"The Delhi" standing over the river Yamuna, is the capital of the country and second most populous city after Mumbai. With a population of 16.3 million in 2011, the city is also the eighth most populous metropolis in the world. Although technically a federally administered union territory, the political administration of the NCT of Delhi today more closely resembles that of a state of India with its own legislature, high court and an executive council of ministers headed by a Chief Minister.
Delhi’s history traces back to 6th century BC. Delhi has served as a capital of various kingdoms and empires being situated at the heart of the northern India. It has been captured, sacked and rebuilt several times, particularly during the medieval period, and therefore the modern conurbation of Delhi is a cluster of a number of cities spread across the metropolitan region. It is historically believed that Delhi the site of Indraprastha, the legendary capital of the Pandavas during the times of theMahabharata.
It was in 1639 AD, the Mughal emperor Shahjahan built a new walled city in Delhi which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire until the Rebellion of 1857. The British after capturing Delhi in 1857 replaced the capital with Kolkata as the seat of British government in India in 1911. A new capital city, New Delhi, was built to the south of the old city during the 1920s. When the British left India in 1947, New Delhi became the national capital and seat of government. Today, Delhi embodies many important historical monuments, buildings and features. |
