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108-618: Captain Sir Alexander Burnes FRS (16 May 1805 – 2 November 1841) was a Scottish explorer , military officer and diplomat associated with the Great Game . He was nicknamed Bokhara Burnes for his role in establishing contact with and exploring Bukhara . His memoir, Travels into Bokhara , was a bestseller when it was first published in 1835. Burnes was born on 16 May 1805 in Montrose , Scotland, as

216-633: A bloody fight known as the Siege of Delhi . The city came under the direct control of the British Government in 1858. It was made a district province of the Punjab . In 1911, it was announced that the capital of British-held territories in India was to be transferred from Calcutta to Delhi. This formally transferred on 12 December 1911. The name "New Delhi" was given in 1927, and the new capital

324-588: A certain amount of time, usually one year from their date of commission as a lieutenant, for the reserve components. The rank of captain should not be confused with the naval rank of captain , or with the UK-influenced air force rank of group captain , both of which are equivalent to the army rank of colonel . The term ultimately goes back to Late Latin capitaneus meaning "head of [something]"; in Middle English adopted as capitayn in

432-578: A city on a knoll on the banks of the river Yamuna. According to art historian Catherine B. Asher, the topographical description of the Mahabharata matches the area of Purana Qila , a 14th-century CE fort of the Delhi sultanate , but the analogy does not go much further. Whereas the Mahabharata speaks of a beautifully decorated city with surrounding fortifications, the excavations have yielded "uneven findings of painted grey pottery characteristic of

540-548: A combination of elevated, at-grade, and underground lines, and uses both broad gauge and standard gauge rolling stock. Four types of rolling stock are used: Mitsubishi–ROTEM Broad gauge, Bombardier MOVIA, Mitsubishi–ROTEM Standard gauge, and CAF Beasain Standard gauge. The Phase-I of Delhi Metro was built for US$ 2.3 billion and the Phase-II was expected to cost an additional ₹ 216 billion (US$ 2.6 billion). Phase-II has

648-610: A first-level administrative division, the National Capital Territory of Delhi has its own Legislative Assembly , Lieutenant Governor , the council of ministers, and Chief Minister . Members of the legislative assembly are directly elected from territorial constituencies in the NCT. The legislative assembly was abolished in 1956, after which direct federal control was implemented until it was re-established in 1993. The municipal corporation handles civic administration for

756-629: A journey of exploration through the valley of the Indus River was approved and in 1831 his and Henry Pottinger 's surveys of the Indus river would prepare the way for a future assault on the Sindh to clear a path towards Central Asia. In the same year he arrived in Lahore with a present of horses from King William IV to Maharaja Ranjit Singh . The British claimed that the horses would not survive

864-531: A sacred river in Hinduism , is the only major river flowing through Delhi. The Hindon River separates Ghaziabad from the eastern part of Delhi. The Delhi ridge originates from the Aravalli Range in the south and encircles the west, northeast, and northwest parts of the city. It reaches a height of 318 m (1,043 ft) and is a dominant feature of the region. In addition to the wetlands formed by

972-728: A sixteen-year hiatus during the reigns of Sher Shah Suri and Hemu from 1540 to 1556. Shah Jahan built the seventh city of Delhi that bears his name Shahjahanabad , which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1638 and is today known as the Old City or Old Delhi . After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the Mughal Empire's influence declined rapidly as the Hindu Maratha Empire from Deccan Plateau rose to prominence. In 1737, Maratha forces led by Baji Rao I sacked Delhi following their victory against

1080-567: A total length of 348.12 kilometres (216.31 mi). The system has a mix of underground, at-grade, and elevated stations using both broad-gauge and standard-gauge . All stations have escalators, lifts, and tactile tiles to guide the visually impaired from station entrances to trains. There are 18 designated parking sites at the Metro stations. In March 2010, DMRC partnered with Google India (through Google Transit) to provide train schedule and route information to mobile devices with Google Maps. It has

1188-498: A walled house with a handful of other senior officers including his brother Lieutenant Charles Burnes, and Major William Broadfoot. On 1 November 1841, Burnes was approached by his former travelling companion Mohan Lal who informed Burnes of a plot to have him killed, urging him to flee the city for the relative safety of the cantonment. As the representative of Britain in Kabul, it was Burnes whom many Afghans considered responsible for

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1296-508: Is 963 MGD. The shortfall is met by private and public tube wells and hand pumps . At 240 MGD, the Bhakra storage is DJB's largest water source, followed by the Yamuna and Ganges rivers. Delhi's groundwater level is falling and its population density is increasing, so residents often encounter acute water shortage. Research on Delhi suggests that up to half of the city's water use

1404-478: Is a major bus service provider which operates the world's largest fleet of CNG-fuelled buses. In addition, cluster scheme buses are operated by Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) with the participation of private concessionaires and DTC. In December 2017, the DTC and cluster buses carried over 4.19 million passengers per day. Kashmiri Gate ISBT , Anand Vihar ISBT and Sarai Kale Khan ISBT are

