SHAJAHANABAD, aka "Old Delhi"

The Mughal emperors shifted their base from Delhi to Agra. But Shah Jahan, the man who gave the Taj Mahal to the world, returned to Delhi and established Shahjahanabad (a city with the colossal Red Fort and its 14 gates).

The fort still stands along with the historic architecture of the Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk.

Let's compare Shajahanabad (Old Delhi)'s maps:

Delhi underwent an evolution! The main areas on the maps are:

1. Chandni Chowk
2. Red Fort
3. Jama Masjid

The Red Fort and Jama Masjid were the straight point for two straight thoroughfares that framed the city. From Lahore Gate ran a broad avenue with a covered arcade-designed and paid for by JahanAra that housed over 1500 shops, known today as Chatta Bazaar.  The remains of Shahjahanabad took shape within the city walls with its 'havelis, mansions, mosques, temples, Sikh shrines and the gardens of the nobility. The walled and guarded establishments of these noble man included private living quarters for the nobles and their harem.

Old Delhi was surrounded by a wall enclosing approximately 1500 acres, with several gates, comprising:

• Nigambodh Gate - North/East, leading to historic Nigambodh ghat on Yamuna River.
• Kashmiri Gate - North
• Mori Gate - North
• Kabuli Gate - West
• Lahori Gate - West
• Ajmeri Gate - South East, leading to Ghaziuddin Khan`s Madrassa and Connaught Place; a major center point in New Delhi.
• Turkman Gate - South East, nearby some pre-Shah jahan remains, which got enclosed within the walls, incorporating the tomb of Hazrat Shah Turkman.
• Delhi Gate - South; leading to Feroz Shah Kotla cricket ground and what was then older habitation of Delhi.

The key constituents of Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) are:

• A centrally located Friday mosque.
• A bazaar around it with very distinct socio-economic differentiations from centre to the periphery.
• A fortified city wall.
• An imposing fort.
• Intra - urban divisions of living quarters.
• Blind alleys.

The city was separated from the surrounding land by a wall and a moat. Passing through the city’s gates marked the passage from one dominion to another. The main thoroughfares, the secondary roads and the bazaars were public space. The members of the imperial household who lived outside the fort/ palace built large havellis on the model of the imperial design of the Red Fort. As a rule these city palaces accommodated not only the owner and his family, but also their numerous followers, servants and craftsmen with their workshops. The internal organization of the space within the havellis was therefore also based on the strict distinction between the public, semi-private and private space. Day-to-day activities in the courtyard was not only suited climatically but also enhanced the living experience.

A hierarchy of streets emerges in the layout of the city as well. Primary streets were the main axes of the city, particularly Chandni Chowk and Faiz bazaar. The secondary streets were the ones which entered the south of the city from Chandni Chowk. The secondary street structure also includes the streets that are parallel to the city walls, forming a concentric ring in the southern part of the city. They then intermingle at 'chowks' with the third layering of streets, which derive their character from the fact that they are perpendicular to the main mosque, Jama Masjid.

The urban infrastructure was laid out in a geometric pattern . It shows traces of both Persian and Hindu traditions of town planning and architecture with the Persian influence largely accounting for the formalism and symmetry of the palaces, gardens and boulevards. The designed infrastructure of Shahjahanabad comprised:

• The fort.
• The Friday mosque (Jama Masjid).
• The other major mosques, including the corresponding waqf properties.
• The two main boulevards.
• The bazaars around the Friday mosque.
• The elaborate system of water channels.
• The major gardens.
• The surrounding city wall.

The arrangement of these planned elements was influenced by certain site features, which precluded absolute geometry.

The Fort just as Shahjahanabad was divided into imperial (fort/ palace) and ordinary city space. Its axes were precisely aligned with the cardinal points of the compass. The Fort throughout is based on an extensive grid of squares.

With the advent of the British rule, Delhi went through a transformation. It expanded beyond the walled city. A planned new city took shape, blending the Mughal and British architectural styles. The man who created the New Delhi we see today was Sir Edwin Lutyens.