The Chronicles of Delhi

THE

CHRONICLES

DELHI

A TALE OF ITS NINE CITIES

SHEETAL BHALLA NEETA MOUDGIL MANJIT OBERAI

FOREWORD

THIS IS THE STORY OF DELHI. VIGOROUSLY VIBRANT, BOISTEROUSLY BUSTLING, COMPLETELY CHAOTIC, INCREDIBLY INDISCIPLINED, GENEROUSLY GIVING, STRONG SPIRITED, EVER EVOLVING, DAZZLING, DYNAMIC, DEFIANT DELHI!

ACCORDING TO A FAMOUS SUFI POET, MIRZA GHALIB, “THE WORLD IS THE BODY, AND DELHI ITS SOUL.”

JUST LIKE A SOUL, DELHI IS HARD TO DESCRIBE.

MAYBE THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING ITS PRESENT LIES IN FIRST UNLOCKING ITS PAST.

THIS STORY WILL TAKE YOU ON A JOURNEY INTO DELHI’S PAST, ITS HISTORY AND HERITAGE; AND TELL YOU THE TALES OF THE CONQUERORS WHO COVETED, THE PRINCES THAT PLOTTED, THE SULTANS WHO SLAYED, THE DYNASTIES THAT DEFEATED AND THE REGIMES THAT RULED.

LET’S LEARN ABOUT THE DELHI THAT ‘WAS’, SO THAT WE CAN APPRECIATE THE DELHI THAT ‘IS’.

MANJIT, NEETA, SHEETAL

A MOSAIC OF BITS FROM THE PAST, A MELTING POT OF MANY CULTURES, A CITY OF MANY OPPOSITES AND IN BETWEENS, A CITY THAT DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE, A CITY WITH A MAD-CAP FAÇADE AND A MINDFUL SOUL!

THIS AWESOME CAPITAL CITY OF INDIA IS MORE THAN 3000 YEARS OLD!

ITS HISTORY AND TRADITIONS BEAR WITNESS TO THE UNION OF INNUMERABLE RACES AND CULTURES THAT HAVE INHABITED IT.

RUMOUR HAS IT THAT THE ANOTHER ONE CLAIMS CITY GOT ITS NAME AFTER THAT IT WAS A ‘DHILLI SOME RAJA DHILU WHO KILLI’ (LOOSE IRON REIGNED OVER THIS PILLAR) THAT IT WAS REGION IN THE FIRST NAMED AFTER. CENTURY BC. SUCH BLATANT SERIOUSLY!! PLAGIARISM, I NAMING AN

SAY!! ENTIRE CITY DHILU……DHILLI AFTER ME!! !!

DELHI HAS BEEN AN OBVIOUS CHOICE FOR AMBITIOUS RULERS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR ITS STRATEGIC CENTRAL LOCATION. A TRIANGULAR AREA BOUND BY THE HILLS OF THE ARAVALI RANGE ON TWO SIDES AND THE YAMUNA RIVER ON THE THIRD, IT HAS ALWAYS PROVIDED NATURAL SUSTENANCE AND PROTECTION.

TIMES, AT AT TIMES,

GHLAQABAD, GHLAQABAD,

BETWEEN

TALES OF VALOUR. OF TALES

SEVERAL

GDOMS, ROSE AND FELL FELL AND ROSE GDOMS,

SIRI, TU SIRI,

‘MAHABHARATA’ WHICH WHICH ‘MAHABHARATA’

FIROZABAD, DINPANAH/ DINPANAH/ FIROZABAD,

EMPIRES AND POWERFUL POWERFUL AND EMPIRES

MORE LIKE HASTINAPUR, HASTINAPUR, LIKE MORE

RAI PITHORA, MEHRAULI, MEHRAULI, RAIPITHORA,

MENTIONS A CITY CALLED CALLED CITY A MENTIONS

A SUCCESSION OF MIGHTY OFMIGHTY SUCCESSION A

INDRAPRASTHA, THIS WAS WAS THIS INDRAPRASTHA,

KIN

DIFFERENT SITES, ECHOING ECHOING SITES, DIFFERENT

THE EARLIEST REFERENCE OF OF REFERENCE EARLIEST THE

DELHI IS FOUND IN THE EPIC EPIC THE IN FOUND IS DELHI

FOLLOWED BY LALKOT/QUILA LALKOT/QUILA BY FOLLOWED

SHERGARH, SHAHJAHANABAD SHAHJAHANABAD SHERGARH,

JAHANPANAH, SALIMGARH IN IN SALIMGARH JAHANPANAH, AND NEW DELHI, WITH A FEW FEW A WITH DELHI, NEW AND

ITS

DELHI DELHI

TIME.

