is
Muslim-dominated,
Hindi–
Urdu (Hindustani) is the most spoken language.
Walls and gates
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 , with 14 gates:
[http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/2004/01-15Jun04-Print-Edition/011506200496.htm Dilli's gates and windows
By Mahtab Jahan]
-
Nigambodh Gate: northeast, leading to historic Nigambodh Ghat on the Yamuna River
-
Kashmiri Gate: north
-
Mori Gate: north
-
Kabuli gate: west
-
Lahori gate: west close to the Sadar Railway station, Railway Colony, including the tomb of Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi.
[ Rehnuma-e-Mazaraat Delhi, Mohammad Asim-ul-Qadri Sanbhli, Mohammad Book Depot, 2007, Old Delhi India][Sunbhli, Mohammad Asim Al-Qadri, 2007, Rehnuma-e-Mazaraat Delhi Sharif, Muhammadi Book Depot, 523 Waheed Kutb Market Matia Mahal Jamai Mosque, Delhi-6, India, p.p. 284]
-
Ajmeri Gate: southwest, leading to Ghaziuddin Khan's Madrassa and Connaught Place, a focal point in New Delhi.
-
Turkman Gate: southwest, close to some pre-Shahjahan remains which got enclosed within the walls, including the tomb of Shah Turkman Bayabani.
-
Delhi Gate: south leading to Feroz Shah Kotla and what was then older habitation of Delhi.
The surrounding walls, wide and tall, originally of mud, were replaced by red stone in 1657. In the Mughal Empire period, the gates were kept locked at night.
The walls have now mostly disappeared;[ Showers bring down ASI-protected wall in Old Delhi , ExpressIndia (web-site), The Indian Express, 2003-07-19] only some of the gates are still present. The township of old Delhi is still identifiable in a satellite image because of the density of houses.
The Khooni Darwaza, south of Delhi Gate and just outside the walled city, was originally constructed by Sher Shah Suri.
The Bahadur Shahi Gate
Streets and neighbourhoods
The streets in Old Delhi are known for being narrow and winding and being labyrinthine within the walled city with many alleys, as well as for being vibrant and bustling and mainly crowded.
The streets retain the essence of the Mughal empire-era layout, serving as a functional network for moving from one place to another as well as for bustling markets and iconic landmarks, creating a unique living experience in the city. Historic shops, traditional mansions (havelis) and religious sites are built directly along and into these lanes, making the streets themselves a form of premises that houses and shapes community life.
The main street, now termed Chandni Chowk which meant Moonlight square, runs from the Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid. The street square today which includes the market which was historically divided by canals, engineered to reflect moonlight hence the name Moonlight square. These canals have since been removed, leaving behind a transformed urban landscape. The Chandni Chowk was a significant route for Mughal imperial processions, hosting the grand displays of emperors and their entourages, highlighting its importance in the empire's cultural and rich architectural heritage.
North of the street, there is the mansion of Begum Samru, now called Bhagirath Palace.
South of the street is Dariba Kalan, a dense residential area, beyond which connects the Chandni Chowk area with the Jama Masjid. Daryaganj is a section that used to border the river at Rajghat and Zeenat-ul-Masjid.
The Urdu language emerged from the Urdu Bazaar the stretch spanning from the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort to near the Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib was called Urdu Bazaar, i.e., the encampment market in Old Delhi. The Din Dunia magazine and various other Urdu publications are the reason for this language staying alive.[Ghalib, 1797-1869: In 2vols.Vol.1, Life and Letters,
By Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, Ghalib, Asad-Allāh Ḫān Mīrzā Ġālib, Ralph Russell, Khurshidul Islam
Published by Allen & Unwin, 1969]
Its main arteries are
-
Netaji Subhash Marg / Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg leading to India Gate (north and south)
-
Chandni Chowk/Khari Baoli Road (east and west)
Old Delhi is approximately bounded by these modern roads:
-
Nicholson Road (north)
-
Mahatma Gandhi Marg (east)
-
Shraddhananda Marg (west)
-
Jawaharlal Nehru Marg (south)
In literature
The engraving accompanying Letitia Elizabeth Landon's poem, "The City of Delhi", appears to show the Jama Masjid with an elephant on the open ground before it. She associates the city's past glories with tales of enchantment, namely
James Ridley's
The Tales of the Genii (Sir Charles Mansell). In Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1832, page 44.
Historical sites
Many of the historical attractions are in the
Chandni Chowk area and the
Red Fort. In addition, Old Delhi also has:
-
Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, a sikh Gurudwara built to commemorate the martyrdom site of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur. It marks the site where the ninth Sikh Guru was beheaded on the orders of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb on 11 November 1675 for rebelling against the forceful conversion of people from other religions (Hindus, Sikhs, Jains) to Islam.
-
Gaurishankar Temple
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Salimgarh Fort
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Red Fort Archaeological Museum, located in the Mumtaz Mahal, Red Fort
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Gali Qasim Jan in Ballimaran is the site of Mirza Ghalib's haveli, and that of Hakim Ajmal Khan
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Razia Sultana tomb near Kalan Masjid
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Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque
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Lal Mandir, Delhi's oldest Jain temple
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Fatehpuri Masjid
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Khari Baoli, Asia's biggest spice market
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Zinat-ul Masjid, Daryaganj built-in 1710 by one of Aurangzeb's daughters
-
Partition Museum, Delhi, located in the Dara Shukoh Library Building once part of the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh palace
-
Kalan Masjid, 14th-century mosque in Old Delhi
-
St. James Church (near Kashmiri Gate) built-in 1836, Delhi's oldest church, built by Col. James Skinner.