1512-593: Is a major junction in the Indian railway network and is the headquarters of the Northern Railway . The main railway stations are New Delhi , Old Delhi , Hazrat Nizamuddin , Anand Vihar , Delhi Sarai Rohilla and Delhi Cantt . The Delhi Metro , a mass rapid transit system built and operated by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), serves many parts of Delhi and the neighbouring cities Ghaziabad , Faridabad , Gurgaon and Noida . As of December 2021 ,

1620-429: Is bordered on its northern, western, and southern sides by the state of Haryana and to the east by that of Uttar Pradesh (UP). Two prominent features of the geography of Delhi are the Yamuna flood plains and the Delhi ridge . The Yamuna River was the historical boundary between Punjab and UP, and its flood plains provide fertile alluvial soil suitable for agriculture but, are prone to recurrent floods. The Yamuna,

1728-571: Is generally moderate (101–200) level between January and September, and then it drastically deteriorates to Very Poor (301–400), Severe (401–500) or Hazardous (500+) levels in three months between October and December, due to various factors including stubble burning (a type of biomass burning ), fire crackers burning during Diwali and cold weather. During 2013–14, peak levels of fine particulate matter (PM) increased by about 44%, primarily due to high vehicular and industrial emissions, construction work and crop burning in adjoining states. It has

1836-640: Is included in India's seismic zone-IV , indicating its vulnerability to major earthquakes. Delhi features a dry winter humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cwa ) bordering a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen BSh ). The warm season lasts from 21 March to 15 June with an average daily high temperature above 39 °C (102 °F). The hottest day of the year is usually witnessed between 26 and 30 May, with an average high of 42 °C (108 °F) and low of 27 °C (81 °F). The cold season lasts from 26 November to 9 February with an average daily high temperature below 20 °C (68 °F). The coldest day of

1944-554: Is lobbying "against the report" because it is "inconvenient" to the automobile industry. Environmentalists have also criticised the Delhi government for not doing enough to curb air pollution and to inform people about air quality issues. In 2014, an environmental panel appealed to India's Supreme Court to impose a 30% cess on diesel cars, but till date no action has been taken to penalise the automobile industry. Most of Delhi's residents are unaware of alarming levels of air pollution in

2052-485: Is modern Uzbekistan) and Persia . The narrative which he published on his visit to England in 1834 added immensely to contemporary knowledge of these countries, and was one of the most popular books of the time. It was republished in 2012. The first edition earned the author £800, and his services were recognised not only by the Royal Geographical Society of London, but also by that of Paris . He

2160-513: Is the highest in the Delhi before Supreme Court. The High Court of Delhi just like the apex court and other High Courts in India is the Court of record. Delhi is also home to various District Court according to jurisdictions. Delhi have Currently seven District Courts namely Tis Hazari Court Complex, Karkardooma Court Complex, Patiala House Court Complex, Rohini Court Complex, Dwarka Courts Complex, Saket Court Complex, and Rouse Avenue Court Apart from

2268-635: Is the original name for the city while others believe the name could be a corruption of the Hindustani words dehleez or dehali —both terms meaning "threshold" or "gateway"—and symbolic of the city as a gateway to the Gangetic Plain . The people of Delhi are referred to as Delhiites or Dilliwalas . The city is referenced in various idioms of the Northern Indo-Aryan languages . Examples include: The form Delhi , spelled in

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2376-402: Is unofficial groundwater. In Delhi, daily domestic solid waste production is 8000  tonnes which is dumped at three landfill locations by MCD. The daily domestic waste water production is 470 MGD and industrial waste water is 70 MGD. A large portion of the sewage flows untreated into the Yamuna river. The city's electricity consumption is about 1,265 kWh per capita but

2484-558: The Chief Commissioner's Province of Delhi . The Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 declared the Union Territory of Delhi to be formally known as the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The Act gave Delhi its legislative assembly along Civil lines, though with limited powers. Delhi was the primary site in the nationwide anti-Sikh pogroms of 1984, which resulted in the death of around 2,800 people in

2592-633: The Delhi Transport Corporation , the highest in India and the third highest in the world after Shenzhen and Santiago . Personal vehicles, especially cars also form a major chunk of vehicles plying on Delhi roads. As of 2007 , private vehicles account for 30% of the total demand for transport. Delhi has the highest number of registered cars compared to any other metropolitan city in India. Taxis, auto rickshaws, and cycle rickshaws also ply on Delhi roads in large numbers. As of 2008 ,

2700-478: The French Revolution , during the early modern period , was a nobleman who purchased the right to head a company from the previous holder of that right. He would in turn receive money from another nobleman to serve as his lieutenant . The funding to provide for the troops did not come from the monarch or their government; the captain responsible for feeding, housing, and provisioning their company. If he

2808-595: The House of Commons . An account of his later labours was published in 1842 under the title of Cabool: A Personal Narrative of a Journey to, and Residence in that City, in the Years 1836, 7, and 8 . On 7 August 1839, the British Government restored Afghan leader Shah Shuja to the throne in Kabul after an exile of over thirty years. Shujah had been living as a pensioner of the crown for the entirety of his exile. He