CAME, SAW, SAW, CAME,

CONQUERED, CONQUERED,

DISAPPEARED, DISAPPEARED,

DECLINED AND AND DECLINED

HISTORY

HAS SEEN MANY MANY SEEN HAS

A NEW ONE EACH EACH ONE NEW A

DYNASTIES THAT DYNASTIES FOR WAY MAKING THROUGHOUT THROUGHOUT

INDRAPRASTHA, OF THE MAHABHARAT, WAS THE VERY FIRST CITY OF DELHI.

IT WAS BUILT BY THE PANDAVAS, WHEN KING DRITHRASHTRA ASKED THEM TO MOVE FROM

HASTINAPUR.

THE PANDAVA BROTHERS DUTIFULLY OBLIGED, MOVING BAG AND BAGGAGE TO KHANDAVPRASTHA.

THEY BUILT THEMSELVES A MAGNIFICENT KINGDOM AT KHANDAVPRASTHA AND CALLED IT INDRAPRASTHA. AT INDRAPRASTHA, THEY ALSO

INDRAPRASTHA BUILT THEMSELVES A BEAUTIFUL PALACE.

THE PALACE THEY BUILT WAS A PALACE OF ILLUSIONS WITH POOLS OF WATER THAT LOOKED LIKE FLOORS AND FLOORS THAT LOOKED LIKE POOLS OF WATER. DOODLE HERE

ON A TOUR OF THE PALACE, THEN, THEY HAD A HOUSE POOR DURYODHANA FELL WARMING PARTY OF SORTS INTO A POOL OF WATER AND INVITED AMONGST MISTAKING IT FOR SOLID OTHERS, THEIR COUSIN GROUND. DURYODHANA.

DRAUPADI, THE WIFE OF THE PANDAVAS, MOCKED DURYODHANA AND THIS ENRAGED HIM. HE VOWED TO AVENGE HIMSELF. EVENTUALLY, THIS NEED FOR VENGEANCE LED TO THE MAHABHARATA‼

THE TOMAR DYNASTY MOVED FROM SURAJKUND TO ESTABLISH LALKOT IN 736 AD. LAL KOT HAD A FORT SURROUNDED BY A MOAT AND WAS A FLOURISHING, GRAND CITY. THIS IS THE FIRST CITY OF DELHI OF WHICH WE HAVE ANY HISTORICAL RECORDS. ANANGPAL II, ONE OF THE TOMAR KINGS, HAD AN IRON PILLAR SHIFTED FROM AN UNKNOWN LOCATION TO LAL KOT.

A HOLY MAN TOLD ANANGPAL II THAT THE IRON PILLAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN SO DEEP THAT IT HAD PIERCED THE HEAD OF VASUKI, THE SERPEANT WHO SUPPORTS THE EARTH FROM BELOW, AND THAT AS LONG AS THE PILLAR REMAINED FIRM, SO WOULD ANANGPAL’S RULE.

WANTING TO CHECK THIS STORY OUT FOR HIMSELF, ANANGPAL HAD THE IRON PILLAR UPROOTED, AND LO AND BEHOLD, HE FOUND SPLASHES OF BLOOD AT THE BASE OF THE PILLAR. OUCH! . HE TRIED HIS BEST TO HAVE THE PILLAR PUT BACK, BUT THE PILLAR REMAINED LOOSE, AND JUST LIKE THE HOLY MAN PREDICTED, ANANGPAL’S RULE BECAME UNSTABLE TOO.

LALKOT / QUILA RAI PITHORA RAI QUILA / LALKOT

PRITHVIRAJ CHAUHAN WAS THE GRANDSON OF ANANGPAL III. HE EXCELLED AS A STUDENT AND WAS AN ACE AT THE SHABD- BHEDI-BAAN VIDYA (HITTING A TARGET BLIND-FOLDED JUST BY HEARING THE SOUND)!!

PRITHIVIRAJ EXPANDED LAL SEEING WHAT A BRIGHT BOY KOT TO FOUR TIMES ITS PRITHVIRAJ WAS, ORIGINAL SIZE AND CALLED ANANGPAL-III APPOINTED IT QUILA RAI PITHORA. HIM HEIR.

PRITHVIRAJ CHAUHAN WAS THE LAST INDEPENDENT HINDU KING TO RULE DELHI.

