1.
Delhi
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Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory of Delhi or NCT, is a city and a union territory of India. It is bordered by Haryana on three sides and by Uttar Pradesh to the east, the NCT covers an area of 1,484 square kilometres. According to 2011 census, Delhis city population was about 11 million, Delhis urban area is now considered to extend beyond the NCT boundary to include an estimated population of over 26 million people making it the worlds second largest urban area. As of 2016 recent estimates of the economy of its urban area have ranked Delhi either the top or second most productive metro area of India. Delhi is the second wealthiest city after Mumbai in India, with a wealth of $450 billion. Delhi has been inhabited since the 6th century BC. Through most of its history, Delhi has served as a capital of various kingdoms and it has been captured, ransacked and rebuilt several times, particularly during the medieval period, and modern Delhi is a cluster of a number of cities spread across the metropolitan region. New Delhi is jointly administered by the government of India and the local government of Delhi. Delhi is also the centre of the National Capital Region, which is a unique interstate regional planning area created by the National Capital Region Planning Board Act of 1985, Delhi ranks among the cities with the worst air pollution in the world. 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 BC and named it after himself. 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, another theory suggests that the citys original name was Dhillika. The people of Delhi are referred to as Delhiites or Dilliwalas, the city is referenced in various idioms of the Northern Indo-Aryan languages. Dilli dilwalon ka shehr or Dilli Dilwalon ki meaning Delhi belongs to the large-hearted/daring, aas-paas barse, Dilli pani tarse, literally meaning it pours all around, while Delhi lies parched. An allusion to the sometimes semi-arid climate of Delhi, it refers to situations of deprivation when one is surrounded by plenty. The area around Delhi was probably inhabited before the second millennium BC, the city is believed to be the site of Indraprastha, the legendary capital of the Pandavas in the Indian epic Mahabharata. According to Mahabharata, this land was initially a huge mass of forests called Khandavaprastha which was burnt down to build the city of Indraprastha, the earliest architectural relics date back to the Maurya period, in 1966, an inscription of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka was discovered near Srinivaspuri. Remains of eight cities have been discovered in Delhi
2.
Hyderabad, Sindh
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Hyderabad is a city located in the Sindh province of Pakistan. Hyderabad is the 4th largest city in Pakistan and the 2nd largest in the province of Sindh and it is located in south-east of the country. In AD711, Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh, Raja Dahir was a Hindu king who ruled over a Buddhist majority and that Chach of Alor and his kin were regarded as usurpers of the earlier Buddhist Rai Dynasty. The forces of Muhammad bin Qasim defeated Raja Dahir, Hyderabad is a city built on three hillocks cascading over each other. Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro of the Kalhora Dynasty founded the city in 1768 over the ruins of Neroon Kot, a formal concept for the city was laid out by his son, Sarfraz Khan in 1782. When the foundations were laid, the city obtained the nickname Heart of the Mehran as the ruler Mian Ghulam Shah himself was said to have fallen in love with the city. In 1768 he ordered a fort to be built on one of the three hills of Hyderabad to house and defend his people, the fort was built using fire-baked bricks, on account of which it was named Pacco Qillo meaning the strong fort. The City has a history of Sufism, in the 18th Century Syeds from Multan migrated and settled at Tando Jahania making it a sacred place for Muslims. These Syeds came here from Uch Sharif via Jahanian and these were the descendants of Jahaniyan Jahangasht a noted Sufi saint. The city is a multi-ethnic and has a mix of Sindhi, Urdu speaking Muhajirs, Brahuis, Punjabis, Pashtuns, Memons, the independence of Pakistan in 1947 saw the influx of Muslim Urdu-speaking Muhajirs from India fleeing from anti-Muslim pogroms. Mahjirs mainly live in Latifabad and Sindhi mainly live in Qasimabad areas, a large influx of Punjabis were attracted to Hyderabad after the Indus treaty settlement. Most Punjabis and Pakhtuns are distinct and separately living near the railway station, the city therefore has cosmopolitan atmosphere with multiethnic and multicultural communities. Hindus account for the largest religious minority forming 5% of the population of the city. While Christians account for 1% of the population, Hyderabad is the seat of a Diocese of the Church of Pakistan and has five churches. Two of Pakistans largest highways, the Indus Highway and the National Highway join at Hyderabad, several towns surrounding the city include Kotri at 6.7 kilometres, Jamshoro at 8.1 kilometres, Hattri at 5.0 kilometres and Husri at 7.5 kilometres. Hyderabad has a hot climate, with warm conditions year-round. The period from mid-April to late June is the hottest of the year, during this time, winds that blow usually bring along clouds of dust, and people prefer staying indoors in the daytime, while the breeze that flows at night is more pleasant. Winters are warm, with highs around 25 °C, though lows can drop below 10 °C at night
3.