2916-635: The Lal Kot and several temples in 1052 CE. The Chauhan Rajputs under Vigraharaja IV conquered Lal Kot in the mid-12th century and renamed it Qila Rai Pithora . Prithviraj Chauhan was defeated in 1192 by Muhammad Ghori in the second battle of Tarain . Qutb-ud-din Aibak , was given the responsibility of governing the conquered territories of India after Ghori returned to his capital, Ghor . When Ghori died without an heir in 1206 CE, Qutb-ud-din assumed control of Ghori's Indian possessions and laid

3024-599: The Latin script with the h following the l , originated under colonial rule and is an alternation of the spelling based on the Urdu name of the city ( دہلی , Dehli ). Traditionally seven cities have been associated with the region of Delhi. The earliest, Indraprastha , is part of a literary description in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata (composed c. 400 BCE to 300 CE but describing an earlier time ) which situates

3132-570: The World Health Organization (WHO), Delhi was the most polluted city in the world in 2014. In 2016, WHO downgraded Delhi to eleventh-worst in the urban air quality database. However, as recently as 2022, data from the WHO and IQAir, alongside comprehensive research, ranked Delhi as the fourth most polluted city globally. According to one estimate, air pollution causes the death of about 10,500 people every year. Air quality index

3240-405: The largest metropolitan area in India and the second-largest in the world (after Tokyo ). The topography of the medieval fort Purana Qila on the banks of the river Yamuna matches the literary description of the citadel Indraprastha in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata ; however, excavations in the area have revealed no signs of an ancient built environment. From the early 13th century until

3348-423: The second-highest GDP per capita in India (after Goa ). Although a 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 . New Delhi is jointly administered by the union government of India and the local government of Delhi , and serves as

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3456-734: The seven cities of Delhi . Delhi was a major centre of Sufism during this period. The Mamluk Sultanate (Delhi) was overthrown in 1290 by Jalal ud din Firuz Khalji (1290–1320). Under the second Khalji ruler, Ala-ud-din Khalji , the Delhi sultanate extended its control south of the Narmada River in the Deccan . The Delhi sultanate reached its greatest extent during the reign of Muhammad bin Tughluq (1325–1351). In an attempt to bring

3564-438: The 14th century, from Old French capitaine . The military rank of captain was in use from the 1560s, referring to an officer who commands a company. The naval sense, an officer who commands a man-of-war , is somewhat earlier, from the 1550s, later extended in meaning to "master or commander of any kind of vessel". A captain in the period prior to the professionalization of the armed services of European nations subsequent to

3672-481: The 2011 census, Delhi's city proper population was over 11 million, while the NCT's population was about 16.8 million. Delhi's urban agglomeration, which includes the satellite cities Ghaziabad , Faridabad , Gurgaon , Noida , Greater Noida and YEIDA city located in an area known as the National Capital Region (NCR), has an estimated population of over 28 million, making it

3780-487: The British Army, captain is the entry-level rank for officer candidates possessing a professional degree, namely, most medical professionals (doctors, pharmacists, dentists) and lawyers. In the U.S. Army, lawyers who are not already officers at captain rank or above enter as lieutenants during training, and are promoted to the rank of captain after completion of their training if they are in the active component, or after

3888-536: The Congress. However, that government was short-lived, collapsing only after 49 days. Delhi was then under President's rule until February 2015, after which AAP returned to power after a landslide victory, winning 67 out of the 70 seats in the Delhi Legislative Assembly . AAP holds power ever since. Delhi is the largest commercial center in northern India. As of 2016 recent estimates of

3996-636: The Delhi Metro, a suburban railway, the Delhi Suburban Railway exists. The Delhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi, Ghaziabad , Faridabad , Gurgaon and Noida in the National Capital Region of India. It is the world's tenth-largest metro system by length of lines. It was India's second modern public transportation system. The network consists of 10 colour-coded lines serving 255 stations with

4104-491: The District Courts Delhi also have Consumer Courts, CBI Courts, Labour Courts, Revenue Courts, Army tribunals, electricity tribunals, Railway Tribunals, and other various tribunals situated according to appropriate jurisdictions. For policing purposes Delhi is divided into fifteen police districts which are further subdivided into 95 local police station zones. Delhi currently has 180 police stations. As

4212-454: The Indus. His immense skills in diplomacy and knowledge of local customs and rites of flattery enabled him to travel through areas of the Indus previously closed to Europeans, including Thatta , Hyderabad , Bukkur , and Shujabad , among others. In October 1831, Burnes coordinated the first meeting of Maharaja Ranjit Singh with a sitting commander of British forces in India, Governor General Lord William Bentinck . The assembly took place in

4320-747: The Mughals in the First Battle of Delhi. In 1739, the Mughal Empire lost the huge Battle of Karnal in less than three hours against the numerically outnumbered but militarily superior Persian army led by Nader Shah of Persia. After his invasion , he completely sacked and looted Delhi , carrying away immense wealth including the Peacock Throne , the Daria-i-Noor , and Koh-i-Noor . The Mughals, severely further weakened, could never overcome this crushing defeat and humiliation which also left