MOHAMMAD GHAURI OF AFGHANISTAN, SLYLY DEFEATED AND BLINDED THE BRAVE PRITHVIRAJ IN 1192 AD.

ACCORDING TO A LEGEND, DESPITE BEING BLINDED, BRAVE PRITHVIRAJ KILLED GHAURI WITH THE USE OF HIS SHABD-BHEDI- BAAN VIDYA.

ELEPHANT LOGIC

HERE’S A QUESTION FROM PRITHVIRAJ’S EXAM ON LOGIC. LET’S SEE IF YOU CAN SOLVE IT AS WELL AS PRITHVIRAJ COULD.

HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO, SAILING ON THE MIGHTY YAMUNA, THE KING OF DELHI, STOPPED AT A VILLAGE, WHERE HE WAS GIFTED A HANDSOME AND STRONG ELEPHANT.

THE KING WANTED TO KNOW HOW MUCH THE ELEPHANT WEIGHED AND CONSULTED WITH THE RETAINERS.

HOWEVER, THEY ONLY HAD SCALES WHICH COULD WEIGH SMALLER ITEMS, NOTHING AS HEAVY AS AN ELEPHANT.

A VILLAGER SUGGESTED A SIMPLE METHOD TO WEIGH THE MIGHTY BEAST, USING THE BOAT.

WHAT WAS THE METHOD?

THE MAMLUK DYNASTY ROSE TO POWER AFTER MOHAMMAD GHAURI DEFEATED PRITHVIRAJ CHAUHAN IN 1192 AD.

GHAURI LEFT HIS SLAVE, QUTUBUDDIN AIBAK

INCHARGE OF MEHRAULI.

AIBAK, A SMART FELLOW, MUST HAVE BEEN AN ENVIRONMENTALIST AT HEART. HE REUSED THE MATERIALS FROM HINDU AND JAIN TEMPLES TO BUILD THE QUTUB MINAR AS WELL AS THE QUWAT- UL-ISLAM MOSQUE.

QUTUBUDDIN AIBAK

FLIP THE COIN CHALLENGE MEHRAULI

CAN YOU FLIP THE TRIANGLE UPSIDE DOWN BY MOVING ONLY THREE COINS?

FOR THE NEXT SIX AND A HALF CENTURIES, INDIA EXPERIENCED THE IMPACT OF MUSLIM CULTURE.

AIBAK’S HEIRS RULED TILL 1290. HIS GRAND-DAUGHTER RAZIA, WHO RULED FOR A MERE THREE YEARS, IS A HISTORIC FIGURE AS THE FIRST WOMAN EMPRESS OF INDIA.

TO THIS TO

RECYCLE THESE

ALAUDDIN KHILJI, THE SECOND RULER OF THE TURKISH KHILJI DYNASTY, RULED FROM 1296 AD TO 1316 AD. HE SEIZED POWER FROM HIS UNCLE BY MURDERING

HIM.

HE BUILT THE SIRI FORT TO PROTECT AGAINST THE MONGOL INVASIONS. IT IS SAID THAT SIRI WAS BUILT ON THE SEVERED HEADS OF 8000 MONGOLS!!

WORD SEARCH: ALAUDDIN, JALALUDDIN, TURKIC, MONGOL, SIRI, MILITARY, STRATEGIST, CRUEL, BARBARIAN, HAZARSUTAN, HAUZKHAS, JAMAITKHANA

N N I N F X H M S A F H N SIRI E O H I U I S M A C A T G T H D D E T K H J C E S A J A I D M U E P A H T I H A Z H U C R U E L R B T A S A N A H K T I A M A J U X R R L N I E T L I R R Z F S Y A T C E E U L B L K K U M O N G O L D I A N H N T C Y I C I E D T R R A T A N S M R M S I A I N S O N T Y I G K G N R A E R G F N S G W S L G Y N S V

ALAUDDIN KHILJI WAS A BRILLIANT STRATEGIST AND AN OUTSTANDING MILITARY COMMANDER. HE RULED WITH MILITARY MIGHT FOR 20 YEARS AND WAS CONSIDERED THE “FIRST REAL EMPEROR OF INDIA”.

HE WAS A HE ALSO HAD GRANDIOSE A BUILDER, REPUTATION FOR CRUELTY, AND TRAMPLING CARRIED ENEMIES OUT MANY UNDER THE REFORMS TO FEET OF BENEFIT ELEPHANTS, THE RAZING

COMMON TEMPLES ETC. MAN.