Delhi Book
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Delhi Book or Delhie Book titled Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi is a collection of paintings done in company style, commissioned by Sir Thomas Metcalfe in 1844. It contains 120 paintings by Indian artists, mainly by Mughal painter, the book was bought by the British Library and displayed in London. It was commissioned by Sir Thomas Metcalfe, Governor-Generals Agent at the Imperial court of the Mughal Emperor, the paintings, done by Mughal painter, Mazhar Ali Khan, document the lifestyle of the last Mughal in 19th century Delhi. The book containing the paintings was sent to England for Metcalfes daughter, the Delhi Book is an album consisting of 89 folios with approximately 130 paintings by Indian artists. The paintings depict Mughal and pre-Mughal monuments of Delhi, the lives of native Indians as well as contemporary material. Metcalfe added extensive descriptions to almost all paintings and bound them into a book and he had assembled the album as a gift for his daughter, Emily, who at the time in 1844 lived in England. The most important feature of the book is that, it shows buildings as they were before the siege of Delhi during the Indian Mutiny, many of these structures were razed, vandalized or suffered neglect in the years following the Mutiny
4.
Fraser Album
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The Fraser Album is a collection of paintings commissioned by British Indian civil servant, William Fraser. It is considered among the greatest masterpieces of Indian art and this work is an important documentation of the Mughal empire towards its end. The artwork covered the life in Mughal era during the time and it compendium has portraits of villagers, soldiers, holy men, dancing women, Afghan horse-dealers, ascetics, village of Rania and Indian nobles. Some of the noted Mughal painters like Ghulam Ali Khan, his brother Faiz, the album works were painted between 1815 to 1819
5.
Company style
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The style blended traditional elements from Rajput and Mughal painting with a more Western treatment of perspective, volume and recession. Most paintings were small, reflecting the Indian miniature tradition, but the history paintings of plants. Leading centres were the main British settlements of Calcutta, Madras, Delhi, Lucknow, Patna, subjects included portraits, landscapes and views, and scenes of Indian people, dancers and festivals. Portfolios of animal or botanical subjects were also commissioned, and some erotic subjects, the techniques varied, but mostly drew on Western watercolour technique, from which transparency of texture, soft tones and modelling in broad strokes were borrowed. There were equivalent movements, but much smaller, around the French and Portuguese possessions in India and he, like his uncle Ghulam Murtaza Khan, also painted portraits of the last Mughal emperors and their courts. Paintings were mostly on paper, but sometimes on ivory, especially those from Delhi, the style developed in the second half of the 18th century, and by the early nineteenth century production was at a considerable level, with many of the cheaper paintings being copied by rote. By the 19th century many artists had shops to sell the work, the arrival of photography was a direct blow for the style, but it survived into the 20th century, Ishwari Prasad of Patna, who died in 1950, being perhaps the last notable exponent. In the late 19th century the British established several Schools of Art, Archer, Mildred and William G. Indian Painting for the British, 1770–1880 Archer, Mildred. Company Paintings, Indian Paintings of the British Period, london, Victoria and Albert Museum,1992. Room for Wonder, Indian Court Painting during the British Period, new York, American Federation of Arts,1978. New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, INVA article 45 images from the V&A Company painting from the Metropolitan
6.