4428-499: The NCT of Delhi is made up of one division , 11 districts , 33 subdivisions , 59 census towns, and 300 villages. On the other way, the NCT of Delhi is divided into three municipalities. The boundaries of municipalities may be different from district boundaries: Between 13 January 2011 and 22 May 2022, MCD was divided into three municipal corporations: Delhi is home to the High Court of Delhi . The High Court of Delhi

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4536-631: The Public Works Department (PWD) which is under the jurisdiction of the Government of Delhi while some are maintained by Delhi Development Authority and New Delhi Municipal Council which are under the jurisdiction of the Government of India . Roads and streets less than 60 ft (18 m) wide are maintained by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi . Roads and streets in unauthorised colonies are maintained by

4644-619: The Russians suspect an intention to move northwards through Afghanistan; conversely, the British feared that India was sought by Russia. Sensing the two empires would collide in Afghanistan, the British Government needed intelligence and dispatched Burnes to get it. In 1831, travelling in disguise, Burnes surveyed the route through Kabul to Bukhara and produced the first detailed accounts of Afghan politics. His proposal in 1829 to undertake

4752-511: The Yamuna River, Delhi continues to retain over 500 ponds (wetlands < 5 ha (12 acres)), that in turn support a considerable number of bird species. Delhi's ponds, despite experiencing ecological deterioration due to garbage dumping and concretisation, support the largest number of bird species known to be using ponds anywhere in the world. Existing policy in Delhi prevents the conversion of wetlands and, quite inadvertently, has led to

4860-565: The actual demand is higher. In Delhi power distribution is managed by TPDDL and BSES Yamuna & BSES Rajdhani since 2002, transmission of power is done by Delhi Transco Limited and Powergrid , while generation of power is by IPGCL and PPCL . The city also imports a significant quantum of power from other states. The Delhi Fire Service runs 43 fire stations that attend about 15,000 fire and rescue calls per year. The state-owned MTNL and private enterprises such as Airtel , Vi , Jio , and provide telephone and cell phone services to

4968-540: The army. However, the United Kingdom 's Royal Air Force , many other Commonwealth air forces and a few non-Commonwealth air forces use an air force-specific rank structure in which flight lieutenant is OF-2. A group captain is derived from the naval rank of captain. Canada is a unique exception. Due to the unification of the Canadian Armed Forces in 1968, the air force rank titles are

5076-594: The attack, which caused a major diplomatic crisis between the two countries. There were further terrorist attacks in Delhi in 2005 and 2008 , resulting in a total of 92 deaths. In 2020, Delhi witnessed worst communal violence in decades. The riots, caused mainly by Hindu mobs attacking Muslims, 53 people were killed, two-thirds were Muslims, and the rest Hindus . Delhi is located in Northern India , at 28°37′N 77°14′E  /  28.61°N 77.23°E  / 28.61; 77.23 . The city

5184-549: The average maximum temperature during winters has declined notably since 1998 due to rising air pollution. India's Ministry of Earth Sciences published a research paper in October 2018 attributing almost 41% of PM2.5 air pollution in Delhi to vehicular emissions, 21.5% to dust/fire and 18% to industries. The director of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) alleged that the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM)

5292-451: The capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its right bank , Delhi shares borders with the state of Uttar Pradesh in the east and with the state of Haryana in the remaining directions. Delhi became a union territory on 1 November 1956 and the NCT in 1995. The NCT covers an area of 1,484 square kilometres (573 sq mi). According to

5400-407: The capital of the nation as well as the NCT of Delhi. Delhi is also the centre of the National Capital Region, which is an "interstate regional planning" area created in 1985. Delhi hosted the inaugural 1951 Asian Games , the 1982 Asian Games , the 1983 Non-Aligned Movement summit, the 2010 Men's Hockey World Cup , the 2010 Commonwealth Games , the 2012 BRICS summit , the 2023 G20 summit , and

5508-622: The city according to government figures, though independent estimates of the number of people killed tend to be higher. The riots were set off by the assassination of Indira Gandhi —the Prime Minister of India at the time—by her Sikh bodyguards. In 2001, the Parliament of India building in New Delhi was attacked by armed militants, killing six security personnel. India suspected Pakistan-based Jihadist militant groups were behind

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5616-513: The city and the health risks associated with it. In 2020, annual average PM2.5 in the city stood at 107.6 μg/m , which is almost 21.5 times the WHO's PM2.5 Guideline (5 μg/m ; set in September 2021). These pollution levels are estimated to reduce the life expectancy of an average person living in Delhi by almost 10.1 years. However, as of 2015 , awareness, particularly among the foreign diplomatic community and high-income Indians,

5724-747: The city as part of the Panchayati Raj Act . The Government of India and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi jointly administer New Delhi, where both bodies are located. The Parliament of India , the Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace), Cabinet Secretariat , and the Supreme Court of India are located in the municipal district of New Delhi. There are 70 assembly constituencies and seven Lok Sabha (Indian Parliament's lower house) constituencies in Delhi. The Indian National Congress (Congress) formed all

5832-437: The city migrated to Pakistan. Ethnic Punjabis are believed to account for at least 40% of Delhi's total population and are predominantly Hindi -speaking Punjabi Hindus . Migration to Delhi from the rest of India continues (as of 2013 ), contributing more to the rise of Delhi's population than the birth rate, which is declining. The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 created the Union Territory of Delhi from its predecessor,