ALAUDDIN DIED IN 1316 AND THE VOID CREATED BY HIS DEATH LED TO A SERIES OF GRUESOME EPISODES IN WHICH ALAUDDIN’S DESCENDANTS MET THEIR END.

GHIYASUDDIN TUGHLAQ DEFEATED KHUSRAU SHAH, THE LAST OF THE KHILJIS AND TOOK CHARGE

OF THE

THRONE OF DELHI.

GHIYASUDDIN TUGHLAQ HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A JUST AND COMPETENT RULER ANDWITHIN FOUR YEARS OF HIS RULE HE EXTENDED THE BOUNDARIES OF DELHI UP TO MADURAI IN THE SOUTH.

IT WAS HIS DREAM TO BUILD A CITY BIGGER THAN SIRI.

HORSING AROUND

IF A HORSE HAD TO RUN 400 KMS TO CROSS GHIYASUDDIN’S KINGDOM, HOW MANY

KILOMETERS DID A HORSE HAVE TO RUN IF TUGHLAQABAD PREVIOUSLY THE KINGDOM WAS ONE HALF OF ONE QUARTER OF ONE TENTH OF 400 KMS?

AT THE TIME TUGHLAQABAD WAS BEING BUILT, GHIYASUDDIN GOT INTO A BIT OF A SCRAP WITH SAINT NIZAMUDDIN AULIYA OVER THE LABOUR. THE LABOUR THAT WAS BUILDING THE FORT WAS ALSO BUILDING A BAOLI FOR AULIYA, AT NIGHT, BY THE LIGHT OF THE CHIRAGS.

JUST SO HIS FORT WOULD BE COMPLETED ON TIME, GHIYASUDDIN FORBADE THE AULIYA CURSED SALE OF OIL NECESSARY FOR GHIYASUDDIN AND HIS FORT. THE CHIRAGS.

SURE ENOUGH, GHIYASUDDIN DIED DIEDSHORTLY, UNDER UNDER VERY VERY …AND TILL TODAY, MYSTERIOUS TUGHLAQABAD IS OCCUPIED CIRCUMSTANCES…CIRCUMSTANCES ONLY BY MONKEYS.

NEXT CAME MOHAMMAD BIN TUGHLAQ, GHIYASUDDIN’S SON…

DOODLE HERE

HE HAD THE ‘NOT-SO- BRIGHT’ IDEA TO SHIFT HIS CAPITAL DOWN SOUTH.

THAT MOVE DOWN SOUTH, HOWEVER, DID NOT QUITE WORK OUT THE WAY HE PLANNED, SO HE SHIFTED RIGHT BACK TO DELHI AND BUILT ANOTHER CAPITAL CALLED JAHANPANAH.

CRAZY GUYS THOSE SULTANS WERE‼

FIROZ SHAH TUGHLAQ, A VERY LEARNED AND RELIGIOUS MAN, HE ESTABLISHED WONDER FIROZABADWHY THEY IN 1351. CALL ME A BOOK WORM?

FIROZ SHAH TUGHLAQ WAS A VERY LEARNED AND RELIGIOUS MAN. HE ESTABLISHED FIROZABAD IN 1351. WONDER WHY THEY

CALL ME A BOOK WORM?

HE INHERITED THE THRONE FROM HIS COUSIN MOHAMMAD BIN TUGHLAQ.

HE WAS NOT TOO KEEN TO BE KING AND HAD THE THRONE THRUST UPON HIM.

HE WAS A BIT OF A DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE THOUGH. WHERE ON ONE HAND, HE DID A LOT FOR THE BENEFIT OF HIS PEOPLE; ON THE OTHER, HE WAS ORTHODOX, MEAN AND CRUEL.

FIROZABAD

DOODLE HERE

THE EMPLOYMENT BUREAU YOU’VE SET UP FOUND A JOB WHAT ABOUT THE FOR MY SON‼ CANALS, HOSPITAL, SARAIS, ROADS AND LIBRARY HE BUILT? ALL THE TAXES HE LOWERED HAVE EASED OUR BURDENS! THANKS FOR HELPING ME WITH MY DAUGHTER’S MARRIAGE!

WHEN HE WAS BEING GOOD, FIROZ SHAH UNDERTOOK A LOT OF PROJECTS FOR THE UPLIFTMENT OF HIS PEOPLE AND HE WAS MUCH LOVED BY THEM.

