|
|
DELHI
- INDIA
Delhi, historically known as Dilli, along with a
few other neighbouring districts forms the 'National Capital Territory' of
the Republic of India. It contains the newer city of New Delhi which is no
longer a distinguishable urban area, but contains many of the administrative
institutions of the national government, and is formally considered the
national capital.
It occupies an area of some 1,483 square kilometres (572 square miles) with
a population of approximately 14 million. The principal spoken languages are
Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, and English.
Delhi derives its historic importance from
its position in northern India, occupying a location between the Aravalli
Hills to the southwest and the Yamuna river on whose western banks it stands.
This enabled it to dominate the old trade routes from northwest India to the
plains of the Ganges.
History
Traditionally, Delhi is said to be the site of Indraprastha, capital of the
Pandavas in the Indian epic Mahabharata. A village called Indarpat existed
in Delhi until the beginning of the 19th century.
Excavations have unearthed sherds of the grey painted ware (ca. 1000 BC)
that some archaeologist associate with the age of the Mahabharata, but no
coherent settlement traces have been found. Some locate Indraprastha in the
Purana-Qila area.
The earliest architectural relics stem from the Mauryan Period (ca 300 BC),
since then, the site has seen continuous settlement. In 1966, an inscription
of the Mauryan King Ashoka, 273-236 BC was discovered near Srinivaspuri. The
famous wrought iron pilar of Ashoka now to be seen in Qutb Minar was only
manufactured in the Gupta-Period (AD 400-600) and transplanted to Delhi at
some time in the 10th century. Two sandstone pillars inscribed with the
edicts of Ashoka were only later brought to the city by Firuz Shah Tughluq.
In the Prithvirajaraso, the Rajput Anangpal is named as the founder of
Delhi. He is supposed to have constructed the Lal-Kot and brought the Iron
Pillar to the city. The Rajput period is dated from ca. 900-1200. The name
of Dhilli or Dhillika first appears in an inscription from 1170 from Udaipur.
By 1316, it may have become the capital of Haryana. After 1206, Delhi was
the capital of the Delhi Sultanate (Mamluk dynasty, Khalij dynasty, Tughluq
dynasty, Sayyid dynasty and Lodhi dynasty).
The more recent city is believed to be made up of seven succesive cities,
the remains of some of which can still be seen on the ground.
Qila Rai Pithora built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, near the oldest Rajput
settlement in Lal-Kot
Siri, built by Alauddin Khilji in 1303
Tughluqabad, built by Ghiyazudin Tughluq (1321-1325).
Jahanpanah, built by Muhammad bin Tuqhluq (1325-1351)
Kotla Firoz Shah, built by Firuz Shah Tughluq (1351-1388)
Purana Qila built by Sher Shah Suri and Dinpanah built by Humayun, both in
the same area near the speculated site of the legendary Indra-Prastha
(1538-1545)
Shahjahanabad, built by Shah Jahan from 1638 to 1649, containing the Lal
Qila and the Chandni Chowk.
In the mid-seventeenth century, the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658)
built the city that sometimes bears his name (Shahjahanabad), the seventh
city of Delhi that is more commonly known as the old city or old Delhi. This
city contains a number of significant architectural features; including most
notably the Red Fort or Lal Qila. The old city served as the capital of the
later Mughal empire from 1638 onwards, when Shah Jahan transferred the
capital from Agra. Aurangzeb (1658-1707) crowned himself as emperor in Delhi
in 1658 at the Shalinar garden ('Aizzabad-Bagh), a second coronation took
place in 1659.
Delhi passed under British control in 1857 after the Sepoy mutiny and after
Bahadur Shah Zafar II had been transported to Rangoon and became the Capital
of British India in 1911 (formerly Calcutta). In the large scale rebuilding,
parts of the Old City were pulled down to provide place for New Delhi.
Economy
Delhi is one of the largest markets in the country despite its being smaller
in population than Mumbai. This is primarily because the per capita income
in Delhi is much higher than in other cities. Since the 1990s it has become
the number one destination for all foreign direct investment. Many
multinational companies have set up their Head quarters in Delhi and
adjoining cities - from Pepsico and Gap Inc to zipper giant, YKK. On the
Christmas day of 2002, New Delhi Metro was commenced, running in the urban
area. The metro is proposed to be completed in 2022.
The city is served by Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Educational Institutions
Delhi, being the capital of the country attracts students from all over
India. It has a number of government and private colleges offering quality
education in the fields of science,engineering, medicine, arts, law,
management etc. Some prominent educational institutes are :
UNIVERSITIES
All India Institute of Medical Sciences
Delhi University
Guru Gobind Singh University (also known as Indraprastha University)
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Indira Gandhi National Open University
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India
Jamia Millia Islamia
Jawaharlal Nehru University
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management
SCHOOLS
Kendriya Vidyalaya
St. Xavier's School, Delhi
Army Public School
Famous sites in Delhi
Bahai Temple
Birla Temple
Connaught Place
Deer Park
Gurdwara Bangla Sahib
Humayun's Tomb
India Gate
International Dolls Museum
Jama Masjid
Jantar Mantar
Kalindi Kunj
Lodhi Gardens
Mughal Gardens
National Museum
Nehru Planetarium
Old Fort or the Purana Qila
Qutab Minar
The Qutb MinarRashtrapati Bhawan
Red Fort, or the Lal Qila
Safdarjang's Tomb
Sansad Bhawan or the Parliament House
Tughlaqabad Fort
Chandni Chowk
Famous People from Delhi
Amir Khusro
Mirza Ghalib
Nizamuddin Auliya
Pervez Musharraf
|
|