5940-412: The city's financial and religious decay. Confident he could quell any potential trouble, Burnes decided to stay in Kabul against his friend's advice. That night, a small group of men began driving up a mob around the city. The group was originally a small contingent directly opposed to Burnes's presence. They managed to swell their numbers by spreading the message that the building adjacent to Burnes's house

6048-430: The city's ponds becoming invaluable refugia for birds. The National Capital Territory of Delhi covers an area of 1,483 km (573 sq mi), of which 783 km (302 sq mi) is designated rural, and 700 km (270 sq mi) urban therefore making it the largest city in terms of area in the country. It has a length of 51.9 km (32 mi) and a width of 48.48 km (30 mi). Delhi

6156-617: The city. However, according to several authors, most of these gains have been lost, especially due to stubble burning , a rise in the market share of diesel cars and a considerable decline in bus ridership. According to CSE and System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), burning of agricultural waste in nearby Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh regions results in severe intensification of smog over Delhi. Delhi has been ranked 7th best "National Clean Air City" (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India according to 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results' Currently,

6264-587: The city. Cellular coverage is available in GSM , 3G , 4G , 4G+ and 5G . Indira Gandhi International Airport , situated to the south-west of Delhi, is the main gateway for the city's domestic and international civilian air traffic. In 2015–16, the airport handled more than 48 million passengers, making it the busiest airport in India and South Asia. Terminal 3, which cost ₹ 96.8 billion (US$ 1.2 billion) to construct between 2007 and 2010, handles an additional 37 million passengers annually. In 2010, IGIA

6372-483: The city. Delhi's large consumer market and the availability of skilled labour has also attracted foreign investment. In 2001, the manufacturing sector employed 1,440,000 workers and the city had 129,000 industrial units. Delhi's municipal water supply is managed by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). As of June 2005 , it supplied 650 million gallons per day (MGD), whereas the estimated consumption requirement

6480-524: The coins in circulation in the region under the Tomaras were called dehliwal . According to the Bhavishya Purana , King Prithiviraja of Indraprastha built a new fort in the modern-day Purana Qila area for the convenience of all four castes in his kingdom. He ordered the construction of a gateway to the fort and later named the fort dehali . Some historians believe that Dhilli or Dhillika

6588-535: The conversion of Delhi's fleet of buses and taxis to run on CNG and banned the use of leaded petrol in 1998. In 2003, Delhi won the United States Department of Energy 's first 'Clean Cities International Partner of the Year' award for its "bold efforts to curb air pollution and support alternative fuel initiatives". The Delhi Metro has also been credited for significantly reducing air pollutants in

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6696-473: The dismemberment of Poland, and was so impressed with the young boy's knowledge of western geography, he invited Lal to travel with him to Tartary . From Delhi, Burnes then travelled to Ludhiana where he received permission to proceed in his travels into Central Asia. In the following years, in company with Mohan Lal , his travels continued through Afghanistan across the Hindu Kush to Bukhara (in what

6804-426: The economy of the Delhi urban area have ranged from $ 370 billion to $ 400 billion ( PPP metro GDP ) ranking it either the most or second-most productive metro area of India. The nominal GSDP of the NCT of Delhi for 2016–17 was estimated at ₹ 6,224 billion (US$ 75 billion), 13% higher than in 2015–16. Oxford Economics Global Cities index 2024 ranked Delhi as best city in India and 108th best city in

6912-591: The eleventh century BCE; no signs of a built environment, much fewer fortifications, have been revealed." The earliest architectural relics date back to the Maurya period (c. 300 BCE); in 1966, an inscription of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka (273–235 BCE) was discovered near Srinivaspuri. Remains of several major cities can be found in Delhi. The first of these was in the southern part of present-day Delhi. Tomara Rajput King Anang Pal built

7020-574: The foundation of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mamluk dynasty . He began construction of the Qutb Minar and Quwwat-al-Islam (Might of Islam) mosque, the earliest extant mosque in India. It was his successor, Iltutmish (1211–1236), who consolidated the conquest of northern India. At 72.5 m (238 ft), the Qutb Minar , a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Delhi, was completed during

7128-426: The fourth son of James Burnes (1780–1852) the local provost , who was first cousin to the poet Robert Burns . His brother was the doctor and surgeon James Burnes . At the age of sixteen, Alexander joined the army of the East India Company and while serving in India , he learned Urdu and Persian , and obtained an appointment as an interpreter at Surat in 1822. He was transferred to Kutch in 1826 where he

7236-433: The governments in Delhi until the 1990s, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Madan Lal Khurana , came to power. In 1998, the Congress returned to power under the leadership of Sheila Dikshit , who was subsequently re-elected for 3 consecutive terms. But in 2013 , the Congress was ousted from power by the newly formed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led by Arvind Kejriwal forming the government with outside support from

7344-410: The highest level of the airborne particulate matter, PM2.5 considered most harmful to health, with 153 micrograms. Rising air pollution level has significantly increased lung-related ailments (especially asthma and lung cancer) among Delhi's children and women. The dense smog and haze during winter results in major air and rail traffic disruptions every year. According to Indian meteorologists,