HOWEVER, WHEN HE WAS BEING BAD, HE WAS INTOLERABLE. HE WAS NOT A VERY ABLE STRATEGIST MILITARILY. HE REIMPOSED A TAX ON ALL NON-MUSLIMS CALLED JIZYA AND DID NOT ALLOW WOMEN TO GO TO MARKETS OR SHRINES.

SO WHAT IF I AM NOT SO ACCOMPLISHED MILITARILY? I BET MY SUBJECTS STILL LOVE ME!

GOD! THESE TAXES JUST FOR BEING A NON-MUSLIM ARE KILLING ME!

HEARTLESS ISN’T HE? HOW CAN HE STOP A WOMAN FROM SHOPPING??

HE WAS UNNECESSARILY MEAN HE EVEN AND CRUEL AND IMPOSED ROBBED MAJOR PUNISHMENTS FOR TWO MINOR CRIMES. HINDU

TEMPLES! PHEW‼ THE BOX OF OFFERINGS IS SAZAI MAUT??‼ HEAVY! THE HEAVY PRICE TO ROYAL PAY FOR NICKING A TREASURER WILL JALEBI… BE PLEASED.

WHERE SHOULD I PRAY??

THE CONSTRUCTION OF TEMPLES WAS ABSOLUTELY BANNED IN HIS KINGDOM.

THERE WAS A LOT OF POLITICAL INSTABILITY AND INFIGHTING AFTER HIS FIROZ SHAH DIED IN 1388. DEATH.

SO FOOLISH OF THEM TO FIGHT AMONGST THEMSELVES AND NOT GUARD AGAINST INVADERS!

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS STRIFE, TIMURLANE INVADED DELHI. TIMUR’S MEN PLUNDERED AND DESTROYED DELHI BEFORE RETURNING TO SMARKAND.

NEXT CAME THE SAYYIDS (1414 – 1451), FOLLOWED BY THE LODHIS (1451-1526). THE POOR GUYS WERE TOO BROKE TO BUILD THEMSELVES MAGNIFICENT CITIES, AND SPENT THEIR TIME TRYING TO RESTORE PEACE AND STABILITY. IBRAHIM LODHI WAS ONE OF THE LAST LODHI RULERS. HE WAS ENGAGED IN WARFARE WITH THE AFGHANS AND THE MUGHALS FOR MOST OF HIS REIGN.

BABUR DEFEATED IBRAHIM LODHI IN 1526, IN THE BATTLE OF PANIPAT. BABUR WON DESPITE THE FACT THAT IBRAHIM LODHI HAD A LARGER ARMY, BECAUSE BABUR HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF CANONS AND ARTILLERY.

BABUR WAS A DESCENDANT OF TIMURLANE CHENGHIS KHAN TIMUR LANE AND CHENGHIS KHAN. PATERNAL MATERNAL HE THEREFORE FELT THAT DELHI WAS LEGITIMATELY HIS AS IT HAD BEEN PART OF TIMUR’S DOMAIN. BABUR BABUR’S SON - HUMAYUN STARTED

TO BUILD A NEW CITY IN DELHI - HUMAYUN DINPANAH (ASYLUM OF FAITH) TO BE HOME TO ALL ISLAMIC FAITHS.

SHERSHAH SURI, ALSO KNOWN AS THE LION KING, DEFEATED HUMAYUN IN 1540 AND TOOK CHARGE OF THE CITY THAT HUMAYUN HAD

BEEN BUILDING.

SHERGARH

HE SIMPLY RENAMED SHERSHAH WAS THE DINPANAH AND ONLY RULER THAT CALLED IT MADE THE MUGHALS SHERGARH. QUAKE IN THEIR SHOES.

IT IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER SHERSHAH COMPLETED OR REBUILT DINPANAH.

INSIDE THE WALLS OF THE CITY, THERE WAS THE BEAUTIFUL QUILA- E-KOHNA MASJID, A BAOLI, AS WELL AS THE

SHER MANDAL (CLEARLY SHERGARH NEITHER A RELIGIOUS, NOR A MILITARY BUILDING).

S S K T O I U L N D D G E I N E T R A VERY GOOD STUDENT, SHERSHAH ROSE FROM THE RANKS ON THE MERIT OF HIS OWN HARD WORK.

