Delhi

Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India, was commanded to build by the same emperor who commanded to build the Taj Mahal.

Delhi (Hindi: दिल्ली, Urdu: دیلی), officially the National Capital Territory, is a state of India. It contains the city of New Delhi, which is no longer a distinguishable urban area but contains most of the administrative institutions of the national government and is formally considered the capital.

The territory of Delhi covers 1,483 km² and according to the census of March 1, 2001 it had 13,850,507 inhabitants (9,420,644 according to the previous one, from 1991). The average projection of its population for January 2009 (according to the same data) already placed it at around 18,740,000. The city itself went from 7,206,704 in the official count of 1991 to 9,817,439 in 2001. For the beginning of 2009, following the same census series, it is estimated at around 12,500,000. The urban agglomeration, for its part, had 8,419,084 inhabitants in 1991 and 12,791,458 in 2001. The estimate for the beginning of 2009 is 17.75 million. This places it only below Mumbai among the great Indian cities, and makes it the 7th most populous city in the world. The main languages are Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and English.

Etymology

The etymology and languages of the term "Delhi" are uncertain and have several theories. The most widespread is that the term is an eponym of Dhillu or Dilu, a king of the Mauryan Empire, who built the city in 50 B.C. giving it its own name. The Hindi/Pracritus word dhili ("loose") was used by the Tomaras to refer to the city because the iron pillar built by Raja Dhava it had a weak foundation and had to be replaced. Coins in circulation in the region under the Tomaras were called dehliwal. Other historians believe the term is derived from Dilli, a deterioration of dehleez (in Persian, دهليز‎) or dehali (in Sanskrit, देहली)—both terms mean 'threshold' or 'gate'— and symbol of the city as an exit to the Gangetic plain. Another theory suggests that the original name of the city was Dhillika.

History

Delhi's historical significance stems from its strategic location in northern India. Located between the Aravalli Hills and the Yamuna River, its position made it easy for it to control the trade routes that ran from the northwest to the Gangetic plains.

The first reference to the city appears in the Mahabharata. This text places the mythical city of Indraprastha, capital of the Pandavas, in the location of present-day Delhi. According to the Mahabharata, Delhi would be one of the oldest cities in the world, since its history would go back more than 3000 years.

The oldest archaeological finds found in the area are from the period of the Maurian Empire, around 300 BC. c.; since then, the area has always been populated. A total of eight major cities in history have occupied the area of present-day Delhi. The four main cities were located in the southern area of the current city. Remnants of those cities can still be found in the area. In short, the cities that stood there were, successively:

1. Qila Rai Pitora, built by Prithviraj III near the old Lal-Kot settlement.
2. Siri, built by Muhammad Khilji in 1303.
3. Tughluqabad, built between 1321 and 1325.
4. Jahanpanah, built by Muhammad bin Tughluq (1325-1351).
5. Kotla Firoz Shah, built by Firuz Shah Tughluq (1351-1388).
6. Purana Qila, built by Sher Shah Suri, and Dinpanah built by Humayun, both located near the place where the legendary Indraprasha stood.
7. Shahjahanabad, built by Shah Jahan between 1638 and 1649. The city included the Red Fort and was built by passing the capital of the Mogol Empire from Agra to Delhi.

General Cunningham, following Ferishta, the Persian historian, attributes the founding of Delhi to Mana Dilu, the last ruler of the Maurya dynasty, successors of the Gautama of Indraprastha. But the first verifiable information is found in the iron pillar of Mana Dhava, built in the III or IV centuries: a pillar of iron firmly planted to the ground (only half is visible) with an inscription in Sanskrit telling the story of its own origin; deciphered by James Prinsep, it turns out that it commemorated the victory of Mana Dhava with which "he had obtained sovereignty over all the earth." Cunningham dates the inscription to about 319 and thinks that the victory of the mana would be over the Gupta dynasty of Kanauj. Tradition however attributes the pillar to Anang Pal, founder of the Tuar, Tunwar or Tomar dynasty (founded in the 8th century) on the advice of a wise braman; the name Delhi would derive from dhila because the pillar was lost at the bottom (dhila) of the earth; obviously the popular tradition has no foundation and the name Delhi already existed long before.