7452-437: The local Member of the Legislative Assembly . Buses are the most popular means of road transport, catering to about 60% of Delhi's total demand. Delhi has one of India's largest bus transport systems. In 1998, the Supreme Court of India ruled that all public transport vehicles in Delhi must be fuelled by compressed natural gas (CNG) to tackle increasing vehicular pollution. The state-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC)

7560-543: The main bus terminals for outstation buses plying to neighbouring states. Delhi's rapid rate of economic development and population growth has resulted in an increasing demand for transport, creating excessive pressure on the city's transport infrastructure. To meet the transport demand, the State and Union government constructed a mass rapid transit system, including the Delhi Metro. Delhi Bus Rapid Transit System runs between Ambedkar Nagar and Delhi Gate . As per February 2024, Delhi has around 1,650 electric buses managed by

7668-533: The metro consists of ten operational lines with a total length of 348.12 km (216.31 mi) and 254 stations , and several other lines are under construction. The Phase-I was built at a cost of US$ 2.3 billion and the Phase-II was expected to cost an additional ₹ 216 billion (US$ 2.6 billion). Phase-II has a total length of 128 km (80 mi) and was completed by 2010. Delhi Metro completed 10 years of operation on 25 December 2012. It carries millions of passengers every day. In addition to

7776-698: The mid-19th century, Delhi was the capital of two major empires, the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire , which covered large parts of South Asia . All three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the city, the Qutub Minar , Humayun's Tomb , and the Red Fort , belong to this period. Delhi was the early centre of Sufism and Qawwali music. The names of Nizamuddin Auliya and Amir Khusrau are prominently associated with it. The Khariboli dialect of Delhi

7884-407: The number of vehicles in the metropolitan region, Delhi NCR, was 11.2 million (11.2 million). In 2008, there were 85 cars in Delhi for every 1,000 of its residents. In 2017, the number of vehicles in Delhi city alone crossed the ten million mark with the transport department of Delhi Government putting the total number of registered vehicles at 10,567,712 until 25 May of the year. Delhi

7992-608: The overland journey, so they were allowed to transport the horses up the Indus and used the opportunity to secretly survey the river. Despite pressure from his superiors, Burnes declined a military escort on his journey up the Indus, fearing their presence would cause the native population to conclude the British intended to mount an invasion. Instead, Burnes travelled with only one other British officer, Ensign J.D. Leckie, and periodically enlisted members of native communities to man and navigate his convoy. In so doing, Burnes developed close bonds with local leaders and governors in cities along

8100-512: The possession of the British royal family, and set in the Crown of Queen Alexandra ). Following the Rupur summit, Burnes took up brief residence in Delhi from November to December 1831. It was in Delhi that, on 19 December, Burnes first made contact with his future travelling partner Mohan Lal . While visiting a Hindu school in the grounds of Humayun's Tomb , Burnes witnessed a recitation by Lal on

8208-494: The president and the prime minister. Delhi has the highest road density of 2103 km/100 km in India . It is connected to other parts of India by five National Highways : NH 1 , NH 2 , NH 8 , NH 10 and NH 24 . The Delhi–Mumbai and Delhi–Kolkata prongs of the Golden Quadrilateral start from the city. The majority of the city's roads which are 60 ft (18 m) wide or above are maintained by

8316-642: The reign of Sultan Illtutmish in the 13th century. Although its style has some similarities with the Jarkurgan minaret , it is more closely related to the Ghaznavid and Ghurid minarets of Central Asia Razia , daughter of Iltutmish, became the Sultana of Delhi upon the former's death. For the next three hundred years, Delhi was ruled by a succession of Turkic , Indian and an Afghan , Lodi dynasty . They built several forts and townships that are part of

8424-623: The same as those of the Canadian Army. However, like their Commonwealth counterparts, rank braids are pearl grey and increase in half strip increments. The decision was taken not to restore the historic rank titles for the RCAF due to it being deemed 'too confusing'. Delhi Delhi , officially the National Capital Territory ( NCT ) of Delhi , is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi ,

8532-405: The same time, Shujah had greatly increased taxation on the population, leading to a large scale economic depression among the lower class. At the urging of Shah Shuja, the British and Indian troops had agreed to relocate their encampment out of the city walls, setting up a series of cantonments outside the city. Burnes however, chose to remain within the heart of the old city, taking up residence in

8640-423: The same time, large numbers of British officers, their wives, children, and staff, had relocated to Kabul for the favourable temperatures, having previously been stationed in the hot, dry plains of Hindustan. The British influx brought with it numerous foreign customs such as cricket, skating, and steeplechase. The sudden swelling of the city's population caused prices for food and goods in the bazaars to skyrocket. At

8748-404: The threat. The situation with the rioters continued to deteriorate as they set fire to the compound stables. A single shot was fired from the crowd and Major Broadfoot, standing beside Burnes on the balcony, was killed. Now assured that there was no longer a chance for rescue, Charles Burnes exited, armed, into the courtyard, reportedly killing six men before being hacked to death. Alexander Burnes

