The Making of New Delhi


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

The Making of New Delhi

The Making of New Delhi : The foundation stone of New Delhi was laid by Emperor George V during the Delhi Durbar of 1911. It was designed by British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. The new capital was inaugurated on 13 February 1931, by Viceroy and Governor-General Lord Irwin.

Delhi has a long history . It is believed that the town was known as Indraprastha during the times of epic Mahabharata.

  • The earliest architectural remains, found in the city of Delhi, date back to the Mauryan period .Subsequently the city saw the rise and fall of many empires like the Guptas,The Delhi Sultanate, The Mughals and many others.
  • In 1805 , the British took over lands , revenue and city administration of Delhi.
  • They started acquiring more and more land for troops,camps,churches, hospitals,residence, clubs,etc. The cantonment occupied about one-third of the area of the walled city.
  • In 1824 , the era of urban planning began in Delhi when a Town Duties Committee was st up by the Britishers for the development of the Cantonment , Khyber pass, the Ridge and the Civil lines area. In 1863,Delhi Municipal Committee was formed . Its main achievements were shifting outside the walled city, constructing railways lines, railway station  and road links.
  • Delhi Durbar of 1877 (for Queen Victoria) saw a lot of improvement like schemes for drainage , water supply, irrigation, road construction and development of residential areas in Delhi .
  • The canal in Chandni Chowk was filled up and trees were cut to cater to increasing and sewerage of the walled city. Earlier, the drinking water was supplied to the old city from Ali Mardan canal. The British shifted their capital from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911. The Delhi Durbar (for king George V) changed the look of the city .Civil lines area (now Delhi university and old Secretariat) were set up.

  • The construction of the new capital was a massive task and hence, the construction and management could not be left toa local authority. Therefore, the Imperial Delhi Committee was formed in 1913. Later , the chief Commissioner of Delhi created the Raisina Municipal Committee. Raisina Hill was selected for building the new capital. It became the residence of the viceroy and the new administrative centre. The English town planners , especially Edwin Lutyens, created the palace of the Viceroy (now Rashtrapati Bhawan),Circular pillar Palace ( Parliament House), Kings way (Rajpath) and War Memorial (India gate) along with many green spaces , parks and gardens.
  • Master plans for Delhi provides a basic policy frame for guiding Delhi's Development.

  • The New Delhi Municipal Committee (NDMC) was set up to look after all the civic amenities like water supply , electricity,buildings,roads , sewer, medical and public health of the capital.
  • It provides an underground system sewer system in the whole area. all big , open nallas were covered as they were the breeding grounds of mosquitoes.
  • In 1937, the Delhi Improvement Trust was established . It undertook many schemes like town expansion , slum clearance and slum improvement schemes for improvement of Delhi.
  • After independence , the Government of India set up Delhi Development Authority in 1955, which was empowered to prepare a master plan and zone plans like housing ,commercial centers , parks, playgrounds , etc, to develop and manage land in Delhi.
  • Sample Questions
    (More Questions for each concept available in Login)
    Question : 1

    British shifted their capital from Calcutta to New Delhi in ____________ .

    Right Option : D
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    Explanation
    Question : 2

    In _______, the British Gained control of Delhi after defeating the Marathas.

    Right Option : D
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    Explanation
    Question : 3

    The largest and grandest mosque in Delhi is :

    Right Option : A
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    Explanation
     
     


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