From the 8th to the 16th century

According to Cunningham however, Delhi had fallen into ruins some centuries ago and in 736 it was restored by Anang Pal who made it his capital although later the capital of the tomar was Kanauj where they were surely expelled in the middle of the century XI by Chandra Deva the first of the rathor rajes and the then ruling tomar king, Anang Pal II, retired in Delhi that it was restored as a capital, and embellished and surrounded by a massive line of fortifications the ruins of which still exist at some point. The date of this restoration was engraved on the old Mana Dhava pillar, 1052 (where it says: "In sambat 1109 -equivalent to 1052-, Anang Pal populated Dilli"). A century later under Anang Pal III, the third to take this name and last of the dynasty, Delhi fell into the hands of Visaldeva or Bisaldeo, mana chauhan of Ajmer; the winner allowed Anang Pal to retain power as a vassal and a marriage was celebrated that linked the two families and from which Prithvi Mana was born, the last Hindu champion of independence, who inherited the kingdoms of tomares and chauhanes. Prithvi strengthened the city's defenses and built the Balsa Pithora fortress and an outer wall encircling the walls of Anang Pal, the ruins of which a good chunk is still visible.

In 703, the Tomara dynasty founded the city of Lal-Kot, near the current Qutab Minar. The city had been conquered by the kings of the Chauhan dynasty in 1180, and renamed Qila Rai Pithora. In 1192, the king of the Chauhan, Prithviraj III, was defeated by the Afghan army of Muhammad Ghori. Starting in 1206, Delhi became the capital of the Delhi Sultanate. Muizz al-Din Muhammad became Gurida sultan in 1203 and left the viceroyalty of India to Àybak. When he died in 1206, Qutb-ud-din Aybak, the first sultan, became independent and founded the first slave or Mamluk dynasty. Àybak built several buildings including the mosque (finished in 1196) and enlarged under his son Shams ad-Din Iltutmish al-Kutbi ibn Yalam Khan (1210 / 1211-1236) the most important king of the lineage. Aybak started the construction of the Qutab Minar to celebrate his victories, but he died before seeing it completed. Another prominent building in Àybak was the Qutb Minar (74 meters high, but sunk in the 1803 earthquake). In this period, the queen (begum) Raziya or Radiyya ruled, who received from her subjects the male title of sultan and was the first and only woman to rule the soldierate (1235-1240).

The second slave dynasty or Khalji dynasty began with Djalal al-Din Firuz Shah Khalji (1290-1296) and reached its peak with his nephew Ala al-Din Muhammad Shah I Khalji (1296-1316); he had a splendid minaret built (1311) which he did not finish. He twice repulsed the Mongol armies coming from Central Asia. The dynasty ended in anarchy and the usurpation of Nasr al-Din Khusraw Khan Barwari (1320) which gave rise to the Tughluq dynasty begun with Ghiyath al-Din Tughluk Shah I (1320-1325). He founded a new capital, Tughlakabad, about 7 km to the east, where the remains still exist, and which failed to prosper; his son Muhammad Shah II Tughluk (1325-1351) decided in 1338 to move the capital to Deogiri (Devagiri), which he changed its name to Daulatabad, and had the entire population of Delhi moved, and although the city prospered over time, the water problem made it difficult to serve as a major capital, and it eventually fell into the hands of the rebellious Turkish amirs who founded the Bahmanid dynasty. Firuz Shah Tughluk (1351-1388) had his capital in Delhi but founded a new capital next to the city which he named Firozabad; near the palace ruins and there is one of the famous pillars erected by Asoka in the III century, a 13-meter monolith known as Firuz Shah Lat (Firuz Shah Pillar) with a notable Pali inscription.