8856-602: The throne of Kabul, but the viceroy preferred to follow the opinion of Sir William Hay Macnaghten and reinstated Shah Shuja , thus leading to the outbreak of the First Anglo-Afghan War . On the restoration of Shah Shuja in 1839, Burnes became regular political agent at Kabul. He was knighted by Queen Victoria on 6 August 1838, while serving in the 21st India Native Infantry on a mission in Afghanistan, and remained there until his assassination in 1841, during an insurrection in which his younger brother, Charles,

8964-547: The total workforce in national and state governments and the quasi-government sector was 594,000, and the private sector employed 273,000. Key service industries are information technology, telecommunications, hotels, banking, media and tourism. Construction, power, health and community services and real estate are also important to the city's economy. Delhi has one of India's largest and fastest growing retail industries. Manufacturing also grew considerably as consumer goods companies established manufacturing units and headquarters in

9072-542: The village of Rupur (present day Rupnagar ) on the banks of the Sutlej from 22 to 26 October. The event was attended by numerous British political attachés and subalterns including Bentinck, General John Ramsay, and H.T. Prinsep. The event was also marked by the Maharajah's open display of the celebrated Koh-i-Noor diamond, which he presented for free inspection by the British attendees (the jewel would eventually come into

9180-544: The way open for more invaders to come, including eventually the British . Nader eventually agreed to leave the city and India after forcing the Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah I to beg him for mercy and granting him the keys of the city and the royal treasury. A treaty signed in 1752 made Marathas the protectors of the Mughal throne in Delhi. The city was sacked again in 1757 by the forces of Ahmad Shah Durrani , although it

9288-473: The whole of the Deccan under control, he moved his capital to Daulatabad, Maharashtra in central India. However, by moving away from Delhi he lost control of the north and was forced to return to Delhi to restore order. The southern provinces then broke away. In the years following the reign of Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1351–1388), the Delhi Sultanate rapidly began to lose its hold over its northern provinces. Delhi

9396-666: The world in Economics Category. As per the Economic survey of Delhi (2005–2006), the tertiary sector contributes 70.95% of Delhi's gross SDP followed by secondary and primary sectors with 25.20% and 3.85% contributions, respectively. Delhi's workforce constitutes 32.82% of the population, and increased by 52.52% between 1991 and 2001. Delhi's unemployment rate decreased from 12.57% in 1999–2000 to 4.63% in 2003. In December 2004, 636,000 people were registered with various employment exchange programmes in Delhi. In 2018

9504-594: The year is usually witnessed between 1 and 10 January, with an average low of 6.9 °C (44.4 °F) and high of 19.3 °C (66.7 °F). In early March, the wind direction changes from north-westerly to south-westerly. From April to October the weather is hot. The monsoon arrives at the end of June, along with an increase in humidity. The brief, mild winter starts in late November, peaks in January and heavy fog often occurs. Delhi receives an average annual precipitation of 774.4 mm (30.49 in). According to

9612-462: Was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Society the same year. London's prestigious Athenaeum Club admitted him without ballot. Soon after his return to India in 1835 he was appointed to the court of Sindh to secure a treaty for the navigation of the Indus and in 1836 he undertook a political mission to Dost Mohammed Khan at Kabul . He advised Lord Auckland to support Dost Mohammed on

9720-415: Was also killed. The calmness with which he continued at his post despite the threat to his life, and after the death of his political assistant Major William Broadfoot, won him a heroic reputation. It came to light in 1860 that some of Burnes's dispatches from Kabul in 1839 had been altered to convey opinions that had not been his, but Lord Palmerston refused after so long to grant the inquiry demanded in

9828-425: Was based at Bhuj for three years. As assistant to the political agent, he took an interest in the history and geography of north-western India and the adjacent countries, which had not yet been thoroughly explored by the British; he then went to Afghanistan . Afghanistan, one of the most remote kingdoms in the world, found itself sandwiched between the rival British and Russian empires. British control in India made

9936-540: Was based at Safdarjung Airport which started operations in 1929, when it was the Delhi's only airport and the second in India. The airport functioned until 2001; however, in January 2002 the government closed the airport for flying activities because of security concerns following the New York attacks in September 2001 . Since then, the club only carries out aircraft maintenance courses and is used for helicopter rides to Indira Gandhi International Airport for VIP including

10044-568: Was captured and sacked by Timur in 1398, who massacred 100,000 captive civilians. Delhi's decline continued under the Sayyid dynasty (1414–1451), until the sultanate was reduced to Delhi and its hinterland. Under the Afghan Lodi dynasty (1451–1526), the sultanate recovered control of Punjab and the Gangetic plain to once again achieve domination over Northern India. However, the recovery

10152-710: Was conferred the 4th best airport award in the world in the 15–25 million category, by Airports Council International . The airport was rated as the Best airport in the world in the 25–40 million passengers category in 2015, by Airports Council International. Delhi Airport was awarded The Best Airport in Central Asia and Best Airport Staff in Central Asia at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2015. Hindon Domestic Airport in Ghaziabad