R E F O R M S

SHERSHAH WAS A VERY FAR HE WAS ALSO A VERY ABLE SIGHTED AND WELL ADMINISTRATOR AND ORGANISED RULER. INTRODUCED SEVERAL HOWEVER, HE DIED OF A REFORMS. AKBAR FOLLOWED SUDDEN GUN POWDER HIS EFFICIENT STYLE OF EXPLOSION IN 1545, JUST ADMINISTRATION AS A FIVE SHORT YEARS AFTER HE MODEL. TOOK CHARGE.

KABOOM MIND BENDER IN FRONT OF YOU ARE SEVERAL LONG FUSES. YOU KNOW THEY BURN FOR EXACTLY ONE HOUR AFTER YOU LIGHT THEM AT ONE END. THE ENTIRE FUSE DOES NOT NECESSARILY BURN AT A CONSTANT SPEED. FOR EXAMPLE, IT MIGHT TAKE FIVE MINUTES TO BURN THROUGH HALF THE FUSE AND FIFTY-FIVE MINUTES TO BURN THE OTHER HALF.

WITH YOUR LIGHTER AND USING THESE FUSES, HOW CAN YOU MEASURE EXACTLY THREE- QUARTERS OF AN HOUR OF TIME?

AFTER THE DEATH OF HIS SHAHJAHAN BELOVED WIFE MUMTAZ WAS THE MAHAL, HE DECIDED TO DESCENDANT SHIFT HIS CAPITAL FROM OF AGRA TO DELHI.

AT DELHI, HE BUILT HIMSELF A BEAUTIFUL CAPITAL, AND CALLED IT…

LAND DILEMMA

THE EMPEOR ONE HALF OFFERS YOU ONE OF A A PIECE OF QUARTER QUARTER LAND. OF A HALF

WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE??

SHAHJAHANABAD

IT TOOK HIM NINE YEARS TO BUILD THE CITY WHICH BURST INTO LIFE IN 1648.

THE CITY CONSISTED OF TWO PARTS - THE SPECIAL AND THE ORDINARY. THE QUILA-E-MUBARAK (RED FORT) WITH ITS PALACE, WAS THE SPECIAL PART AND THE CITY WITH ITS HAVELIS AND MARKETS, THE ORDINARY,

SHAHJAHAN RULED FROM THE RED FORT – A VAST COMPLEX OF BEAUTIFUL, ELEGANT PALACES AND MEETING HALLS - WITH UNMATCHED PUBLIC POMP AND CEREMONY. I’M DADDY’S FAVOURITE PRINCESS!

THE CHANDNI CHOWK, THE CITY’S LARGEST, RICHEST BAZAAR, WAS BUILT BY SHAHJAHAN’S

FAVOURITE SHAHJAHANABAD WAS SO DAUGHTER – BEAUTIFUL AND OPULENT THAT JAHANARA, IN IT LEFT EVEN ITS EUROPEAN 1650. VISITORS SPELLBOUND.

TIME TO RETIRE DADDY‼!

AURANGZEB, HOWEVER, MOVED TO THE DECCAN AND SLOWLY AURANGZEB OUSTED SHAHJAHANABAD LOST ALL SHAHJAHAN IN 1658. ITS FORMER GLORY.

THE CITY EXPERIENCED A STEEP DOWN HILL SLIDE AND IN 1803 THE BRITISH TOOK OVER, REDUCING THE MUGHAL KINGS TO MERE PUPPETS.

TO ADD TO THE MISERIES, NADIR SHAH, A POWERFUL TURK, INVADED AND LOOTED DELHI IN 1739. HE TOOK AWAY MANY TREASURES INCLUDING THE KOHINOOR AND THE PEACOCK THRONE OF SHAHJAHAN.

ALVIDA E KAFILE WALON!! SOB‼ IN 1858, THE BRITISH EXILED THE LAST MUGHAL EMPEROR – BAHADUR SHAH ZAFAR WHO WAS ABSOLUTELY HEARTBROKEN.

BOO HOO‼

ALTHOUGH THE BRITISH EXILED THE …IT WAS ONLY IN LAST MUGHAL

1911, THAT THE EMPEROR, BAHADUR BRITISH DECIDED TO SHAH ZAFAR, TO MOVE THEIR CAPITAL RANGOON AFTER THE FROM CALCUTTA TO REVOLT OF 1857… NEW DELHI.

…AND OUR HEY THIS IS BUILDINGS WILL PERFECT‼ BE HIGHER.

THEY CHOSE THE EDWIN LUTYENS AND SITE RAISINA HILLS HERBERT BAKER WERE TO BUILD IT AND THE ARCHITECTS DECIDED TO DESIGN CHOSEN TO DESIGN IT AS A GARDEN THE NEW CAPITAL. CITY.