In 1398 in the reign of Nasir al-Din Mahmud Shah III Tughluk (1395-1399) the conqueror Tamerlane arrived in Delhi; the king fled to Gujarat, and the army was defeated before the city walls. Tamerlane entered Delhi which was looted for five days and littered with corpses. When the Timurids left they took numerous slaves, men and women. For two months there was no government in Delhi until Mahmud Shah III Tughluk was able to recapture some areas of his former domain. After years of anarchy, the sultan died in 1412 and after Dawlat Khan Lodi (1413-1414) the Sayyids came to power in Delhi, ruling the city and a principality in nearby territory until 1452. The Lodi settled in Agria but finally in 1452 Bahlul Shah Lodi (1452-1489) settled again in the city. In 1526, Emperor Babur founded the Mughal dynasty, which ruled India from Delhi to Agra or Lahore.

From the 16th to the 19th century

The Gate of India, in memory of the fallen in the First World War.

In the middle of the 16th century there was a break in the rule of the Mughals, when Sher Shah Suri defeated Humayun, who was forced to flee to Afghanistan and Persia. Sher Shah Suri built the sixth city and the old fort, known as Purana Qila. After the death of Sher Shah Suri, Humayun resumed power. The third Mughal emperor Akbar moved the capital of the empire to Agra, which led to a progressive decline of the city of Delhi.

In the mid-17th century XVII, Emperor Shah Jahan built the seventh city of Shahjahanabad, corresponding to to what we now know as “Old Delhi”. The city contained an important number of monuments such as the Red Fort (Lal Qila) and the mosque known as the Jama Masjid. The old city served as the capital of the late Mughal empire, from 1638 onwards, when Aurangzeb crowned himself emperor in Delhi's Shalimar Garden in 1658.

Delhi came under British control after the first Indian War of Independence; the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah II, went into exile in Yangon and the Mughal territories were annexed as a province to British India. Again Delhi ceased to be the capital, since the British gave that status to Calcutta. Parts of the old city were demolished to create New Delhi, a monumental neighborhood designed by architect Edwin Lutyens to house government buildings. The Indore Holkar Maratha attacked Delhi in 1804 without success, as Colonel (later Sir) David Ochterlony, the first British resident, held out for 8 days until Lord Lake came to his aid. The territory was administered by the British on behalf of the emperor who in fact only had jurisdiction over the palace. For half a century no major event happened in Delhi. In 1850 the municipality was created.

In 1857 the sipais rebellion broke out. The revolt began in Meerut on 10 May but by 11 the mutineers had crossed the Yumna and were before Delhi. The commander of the guard, the commissioner and the collector withdrew with theirs towards the gate called Lahore where they were annihilated by the rebels. The population turned against the European residents and they were killed and their property looted. At 8 in the morning the rebels controlled the entire city except the guardhouse and the warehouses; The news of these events reached the military quarter that was a few kilometers from the city; but of the three infantry and one artillery regiments, the 54th Infantry soon sided with the mutiny and eventually cut off some European officers; the other two regiments and the artillery regiment remained in readiness all day and were joined by those who could escape from the city; the town store with all the ammunition, was defended by Lieutenant Willoughby with 8 other Europeans and when the defense was impossible they blew it up and five defenders were killed in the explosion while two were able to reach the guard barracks and two others were able to flee towards Meerut road. All day the arrival of British troops from Meerut was expected but they did not show up and the next day the native military joined the rebels and massacred their officers and relatives. By night there was no longer any remnant of British authority. 50 European refugees to the palace in Delhi ended up massacred at the head of 60 days. The restoration of the sovereignty of the Mughal Empire was decreed.

On June 8, 1857, British forces surrendered the Battle of Badli-ka-Sarai, pushing back the mutineers camped on the outskirts of the town. The siege lasted three months and on September 8 the artillery began to fire and the assault was prepared. On the 14th the British forces advanced towards the gates and were occupying positions after hard fighting. On the 20th the palace and part of the city were evacuated by the mutineers and Delhi returned virtually to the hands of the British. The emperor and his family took refuge in the tomb of Emperor Humayun and surrendered on the 21st. Tried militarily, he was found guilty of rebellion but in accordance with the terms of the surrender he was only sentenced to perpetual banishment (he died in Rangoon on October 7). of 1762). The captured rebels were executed, as well as many civilians. In the Kucha Chela district alone, some 1,400 civilians were shot. Those who survived were taken to the camp and left to fend for themselves. Delhi was under military occupation and due to the murder of British soldiers and officers it was necessary to evacuate the population until the position was secured and the Hindus could return but the Muslims had to remain outside until the civil administration was restored on January 11, 1858. The city was cleaned up and after a few months almost nothing remembered the incidents. On January 1, 1877, it was the scene of the imperial proclamation of the Queen of England as Empress of India.