Mughal emperors
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The Mughal emperors were a branch of the Timurid dynasty. From the early 16th century to the early 18th they built and ruled the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the countries of Bangladesh, India. Their power rapidly dwindled during the 18th century and the last of the emperors was deposed in 1857, with the establishment of the British Raj. The dynasty was of Asian Turco-Mongol origin from a now part of modern-day Uzbekistan. Timur is generally known in the West as Tamerlane the Great and its population at the time has been estimated as between 110 and 150 million, over a territory of more than 3.2 million square kilometres. Ousted from his domains in Central Asia by Uzbek Khan. He established himself in Kabul and then pushed steadily southward into India from Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass, baburs forces occupied much of northern India after his victory at Panipat in 1526. The preoccupation with wars and military campaigns, however, did not allow the new emperor to consolidate the gains he had made in India, the instability of the empire became evident under his son, Humayun, who was driven out of India and into Persia by rebels. Humayuns exile in Persia established diplomatic ties between the Safavid and Mughal Courts, and led to increasing West Asian cultural influence in the Mughal court, the restoration of Mughal rule began after Humayun’s triumphant return from Persia in 1555, but he died from a fatal accident shortly afterwards. Humayuns son, Akbar, succeeded to the throne under a regent, Bairam Khan, through warfare and diplomacy, Akbar was able to extend the empire in all directions, and controlled almost the entire Indian subcontinent north of the Godavari river. He created a new class of nobility loyal to him from the aristocracy of Indias social groups, implemented a modern government. At the same time Akbar intensified trade with European trading companies and he left his successors an internally stable state, which was in the midst of its golden age, but before long signs of political weakness would emerge. Akbars son, Jahangir, ruled the empire at its peak, but he was addicted to opium, neglected the affairs of the state, and came under the influence of rival court cliques. During the reign of Jahangirs son, Shah Jahan, the culture, the maintenance of the court, at this time, began to cost more than the revenue. Shah Jahans eldest son, the liberal Dara Shikoh, became regent in 1658, however, a younger son, Aurangzeb, allied with the Islamic orthodoxy against his brother, who championed a syncretistic Hindu-Muslim religion and culture, and ascended to the throne. Aurangzeb defeated Dara in 1659 and had him executed, although Shah Jahan fully recovered from his illness, Aurangzeb declared him incompetent to rule and had him imprisoned. During Aurangzebs reign, the empire gained political strength once more, Aurangzeb expanded the empire to include almost the whole of South Asia, but at his death in 1707, many parts of the empire were in open revolt. Aurangzebs son, Shah Alam, repealed the religious policies of his father, however, after his death in 1712, the Mughal dynasty sank into chaos and violent feuds
7.