10260-521: Was considered to be the candidate most complacent and willing to cooperate with British interests in the region. Burnes, having long considered Shujah unfit to rule, had implored then Governor General Lord Auckland to endorse Dost Mohammad Khan to accede to the throne. His recommendations went unheeded and, on 3 November 1840, Dost Mohammad surrendered himself to British forces, going into exile in India. Despite his hesitation in endorsing Shujah; Burnes, along with Sir William Hay Macnaghten, 1st Baronet ,

10368-747: Was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the second airport for the Delhi-NCR Region on 8 March 2019. A second international airport open for commercial flights has been suggested either by expansion of Meerut Airport or construction of a new airport in Greater Noida . The Taj International Airport project in Jewar has been approved by the Uttar Pradesh government. The Delhi Flying Club , established in 1928 with two de Havilland Moth aircraft named Delhi and Roshanara ,

10476-553: Was inaugurated on 13 February 1931. New Delhi was officially declared as the capital of the Union of India after the country gained independence on 15 August 1947. It has expanded since; the small part of it that was constructed during the British period has come to be informally known as Lutyens' Delhi . During the partition of India , around five hundred thousand Hindu and Sikh refugees, mainly from West Punjab fled to Delhi, while around three hundred thousand Muslim residents of

10584-505: Was installed in Kabul as resident political officers, a position Burnes himself resented, calling himself "a highly paid idler". In Kabul, the reign of Shah Shuja was marked by tyranny and widespread poverty among the Afghan people. Shuja announced that he considered his own people to be "dogs" who needed to be taught to be obedient to their master, and spent his time exacting bloody vengeance on those Afghans who he felt had betrayed him. At

10692-825: Was not annexed by the Afghan Empire and being its vassal state under the Mughal emperor. Then the Marathas battled and won control of Delhi from the Afghans. In 1803, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War , the forces of British East India Company defeated the Maratha forces in the Battle of Delhi . During the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , Delhi fell to the forces of East India Company after

10800-516: Was noticeably increasing. Since the mid-1990s, Delhi has undertaken some measures to curb air pollution—it has the third-highest quantity of trees among Indian cities; the Delhi Transport Corporation operates the world's largest fleet of environmentally friendly compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. In 1996, the CSE started a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court of India that ordered

10908-467: Was one of the major host cities of the 2011 and 2023 Cricket World Cups . There are a number of myths and legends associated with the origin of the name Delhi . One of them is derived from Dhillu or Dilu , a king who built a city at this location in 50 BCE and named it after himself. Another legend holds that the name of the city is based on the Prakrit word dhili ( loose ) and that it

11016-527: Was part of a linguistic development that gave rise to the literature of Urdu and later Modern Standard Hindi . Major Urdu poets from Delhi include Mir Taqi Mir and Mirza Ghalib . Delhi was a notable centre of the Indian Rebellion of 1857 . In 1911, New Delhi , a southern region within Delhi, became the capital of the British Indian Empire . During the Partition of India in 1947, Delhi

11124-609: Was short-lived and the sultanate was destroyed in 1526 by Babur , founder of the Mughal dynasty . In 1526, Babur , a descendant of Genghis Khan and Timur from the Fergana Valley in modern-day Uzbekistan , invaded India and defeated the last Lodhi sultan in the First Battle of Panipat and founded the Mughal Empire that ruled from Delhi and Agra . The Mughal dynasty ruled Delhi for more than three centuries, with

11232-500: Was soon beaten and hacked to death by the mob. The events took place just half an hour's march from where the British troops had been stationed. One young officer, recording the event in his journal, noted "When 300 men would have been sufficient in the morning, 3000 would not have been adequate in the afternoon." He is commemorated in the name of the rufous-vented grass babbler Laticilla burnesii . Captain (OF-2) In some militaries, such as United States Army and Air Force and

11340-548: Was transformed from a Mughal city to a Punjabi one, losing two-thirds of its Muslim residents, in part due to the pressure brought to bear by arriving Hindu and Sikh refugees from western Punjab. After independence in 1947, New Delhi continued as the capital of the Dominion of India , and after 1950 of the Republic of India . Delhi ranks fifth among the Indian states and union territories in human development index , and has

11448-495: Was unable to support the company, or was otherwise court-martialed, he would be dismissed (" cashiered "), and the monarch would sell his commission to another nobleman to command the company. Otherwise, the only pension for the captain was selling the right to another nobleman when he was ready to retire. Many air forces, such as the United States Air Force , use a rank structure and insignia similar to those of

11556-462: Was used as the garrison treasury, holding pay for the entire British forces in Kabul. By nightfall, a large mob had assembled within the courtyard of Burnes's house. Burnes sent a runner to the cantonments asking for immediate assistance, before stepping out onto his balcony to attempt to reason with the crowd. Reportedly, assistance from the British army was delayed by a series of internal arguments between senior officers there on how best to respond to

11664-622: Was used by the Tomaras to refer to the city because the iron pillar of Delhi had a weak foundation and had to be moved. According to Panjab Notes and Queries, the name of the city at the time of King Prithviraj was dilpat , and that dilpat and dilli are probably derived from the old Hindi word dil meaning "eminence". The former director of the Archaeological Survey of India, Alexander Cunningham, mentioned that dilli later became dihli/dehli . Some suggest

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