Climate

Delhi has a subtropical, semi-arid climate, with large temperature variations between summer and winter. The long and very harsh summer runs from the beginning of April to October. During this period the rainy season occurs. The extreme temperatures registered in the city can reach -2 °C in winter and up to 47 °C in summer. In this season the maximum almost always exceeds 40 °C.

The amount of annual rainfall is about 67 cm. Rainfall occurs in the months of July and August during the monsoon. Traditionally, the monsoon is supposed to arrive in Delhi every year on the 21st of June.

June and July are the rainiest months, October and November the least rainy.

Delhi is experiencing its highest temperatures for a month of June 2019, with temperatures exceeding 48 degrees.

Delhi average climate parameters
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Temp. max. abs. (°C)	30.0	34.1	40.6	45.6	47.2	46.7	45.0	42.0	40.6	39.4	36.1	29.3	47.2
Average temperature (°C)	21.0	23.5	29.2	36.0	39.2	38.8	34.7	33.6	34.2	33.0	28.3	22.9	31.2
Temp. medium (°C)	7.6	10.1	15.3	21.6	25.9	27.8	26.8	26.3	24.7	19.6	13.2	8.5	19.0
Temp. min. abs. (°C)	-0.6	1.6	4.4	10.7	15.2	18.9	20.3	20.7	17.3	9.4	3.9	-6.7	-6.7
Total precipitation (mm)	18	23	26	23	25	77	187	154	117	5	7	13	675
Source: 9 August 2003

Environment

The territory of Delhi is the most polluted in the world, according to a 2020 report by the organization IQAir, due to its factories, road traffic and agricultural bonfires that are lit every winter.

Economy

In parallel with the remarkable takeoff of the Indian economy, with a domestic product of 830.850 million Indian rupees, in the fiscal year 2004-2005 (about 14.5 billion euros), Delhi occupies a leading position in South Asian trade. The average income of its inhabitants is 53,976 rupees, one and a half times higher than the national one. According to data from 2001, the tertiary sector contributes 70.95% of the domestic product, the secondary 25.20% and the primary 3.85%. 32.82% of the working population of Delhi are salaried, which would mean an increase of 52.52% between 1991 and 2001. The unemployment rate in Delhi fell from 12.27% in 2000 to 4.63% in 2003 The number of employees in the public and semi-public sectors was 620,000 in 2001.

The service sector is experiencing exponential growth, due to the large number of qualified English speakers, which attracts many multinationals from information technology, telecommunications, hotels, banks, tourism, etc.

Delhi's industry is also growing: numerous companies manufacturing consumer goods have established production units or even their headquarters in Delhi. The size of Delhi's consumer market, coupled with the ease with which qualified personnel can be found, is attracting more and more foreign investors. In 2001, the industry sector employed 1.44 million people, spread over 129,000 factories. Construction, energy, telecommunications, healthcare, services and real estate are the most dynamic sectors of the Delhi economy. Retail trade is one of the fastest growing sectors in India.

Government and politics

Supreme Court, highest judicial instance in the country

Formerly known as a special territorial union, the National Capital Territory of Delhi has a legislature, lieutenant governor, cabinet and prime minister. The seats in the legislative assembly are filled by direct election of the territorial constituencies. However, the government of India and the government of New Delhi jointly administer New Delhi, the capital of Delhi.