Akbar II
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Akbar II, also known as Akbar Shah II, was the penultimate Mughal emperor of India. He reigned from 1806 to 1837 and he was the second son of Shah Alam II and the father of Bahadur Shah II. Akbar had little de facto power due to the increasing British influence of India through the East India Company. He sent Ram Mohan Roy as an ambassador to Britain and gave him the title of Raja. During his regime, in 1835, the East India Company discontinued calling itself subject of the Mughal Emperor, the Persian lines in the Companys coins to this effect were deleted. He is credited with starting the Hindu-Muslim unity festival Phool Walon Ki Sair His grave lies next to the dargah of 13th century Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki at Mehrauli. Prince Mirza Akbar was born on 22 April 1760 to Emperor Shah Alam II at Mukundpur, Satna, on 2 May 1781, at the Red Fort, the prince was made Crown Prince with the title of Wali Ahd Bahadur, after the death of his elder brother. In In 1782 he was appointed the viceroy of Assam until 1799, when the renegade eunuch Ghulam Qadir captured Delhi, the young Prince Mirza Akbar was forced to nautch dance together along with other Mughal princes and princesses. He witnessed how the members of the imperial Mughal family were humiliated, when Mahmud Shah fled, Mirza Akbar was titular Emperor with the title of Akbar Shah II, and was to remain acting emperor even after the reinstation of his father Shah Alam II, till December 1788. Emperor Akbar II presided over an empire titularly large but in limited to the Red Fort in Delhi alone. The cultural life of Delhi as a whole flourished during his reign, the British therefore reduced his titular authority to King of Delhi in 1835 and the East India Company ceased to act as the mere lieutenants of the Mughal Empire as they did from 1803 to 1835. Simultaneously they replaced Persian text with English text on the companys coins, the British encouraged the Nawab of Oudh and the Nizam of Hyderabad to take royal titles in order to further diminish the Emperors status and influence. Out of deference, the Nizam did not, but the Nawab of Awadh did so, Ram Mohan Roy submitted a well argued memorial on behalf of the Mughal ruler, but to no avail. His grave lies, next to the dargah of the 13th century, Sufi saint, Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki at Mehrauli, Delhi in an enclosure, along with that of Bahadur Shah I. Phool Walon Ki Sair Sair-e-Gulfaroshan It was year 1812, East India Company had penetrated to Mughal court completely and a Resident Officer was living inside the Red Fort, controlling the administration of India. Coins were struck by British Mints and name of Mughal Emperor was removed from currency. Emperor Shah Alam II had died, for whom people started saying at the end of his reign ‘Badshah Shah Alam, Az Delhi, Ta Palam’ which means, Emperor Shah Alam’s rule is from Delhi to Palam only. Shah Alam II’s son, Akbar II was the king and Archibald Seton. Next in line to throne, Crown Prince Mirza Jahangir was against British way of working, one day, this reckless young prince of 19 insulted Seton by calling him Lullu
8.
Bahadur Shah Zafar
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Mirza Abu Zafar Sirajuddin Muhammad Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last Mughal emperor. He was the son of and became the successor to his father, Akbar II. He used Zafar, a part of his name, for his nom de plume as an Urdu poet and he was a nominal Emperor, as the Mughal Empire existed in name only and his authority was limited only to the city of Delhi. Following his involvement in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the British exiled him to Rangoon in British-controlled Burma, Zafars father, Akbar II had been imprisoned by the British and he was not his father’s preferred choice as his successor. One of Akbar Shahs queens, Mumtaz Begum, pressured him to declare her son as his successor, however, The East India Company exiled Jahangir after he attacked their resident, in the Red Fort. Bahadur Shah Zafar presided over a Mughal Empire that only ruled the city Delhi, the Marathas installed Shah Alam II in the throne in 1772, under the protection of the Maratha general Mahadaji Shinde and maintained suzerainty over Mughal affairs in Delhi. The East India Company became the dominant political and military power in mid-nineteenth century India, outside the region controlled by the Company, hundreds of kingdoms and principalities, fragmented their land. The emperor was respected by the Company and had him a pension. The emperor permitted the Company to collect taxes from Delhi and maintain a force in it. Zafar never had any interest in statecraft or had any imperial ambition, after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the British exiled him from Delhi. Bahadur Shah Zafar was a noted Urdu poet, having written a number of Urdu ghazals, while some part of his opus was lost or destroyed during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, a large collection did survive, and was compiled into the Kulliyyat-i-Zafar. The court that he maintained was home to several prolific Urdu writers, including Mirza Ghalib, Dagh, Mumin, because of his neutral views on religions, some Indian kings and regiments accepted Zafar as the Emperor of India. On 12 May 1857, Zafar held his first formal audience in years after defeating. It was attended by several sepoys who treated him familiarly or disrespectfully, when the sepoys first arrived at Bahadur Shah Zafar’s court, he asked them why they had come to him because he had no means of maintaining them. Bahadur Shah Zafar’s conduct was indecisive, however, he yielded to the demands of the sepoys when he was told that they would not be able to win against the East India Company without him. On 16 May, sepoys and palace servants killed 52 Europeans who were prisoners of the palace, the executions took place under a peepul tree in front of the palace, despite Zafars protests. The aim of the executioners who were not the supporters of Zafar was to him in the killings. Once he had joined them, Bahadur Shah II took ownership for all the actions of the mutineers, though Zafar was dismayed by the looting and disorder, he gave his public support to the rebellion
9.
