Delhi Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
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| Classification | National capital territory |
| Country | India |
| State | Delhi |
| District | Delhi District |
| Language | Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and English and most other Indian Languages |
| Time zone | GMT+5:30 |
| Importance | Capital of India, separate state, Second largest metropolitan city in India, Industrial & IT Hub, Education center par excellence. Seat of government and influence |
| Population - Total - Density - Sex Ratio | 13,850,507 (2001)[1] 9,339.52/km2 821 |
| Literacy Rate - Total - Male - Female | 81.7%[1] 87.3% 74.7% |
| Area | 1483 km2 |
| PIN | 110 xxx |
| Chief Minister | Sheila Dixit |
| Ruling Party | Congress |
| Major Political parties | Congress, BJP |
It occupies an area of some 1,483 square kilometres (572 square miles) with a population of approximately 14 million. The principal spoken languages are Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, and English.
Delhi derives its historic importance from its position in northern India, occupying a location between the Aravalli Hills to the southwest and the Yamuna river on whose western banks it stands. This enabled it to dominate the old trade routes from northwest India to the plains of the Ganges.
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2 Economy 3 Educational Institutions 4 Famous sites in Delhi 5 Famous People from Delhi 6 Newspapers 7 Markets in Delhi 8 External links 9 Literature |
History
Traditionally, Delhi is said to be the site of Indraprastha, capital of the Pandavas in the Indian epic Mahabharata. A village called Indarpat existed in Delhi until the beginning of the 19th century.
Excavations have unearthed sherds of the grey painted ware (ca. 1000 BC) that some archaeologist associate with the age of the Mahabharata, but no coherent settlement traces have been found. Some locate Indraprastha in the Purana-Qila area.
The earliest architectural relics stem from the Mauryan Period (ca 300 BC), since then, the site has seen continuous settlement. In 1966, an inscription of the Mauryan King Ashoka, 273-236 BC was discovered near Srinivaspuri. The famous wrought iron pilar of Ashoka now to be seen in Qutb Minar was only manufactured in the Gupta-Period (AD 400-600) and transplanted to Delhi at some time in the 10th century. Two sandstone pillars inscribed with the edicts of Ashoka were only later brought to the city by Firuz Shah Tughluq.
In the Prithvirajaraso, the Rajput Anangpal is named as the founder of Delhi. He is supposed to have constructed the Lal-Kot and brought the Iron Pillar to the city. The Rajput period is dated from ca. 900-1200. The name of Dhilli or Dhillika first appears in an inscription from 1170 from Udaipur. By 1316, it may have become the capital of Haryana. After 1206, Delhi was the capital of the Delhi Sultanate (Mamluk dynasty, Khalij dynasty, Tughluq dynasty, Sayyid dynasty and Lodhi dynasty).
The more recent city is believed to be made up of seven succesive cities, the remains of some of which can still be seen on the ground.
- Qila Rai Pithora built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, near the oldest Rajput settlement in Lal-Kot
- Siri, built by Alauddin Khilji in 1303
- Tughluqabad, built by Ghiyazudin Tughluq (1321-1325).
- Jahanpanah, built by Muhammad bin Tuqhluq (1325-1351)
- Kotla Firoz Shah, built by Firuz Shah Tughluq (1351-1388)
- Purana Qila built by Sher Shah Suri and Dinpanah built by Humayun, both in the same area near the speculated site of the legendary Indra-Prastha (1538-1545)
- Shahjahanabad, built by Shah Jahan from 1638 to 1649, containing the Lal Qila and the Chandni Chowk.
Delhi passed under British control in 1857 after the Sepoy mutiny and after Bahadur Shah Zafar II had been transported to Rangoon and became the Capital of British India in 1911 (formerly Calcutta). In the large scale rebuilding, parts of the Old City were pulled down to provide place for New Delhi.
Delhi is one of the largest markets in the country despite its being smaller in population than Mumbai. This is primarily because the per capita income in Delhi is much higher than in other cities. Since the 1990s it has become the number one destination for all foreign direct investment. Many multinational companies have set up their Head quarters in Delhi and adjoining cities - from Pepsico and Gap Inc to zipper giant, YKK. On the Christmas day of 2002, New Delhi Metro was commenced, running in the urban area. The metro is proposed to be completed in 2022.
The city is served by Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Delhi, being the capital of the country attracts students from all over India. It has a number of government and private colleges offering quality education in the fields of science,engineering, medicine, arts, law, management etc. Some prominent educational institutes are :
UNIVERSITIES
This is an Article on Delhi. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Delhi Economy
Educational Institutions
SCHOOLS
Famous sites in Delhi
Famous People from Delhi
Newspapers
Markets in Delhi
External links
Literature