WORLD WAR 1 (1914 – 1918) PUT A SPANNER IN THE WORK OF THE

CONSTRUCTION OF THE CITY. NEW DELHI NEW

THE WORK RESUMED IN 1919.

THE BRITISH DECIDED TO GIVE THE BUILDINGS A DISTINCT INDIAN FAÇADE TO FIND ACCEPTANCE WITH THE ‘NATIVES’.

IN 1931, THE BRITISH CAPITAL – NEW DELHI WAS INNAUGURATED WHEN THE VICE REGAL PALACE (THE RASHTRAPATI BHAWAN), THE SECRETARIATS AND THE COUNCIL HOUSE (THE PARLIAMENT HOUSE) WERE READY.

LUTYENS and Baker were experimenting with shapes and geometry while designing New Delhi. This spiral pattern is made up of 15 sticks; can you help them turn this spiral into two squares by moving exactly three sticks?

THE HERITAGE OF DELHI IS A FUSION OF MANY GIFTS THAT EACH NEW INHABITANT HAS BROUGHT. THEY’VE LOVINGLY BESTOWED DELHI WITH MUSIC, ART, FOOD, LANGUAGE, DANCE, POETRY, AND MANY, MANY, MORE GIFTS.

MUSIC

FOOD

DANCE

ART

POETRY

LANGUAGE

CRAFTS

AS ITS CURRENT INHABITANTS, EACH ONE OF US, SHOULD TREAD CAREFULLY AND LEAVE A LEGACY THAT DELHI WILL BE PROUD TO REMEMBER US BY.

QUICK FACTS

CITY TIME BUILT BY PRESENT LOCATION REMAINS

B.C 1000 PANDAVAS AROUND OLD FORT NONE. ONLY EXCAVATIONS FROM THE INDRAPRASTHA APPROX. OF DELHI NEIGHBOURHOOD PROVED THE FACT OF EXISTENCE

LAL KOT AND 736 - TOMARS & FROM LADO SARAI REMAINS OF WALLS IN MEHRAULI AND QILA RAI PITHORA 1192 A.D CHAUHAN TO MEHRAULI LADO SARAI RAJPUTS 1206- QUTUBUDDIN MEHRAULI AND QUWWAT-UL-ISLAM MOSQUE, MEHRAULI 1290 A.D AIBAK OF THE AROUND QUTUB MINAR MAMLUK/SLAV E DYNASTY

1290 - ALAUDDIN AROUND SHAHPUR REMAINS OF WALLS, HAUZ KHAS SIRI 1320 A.D KHILJI JAT, SIRI FORT, COMPLEX, ALAI DARWAZA AND HAUZ KHAS AND TOHFEWALA GUMBAD GREEN PARK

1320 - GHIYAS-UD- TUGHLAQABAD REMAINS OF THE MAIN FORT, TOMBS TUGHLAQABAD 1325 A.D DIN TUGHLAQ AND SMALL NEIGHBOURING FORTIFICATIONS

1351 - FIROZ SHAH FEROZ SHAH KOTLA FEW RUINS OF THE OLD FORT AND FIROZABAD 1413 A.D TUGHLAQ ASHOKAN PILLAR

DINPANAH AND 1534 - HUMAYUN AND OLD FORT AND RUINS OF THE OLD FORT, QILA-E- SHERGARH 1545 A.D SHER SHAH HUMAYUN'S TOMB KOHNA MOSQUE, SHER MANDAL, LAL SURI DARWAZA AND KOS MINAR IN ZOO 1638 - SHAHAB-UD- OLD DELHI A FEW TRACES OF WALLS AND A FEW 1857 A.D DIN GATES, RED FORT, SEVERAL SHAHJAHANABAD MUHAMMAD MOSQUES AND MANSIONS KHURRAM

SHAH JAHAN I

1931 A.D BRITISH AREA BETWEEN ALL MAJOR BRITISH BUILDINGS EMPIRE DELHI RIDGE, OLD INCLUDING THE RASHTRAPATI NEW DELHI DELHI, OLD FORT BHAWAN, SANSAD BHAWAN, INDIA AND RING ROAD GATE, NORTH AND SOUTH BLOCK

AND VIP BUNGLOWS.

