Saturday, September 4, 2010

Delhi: City of the Kings




Delhi is the capital of India and its political and cultural center. Located on the banks of the River Yamuna, Delhi has been continuously inhabited since at least the 6th century BCE After the rise of the Delhi Sultanate, Delhi emerged as a major political, cultural and commercial city along the trade routes between northwest India and the Gangetic plain. 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.

After the British East India Company had gained control of much of India during the 18th and 19th centuries, Calcutta became the capital both under Company rule and under the British Raj, until George V announced in 1911 that it was to move back to Delhi. A new capital city, New Delhi, was built to the south of the old city during the 1920s. When India gained independence from British rule in 1947, New Delhi was declared its capital and seat of government. As such, New Delhi houses important offices of the federal government, including the Parliament of India, as well as numerous national museums, monuments, and art galleries.
Owing to the migration of people from across the country, Delhi has grown to be a multicultural, cosmopolitan metropolis. Its rapid development and urbanisation, coupled with the relatively high average income of its population, has transformed Delhi.Today, Delhi is a major cultural, political, and commercial centre of India.

Some old and classic images of Life style of Old Delhi.





P.S: Dateline and Credits of Most of the pictures are unknown.

Jamia Masjid Delhi


A Busy Road, Clock Tower and Tram
Another busy road of Old Delhi

Some fun for kids

A busy Street in Delhi

Delhi, 1958

Indian Parliment




Jantar Mantar, Delhi










Areal View of old Delhi


Delhi Man


Pigeons


Pipe Seller


Delhi Tonga/horse cart


Watching Soccer

Old cross from top of St James Church, Delhi. January 1891 Riddled by mutineers shot in 1856-7 

Kutab minar 1858

Jamia Masjid Delhi 1865

Kashmiri gate, Delhi 1895

The staff of the Delhi Central Post Office, in a photo by Raja Deen Dayal, 1903 (to celebrate the coronation of Edward VII)

tomb of shamuddin 1858



Delhi Tram
Delhi Tram






15 comments:

  1. I am surprised if tram ever existed .. We have no signs of tram lines today.. Replaced by metro :D

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  2. wow shiraz! amazing photos....awesome work buddy....
    its so strange, i travel on the same routes so often...had no clue of their past....:)

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  3. thanks for ur comments arpan and karine

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  4. the old city reflects diversity of cultures and harmony . today's delhi has more fragmentation of social classes than ever. its no way different than Lahore or some other cosmopolitan cities of third world.
    mazhar tirmazi
    london

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  5. بلاگ پر پہلی حاضری قبول کریں
    رنگارنگ بلاگ ہے جی آپ کا
    خاص طور اس پوسٹ میں تصاویر کے ذریعے دہلی کا بہت عمدہ تعارف کروایا ہے آپ نے

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  6. bahut zaberdast Sheraz,meray pasendeeda shehroon main se ek ki itni shandaar jhalak dihai aap ne,thanks again

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  7. There is a word in the images which is rightfully titled "Life"

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  8. kash ki wo hi dilli dobara lot kar aa jaye

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  9. Amazing collection of old Delhi pics..............good for people from our generation

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  10. awesome reallly i like that....old pics bcz when i saw a old pics i feel good

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  11. I love My Delhi... Meri Dilli!!!! No city in this world like Delhi... the "Capital of Capitals"!!!!! The Imperial Capital!!!!!!

    A land destined to rule and be the Master;
    the center of the Indian Subcontinent;
    the city with which the Subcontinent identifies most of its medieval history;
    the land where the Aravalis and monuments stand together to a photographer's and a poet's delight;
    the poetic city of Mirza Ghalib, Zauq and Momin;
    the city where Hindi and Urdu were nurtured together;
    (alongwith Lahore) the heart of northern Subcontinent;
    the Capital city with many historic Capital cities within- some say 7, some say 11, some say 14;
    proud land of Sufi Saints- most belonged or were based here;
    city with many names- Indraprasth, Dhili, Dhillika, Dehli, Dilli, Delhi;
    the ever city-state;
    the historic-cultureless city whose pot-pourri culture has long been dictated by incredible intermixing from all regions across the Subcontinent, but whose history dictated much of the Subcontinent's history;
    the Imperial City of nobody but for everybody- 'nobody belongs to Delhi', it has just welcomed people from everywhere with open arms all through its Imperial history; ..........

    That's my city. I want my pre-1947 Delhi back. Come back all my Muslim brethren. It is here that you belong, your homeland! Delhi has lost its face post-Partition, thanks to its Muslim sons having left it alone for the then new world! Those charms that it attained over 900 years of Islamic Imperialism, and for which it had to let go of its pre-Islamic glories, were all grounded in a matter of few days. With Punjabis replacing Delhi's Muslims, this land has long lost its poetic character. Miss my real Delhi of old times. I need my old Delhi back.... is someone listening? :'(

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  12. share the photographs of old Delhi as well, era before muslims rule, like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:QtubIronPillar.JPG

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  13. shiraz bhai apka blog padha acha laga, is duniya me abhi bhi shayad insaniyat mari nai hai. apke baare me THE HINDU me aaj hi padha. thanks

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