Jhajjar
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Jhajjar is a town in Jhajjar district in the Indian state of Haryana. It was split off of the Rohtak district on July 15,1997, as of 2011, Jhajjar District had a population of 956,907. Males constitute 54% of the population and females constitute 46%, Jhajjar has an average literacy rate of 80. 83%, higher than the national average of 74%. Male literacy is 89. 44%, and female literacy is 70. 16%, Jhajjar has its railway station, with code JHJ. The railway station of the city is situated on Gawalison-Dadri Road, the station station supports four trains, including the first CNG train of India and the Jaipur-Chandigarh Intercity train. Jhajjar City has Haryanas largest bus station situated on Rohtak-Jhajjar Nh-71 and this new bus station has an area of 38 acres, including parks for students
10.
Alwar
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Alwar is a city and administrative headquarters of Alwar District in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located around 150 km south of Delhi, and about 150 km north of Jaipur, Alwar is part of National Capital Region. Alwar is a part of the Ahirwal regional and it is also famous for its olive plantation in Tinkirudi. Alwar was formerly the capital of the state of Alwar which was ruled by kachwaha Rajputs. It was formerly spelt as Ulwar in British India and this placed it in last position in alphabetically ordered lists, so a king changed the spelling to Alwar to bring it to the top. Alwar is also known by the name Matsya Nagar, Alwar has most haunted place Bhangarh. Alwar dates back to 1000 AD, the king of Amer ruled the area in the eleventh century and his territory extended up to the present city of Alwar. He founded the city of Alpur in 1106 Vikrami samvat after his own name which eventually became Alwar, from time to time, Different sub-clans of Rajputs ruled Alwar. Such as Khanzada Rajputs, Nikumbh Rajputs, Badgujar Rajputs and Last was Naruka Rajputs who took the control over this area, marathas and Jats of Bharatpur also ruled this region for very short period. A brave Rajput Partap Singh took the Alawar Fort from Jat Raja of Bharatpur on an agreement and laid down the foundation for modern Alwar. Great Hindu King Hemu also born into a Brahmin family in Machari was, a Hindu emperor of North India during the 16th century, a period when the Mughals and Afghans were vying for power in the region. Hemu acceded to the throne of Delhi on 7 October 1556 after defeating Akbars Mughal forces in the Battle of Delhi in the Tughlakabad area in Delhi and he won twenty-two battles in succession and became the last Hindu emperor of India. He is sometimes known as the Napoleon of India and he died on 5 November 1556. The princely state of Alwar was ruled by Pratap Singh, a Rajput of the Kachwaha lineage and he was earlier jagirdar of dhai Gaon means two and half villages near macheri. A few years later, His successor Bakhtawar Singh ventured an armed incursion into neighbouring Jaipur, the senior Kachwaha state, and he was defeated, a fresh engagement was made with him by the East India Company, prohibiting him from political intercourse with other states without British consent. Alwar acceded unto the dominion of India following the independence of India in 1947, on 18 March 1948, the state merged with three neighbouring princely states to form the Matsya Union. On 15 May 1949, it was united with neighbouring princely states, the Residents of Alwar are from different communities. Alwar was a part of Matsya region, the principal communities are the Meenas, Rajputs, Ahirs, Meos and Gujjars
Media related to Ghulam Ali Khan at Wikimedia Commons