Why delhi became capital of india

But on October 16, , the British sliced the state into two - Muslim eastern areas and Hindu western areas. The partition, aimed at taking control of the state, under 'divide and rule' policy inflamed nationalist sentiments and lead to a call to boycott all foreign goods.

Eventually, bombings and political assassinations took place in Calcutta. Since Calcutta had now become less than a hospitable place for them, the British were in a rush to leave the city. Hardinge's plan was approved by the first British monarch, King George V who announced the reunification of Bengal and decided to immediately move the Capital. Shahajanabad old Delhi no doubt had been the capital during the Mughal era but it wasn't equipped enough to accommodate the British.

The new capital was carved out from undivided Punjab province and was named 'New Delhi' in Initially, everyone was hoping that the new capital would be ready within four years. But unavoidable events like World War I delayed the process to over 20 years. The war, which imposed stringent funding constraints, affected the construction of the capital of British India.

As they say, swift as an arrow, the British set up a temporary seat of government in Civil Lines. And in , constructed a secretariat building to house government offices while the North and South Blocks were constructed on Raisina Hill in New Delhi.

However, for Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker it took another 20 years to complete 'New Delhi' before it could be inaugurated as the capital of undivided India in Calcutta was situated in the eastern coastal part of the country, while Delhi was located in the northern part. So what led to New Delhi being selected as capital of India in the first place?

Quiz yourself: Closest Capitals to New Delhi. Calcutta spelled Kolkata today was the capital of India during the rule of the British Raj. It was established in after three nearby villages came into possession of the British East India Company, which was looking to trade in the region. As Calcutta steadily grew, it would serve as the capital of all British territories in India until What happened in ? Well, Calcutta had become a center of Indian nationalism starting in the late 19th century.

Dissatisfied with colonial rule, unrest in the city began to grow. Protests and boycotts in the city became common, and the colonial government was becoming nervous. Even today, modern Kolkata remains a hotbed of contemporary politics. The civic unrest in Calcutta was coupled with the fact that the city had many geographical disadvantages. All this led the British government to begin seeking a new capital of India. When the decision to move capitals was made, Delhi was a natural choice.

Delhi had served as the political, financial, and cultural center of many past Indian empires, such as the Mughal Empire from to In , the Land Acquisition Act set aside land for the construction of a new capital in Delhi. It was desired that the general character of the architecture must incorporate traditions of Indian art and should harmonise with the monuments of Old Delhi.

On 8th May it was decided that they would no longer have a competition and that Messrs Baker and Lutyens will be employed as the principal architects and general architectural advisers. The Committee wanted an area of 15 sq.

The British took the following sites into consideration. In its final report, the Delhi Town Planning Committee prepared a layout which divided the new capital into three main categories.

The first focused on the buildings that the Government would provide before the new city became the seat of the government, the second focused on the buildings that the Government could add later on to the new city and the third included the buildings that were to be constructed by private agencies. Priority was given to the first category and major projects that fell under this were:. The height of the Raisina Hill and the high ground behind it was seen as an advantage.

Lutyens and Baker incorporated Indian architectural elements in their buildings. Parliament House designed by Baker, was initially not a separate building but a part of the Government House. It was called the Council Chamber. With an increase in the number of members, the Government felt the need to create a bigger building.

The layout of the new city included gardens, parks and fountains. Thirteen kinds of special trees were selected by the Committee for the avenues like Jamun, Neem, Imli, Arjan, Mulberry etc.

These varieties were selected based on the idea that once planted and given sufficient water, they would require no costly upkeep. The estimated cost of the project as of was Rs. The work was substantially completed by 31st December The new imperial city spanned across acres.