Delhi’s Historical Heritage

chillibreeze writer — Mandrita Guha Das

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The dawn of India’s medieval history witnessed the rise of ‘Dhilli’ or ‘Dhilika’, which in the course of time transformed into the bustling capital of modern India. Delhi is a vibrant and dynamic city, home to people from all over India. It lies beside the sacred Yamuna River and the ridge of the Aravalli Hills, bearing mute testimony to the Muslim, Mughal and European conquerors who have plundered its wealth and rebuilt the city eight times over centuries.

The first reference to this magnificent city is found in the great Indian epic, The Mahabharata, as ‘Indraprastha’. Archaeological evidence takes us down 3000 years of history to unravel its rich heritage. Under the Chauhan rulers, the city flourished in the mid-12th century A.D, as Qila Rai Pithora. India was known to the rest of the world as the land of riches, where pots full of jewels and other treasures were stacked away in the temples and local kingdoms. The greed for greener pastures and loads of treasure attracted the Turko-Afghan rulers, who conquered and looted India and eventually ruled between the early 13th Century to the mid-16th century (Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid and Lodhi dynasties).

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The Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque is probably the most important structure of that era. Other important constructions of the Sultanate period were the Qutb Minar, Hauz Khas, Tughlaqabad and Lodhi Gardens among others. After the downfall of the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals conquered India and took over the reigns of Delhi, resulting in a period of magnanimous expansion and constructions. Akbar the Great is probably the most revered Mughal Emperor, who extended the empire and brought about a plethora of changes in religion and empire building. Shah Jahan and Humayun, both contributed to the fortification of Delhi. The Jama Masjid, Humayun’s Tomb and Red Fort are among the other constructions of this time, which till today stand over the city in stoic silence.



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The 17th century witnessed the coming of the Europeans to India and their establishment of trading centers all over the country. By the mid-18th century, the Mughal Empire had considerably weakened and started to disintegrate. The British established their control over India following the Great Revolt of 1857 and the last Mughal Emperor was captured and sent to a prison in Rangoon, where he eventually died a pauper. In perfect contrast to the medieval architectural grandeur lies the more modern European structures like Lutyen’s India Gate, The Viceroy’s Residence, now Rashtrapati Bhavan, King’s Way, now Raj Path, commercial centers like Connaught Place, which stand pregnant with the history of the struggle for Indian independence from the British Raj. These structures also exhibit a composite mixture of Greco-Roman as well as Indian architecture.

As one travels the length and breadth of the city, one gets the feeling of walking through history. There are gigantic monuments, mosques, partly destroyed tombs, exotic gardens, which were frequented by great emperors and conquerors of Hindustan, who hosted elaborate durbars and extended warm patronage to great Sufi saints and pirs. The quaint ‘galis’ in North Delhi, especially in Chandni Chowk, or pretty avenues of Mehrauli in South Delhi never fail to amaze. From Shahi food to world cuisine; from horse drawn chariots to imported SUVs; from exotic hookah darbars to modern hookah bars; from heart rending Qawwalis to Hindi Rock, the city has experienced it all!

A much more recent peek at Delhi and its metamorphosis reveals all the amenities required for modern urban existence. Glitzy malls, posh South Delhi neighborhoods, plush green parks, extravagant farmhouses, grand roads, ever-increasing flyovers and an inflow of thousands of immigrants. It appears that this rapid urbanization is slowly bulldozing the last remnants of the city’s glorious past. As more and more multinationals make their way into the capital, everyone seems to be caught in a rat race and has no time to stand and admire the marvels of the past, which lie haunted and forgotten.

As the scorching heat makes way for the much-awaited monsoon, parts of the city await their needed restoration. Some work in that direction is underway and hopefully by the next Commonwealth Games, which are to be held in Delhi, the city shall restore much of its old charm. Walking through history shall then be more enriching and refreshing and all the citizens can give themselves a collective pat on their back and proclaim to the world, “Chalo Delhi!”

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Delhi’s Historical Heritage chillibreeze writer — Mandrita Guha Das

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Delhi’s Historical Heritage

chillibreeze writer — Mandrita Guha Das