HERE’S A MNEMONIC TO HELP YOU REMEMBER THE NAMES OF THE CITIES

I’LL LEVITATE & QUICKLY MAKE SOME TEA FOR DUMBLEDORE & SNAPE SHARP NOSE

REFERENCES

BOOKS

 LOUISE NICHOLSON – THE RED FORT, DELHI

 LUCY PECK: DELHI – A THOUSAND YEARS OF BUILDING

 MALA DAYAL – CELEBRATING DELHI

 NARAYANI GUPTA – DELHI – THEN AND NOW

 NARAYANI GUPTA – LET’S EXPLORE HUMAYUN’S TOMB

 PERCIVAL SPEAR – DELHI – ITS MONUMENTS AND HISTORY

 PREMOLA GHOSE – TALES OF HISTORIC DELHI

 RADHEY SHYAM CHAURASIA – HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL INDIA: 1000 AD –

1707 AD

 SWAPNA LIDDLE: DELHI - 14 HISTORIC WALKS

INTERNET

 WWW.MAPSOFINDIA.COM

 WWW.INTACHDELHICHAPTER.ORG

 DELHIGOVT.NIC.IN

 WWW.BOLOKIDS.COM

 WWW.DELHITOURISM.GOV.IN

 WWW.YOUNGINTACH.ORG

 HINDUHISTORY.BLOGSPOT.COM

 WWW.FACTS-ABOUT-INDIA.COM

 WWW.INDIANETZONE.COM

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE (FROM THE VERY BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS) FOR THEIR HELP…

 DR NEERU MISHRA FOR SHARING HER LOVE FOR DELHI WITH US AND

OPENING UP MANY FORBIDDEN QUARTERS - LITERALLY AND

FIGURATIVELY.

 RINKLE MUNJAL & CHHAVI CHADHA FOR PULLING A MILLION STRINGS

AND IRONING OUT ALL THE WRINKLES.

 PRIYANKA FOR HER FUN, ‘NON-DISRUPTIVE’ IDEAS.

 SUJATA KHANNA FOR HELPING WITH THE SKETCHING AND BRINGING

TO LIFE SOME OF THE LONG GONE CITIES.

 SUDIPTO GHOSH, MEDHA POTLURI, KAVITA SINGH & SWATI THAKUR

FOR GIVING US ACCESS TO THEIR LIBRARIES.

 THE SHRI RAM SCHOOL, VASANT VIHAR, FOR IGNITING THE

MADNESS.

ANSWERS

ELEPHANT LOGIC

LOAD THE ELEPHANT ONTO A BOAT LARGE ENOUGH TO CARRY IT. THE BOAT WILL SINK SLIGHTLY, AND YOU MARK THE LEVEL OF THE WATER ON THE SIDE OF THE BOAT. THEN YOU OFFLOAD THE ELEPHANT AND FILL THE BOAT WITH BAGS UNTIL THE BOAT SINKS TO THE LEVEL MARKED. THE BAGS CAN BE INDIVIDUALLY WEIGHED USING BEAM SCALES AND THE WEIGHT OF THE ELEPHANT IS THE SUM OF THE WEIGHT OF THE BAGS.

COIN FLIPPING CHALLENGE

TILE RECYCLE CHALLENGE

HORSING AROUND

THE HORSE RAN 5 KMS IN THE PREVIOUS KINGDOM AS ONE TENTH OF 400 IS 40; ONE QUARTER OF 40 IS 10; AND ONE HALF OF 10 IS 5.

TREASURE HUNT

HE HAS TO OPEN NONE.

SINCE ALL LABELS ARE ON THE WRONG CHESTS, THE CHEST LABELLED “GOLD OR SILVER” COINS CANNOT CONTAIN EITHER “GOLD” OR “SILVER”, SO MUST CONTAIN “BRONZE”. THUS THE CHEST LABELLED “GOLD” COINS MUST CONTAIN “SILVER” COINS, AND “SILVER” COINS MUST CONTAIN “GOLD”.

KABOOM MIND BENDER

FOLD ONE FUSE AND PUT ANOTHER FUSE NEXT TO IT. LIGHT ALL THREE ENDS. WHEN THE FUSE WITH BOTH ENDS LIT GOES OUT, IMMEDIATELY LIGHT THE OTHER END OF THE LIT FUSE AND LIGHT A NEW FUSE. WHEN THE SECOND FUSE GOES OUT YOU WILL HAVE THREE-QUARTERS OF AN HOUR LEFT BURNING ON THE THIRD FUSE.

LAND DILEMMA

BOTH ARE EQUAL.

½ x ¼ = ¼ x ½

ARCHITECT’S DILEMMA