Services like transport and others are taken care of by the Delhi government, services like the police are under direct control of the Central Government. The Legislative Assembly was re-established in 1993 for the first time since 1956; in the intermediate period he was in direct charge of the federal government. In addition, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is in charge of the civil administration of the city as part of the Panchayati Raj Act. New Delhi, an urban area of Delhi, is the seat of both the Government of the State of Delhi and the Government of India. The Parliament of India, the Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace), Cabinet Secretariat and the Supreme Court of India are located in New Delhi. There are 70 constituencies and seven Lok Sabha (lower house of the Indian Parliament) constituencies in Delhi.

Delhi was a traditional stronghold of the Indian National Congress, also known as the Congress Party. In the 1990s, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power under the leadership of Madan Lal Khurana, but in 1998, the Congress regained power under Sheila Dikshit, the incumbent prime minister.

Demographics

Many ethnic and cultural groups are represented in Delhi, which makes it a cosmopolitan city. Seat of political power and center of commerce, the city attracts workers from all regions of India, thus increasing diversity. Being a diplomatic hub, represented with embassies from 160 countries, Delhi also has a large expatriate population.

According to the latest census dating from 2001, the population of Delhi was 13,782,976. The corresponding population density was 9,294 persons per km², with a sex ratio of 821 females to 1,000 males, and a rate of literacy of 81.8%. In 2003, the population of the national territory of Delhi was considered to be 14.1 million people, claiming it as the second largest metropolitan area in India after Mumbai. This figure included the 295,000 people living in New Delhi and the 125,000 in nearby Delhi. In 2004, the population considered had increased to 15,279,000. The same year, the birth, death, and infant mortality rates were respectively 20.0, 5.6, and 13.1 per 1,000 inhabitants. According to a 1999-2000 study, the number of people living below the poverty line in Delhi was 1,149,000 (ie 8.23% of the total population). In 2001, Delhi's population had increased by 275,000 based on migration in addition to the 215,000 increase due to normal population growth. The high rate of the number of emigrants makes Delhi's growth rate one of the fastest in the world. It was predicted that in 2015, it would be the third largest agglomeration in the world after Tokyo and Mumbai.

Hinduism is the religion of 82% of the population of Delhi. There are equally large communities of Muslims (11.7%), Sikhs (4.0%), Jains (1.1%) and Christians (0.9%) in the city, as well as other minorities including Buddhists and Muslims. Jews. Hindi is the main language of the city. The other languages currently spoken in the city are Punjabi, Urdu and English. English is one of the two official languages with Hindi, and Panjabi and Urdu are secondary official languages. Language groups from across India are heavily represented in the city; Among them we can note Maithili, Tamil, Kanara, Telugu, Bengali and Marathi. The Panjabis, Gujars and Jats are the three largest ethnic communities in the city.

In 2005, Delhi has obtained the highest percentage (16.2%) of crimes among the 35 cities in India of which the population exceeds one million inhabitants. The city also has the highest rates in the country for violence against women (27.6 compared to the national median rate of 14.1 per 100,000) and against children (6.5 compared to the national median of 1.4 for 100,000).

Transportation

Road

The city of Delhi has bus service, both municipal and private. It has one of the best bus systems in the country. The traffic in private vehicles is quite conflictive, as Delhi is the city with the largest number of vehicles per inhabitant throughout India.

Train

Delhi was designed to have a great rail connectivity. There are numerous stations, which communicate the main points of the city and the suburbs.

Airport

For international flights the city has Indira Gandhi International Airport, located in the southwest of the city. For national flights it has the Delhi national airport.

Public transportation

The growth of the private car has led to the shrinking of Delhi's bus network, which has shrunk by about 100 routes between 2009 and 2021. The state-owned Delhi Transport Corporation's fleet has shrunk by almost 50% in ten years. However, there is a direct relationship between the low investment in public transport and the worsening of air pollution in the capital, according to air pollution experts.

Delhi Sights

Qutab Minarete is the highest in the world.

• The Red Fort
• The Gate of India
• The Temple of Gurdwara Bangla Sahib
• The Tomb of Humayun
• The Jama Masjid Mosque
• Qutb complex including Qutab Minar