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Golden Mosque, the mosque is located outside the southwestern corner of the Delhi Gate
Some of the historical mansions (or Haveli's) include:
-
Dharampura Haveli a restored heritage hotel
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Haveli of Mirza Ghalib, Gali Qasim Jan, in Ballimaran
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Chunnamal haveli, Katra Neel
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Kathika Cultural Centre and Museum (Haveli)
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Naughara mansions in Kinari Bazar, 18th-century Jain mansions
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Masterji Kee Haveli, Sita Ram Bazar
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Haveli Sharif Manzil in Ballimaran is famous for its Aristocratic Hakims and their Unani practice, and that of Hakim Ajmal Khan
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Haveli of Zeenat Mahal, Lal Kuan Bazar
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Kucha Chelan (Kucha Chehle Ameeran), where the Persian descent inhabited
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Begum Samru's Palace of 1806 now called Bhagirath Palace.
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Khazanchi haveli
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Haveli Raja Jugal Kishore
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Haksar Haveli, Sitaram Bazar, where Jawaharlal Nehru was married in 1916 to Kamla Nehru.
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Haveli Naharwali, Kucha Sadullah Khan, where Pervez Musharraf, former president of Pakistan was born
Shahjahanabad cuisine
Old Delhi is well known for its cuisine. Old Delhi being the seat of the
Mughal Empire for over two centuries has led to it being the modern hub of
Mughlai cuisine. Karim's, a restaurant described as the city's most famous culinary destination, is near the Jama Masjid. The Gali Paranthe Wali and
Ghantewala halwai are also situated here. Chawri Bazaar is one of the oldest markets in Delhi, dating back to the 17th century and was before known as a hardware market, but is known nowadays for its wholesale paper products.
Old Delhi is also known for its street food. Chandni Chowk and Chawri Bazaar areas have many street joints that sell spicy chaat (tangy and spicy snacks).
Culinary history
Old Delhi has certain identifiable landmarks of food. These include:
Paranthe Wali Gali
Pandit Gaya Prasad shifted from
Agra to
Delhi in 1876,
in search of a better life. In
Delhi, he set up a single shop business selling hot
Paratha. The product gained popularity to an extent that he required the aid of his family members for help in the production. Eventually, Paranthe wali Gali, the lane in which the original shop was, came to house 16 of them. It is now run by the families of Pandit Gaya Prasad and his relatives. The sixth-generation continues to run four of the sixteen original shops that remain.
Karim's
Having been in the business of catering to
Mughal emperors, the family that runs it was displaced following the Revolt of 1857. In 1911, Haji Karimuddin moved back to Delhi with inspiration to open a Dhaba to cater to people coming to witness the coronation from all across the country. It was in 1913 that he established the Karim Hotel in Gali Kababian, Jama Masjid. Karim's exists here today to cater to the wants of people from all over the country and the world, being a major tourist attraction.
Kallu Nihari
Nihari is a traditional meat stew that is slowly cooked to preserve its taste and the tenderness of its ingredients. Kallu Nihari is a shop in Old Delhi that has served the dish exclusively since it was opened by the late Mohammed Rafiquddin (better known as Kallu Mian) in 1990. The shop, which is well known in the area, has served millions of portions.
Harnarains
Harnarain Gokalchand was a pickle and murabba shop that was originally established in
Khari Baoli by the name Harnarain Gopinath in 1857. It is often considered to be one of India's first commercially available pickle brands and was at the time India's largest food preservers. Their pickles and sharbat have been a household delicacy for over a century and a half, and have even served
Jawaharlal Nehru and
Indira Gandhi.
Having started from a small shop in Khari Baoli, Old Delhi, it has now become a global brand that goes by the name
Harnarains International .
Banta
Characterised by a
codd-neck bottle,
Banta is a drink that has survived in Old Delhi since 1872.
The glass bottle in which this comes has a marble stopper, which is pushed into the bulbous neck of the bottle to unseal it. Engineer
Hiram Codd patented the design of the bottle in 1872 in London to effectively seal fizzy drinks.
The Banta bottles even contributed to the Indian National movement. This was so as protestors and rioters would often use these bottles as improvised cannons by adding calcium hydroxide to the mix. Thus, the bottles were banned in many cities across the country at some point before 1947.
Economic structure
Old Delhi has markets running through its streets. The area is vast and multiple products are being sold. Most of them are wholesale sellers and have been selling their products for many years. One such business is
Gulab Singh Johrimal (a perfumery)
which was established in
Dariba Kalan in 1816 mainly as an
attar (perfume) manufacturing business. Since then they have diversified into compounding, incense and toilet soap manufacture. Their retail outlet in Chandni Chowk was started later on. Another such shop is
Harnarains (manufacturers of pickles and preserves), located in
Khari Baoli. Under operation since 1944, it is one of the older shops currently located in Old Delhi. Some migrants sell products like clothes, fruits etc. The sellers of one product often form an association to serve their interests and negotiate with the local government and other official bodies. The Old Delhi area and its markets are governed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
The
Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) is a government of Delhi undertaking focused on conserving heritage and to act as a catalyst for transforming the historically significant but congested place into a functional, tourist-friendly, and economically vibrant zone.
See also
-
History of Delhi
-
Timeline of Delhi
-
List of tourist attractions in Delhi
Further reading
-
Delhi, the emperor's city: rediscovering Chandni Chowk and its environs, by Vijay Goel. Lustre Press, 2003. .
Footnotes
External links
