48-511: Mehrauli is a neighbourhood in South Delhi , Delhi , India. It represents a constituency in the legislative assembly of Delhi. The area is close to Gurugram and next to Vasant Kunj . Mehrauli is one of the seven medieval cities that make up the present union territory of Delhi. The Lal Kot fort was constructed by the Tomar chief Anangpal I around 731 AD and expanded by AnangPal II in
96-690: A region, the Mughals always sought to occupy a strategic fortress in some region, which would serve as a nodal point from which the Mughal army would emerge to take on any enemy that challenged the empire. This system was not only expensive but also made the army somewhat inflexible as the assumption was always the enemy would retreat into a fortress to be besieged or would engage in a set-piece decisive battle of annihilation on open ground. The Hindu Marathas were expert horsemen who refused to engage in set-piece battles, but rather engaged in campaigns of guerrilla warfare upon
144-418: A syncretistic mixture of Hinduism and Islam. Akbar allowed freedom of religion at his court and attempted to resolve socio-political and cultural differences in his empire by establishing a new religion, Din-i-Ilahi , with strong characteristics of a ruling cult. He left his son an internally stable state, which was in the midst of its golden age, but before long signs of political weakness would emerge. Akbar
192-473: A territory of more than 4 million square kilometres (1.5 million square miles). Mughal power rapidly dwindled during the 18th century and the last emperor, Bahadur Shah II , was deposed in 1857, with the establishment of the British Raj . The Mughal Empire was founded by Babur , a Timurid prince and ruler from Central Asia . Babur was a direct descendant of Timur , the 14th century founder of
240-617: Is an administrative district of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in India with its headquarters in Saket. Administratively, the district is divided into three subdivisions, Saket , Hauz Khas , and Mehrauli . It is bounded by the Yamuna River to the east, the districts of New Delhi to the north, Faridabad district of Haryana to the southeast, Gurgaon District of Haryana to
288-545: Is home to historical monuments and has easy access to the Delhi Metro , making it a preferred location for many visitors to India and domestic middle-class visitors from other Indian states. The area attracts young tourists with numerous hip hostels and cafes . The division shown on the map bears only administrative significance, as to the common citizen, broadly speaking Delhi is vaguely ring-like, having five regions, namely North, West, South, East and Central. The usage of
336-666: Is like any ordinary neighborhood today, its past is what distinguishes it in terms of architecture. Ahinsa Sthal is a Jain temple in Mehrauli. The main deity of the temple is Mahavira , the 24th and last Tirthankara (human spiritual guide) of a present half cycle of time. A magnificent statue of Tirthankara Mahavira is installed here. Even though the capital shifted from Mehrauli after the Mamluk dynasty rule came to an end, many other dynasties contributed significantly to Mehrauli's architecture. The most visible piece of architecture remains
384-594: Is reserved for women, while the other two are unreserved. As of September 2024, AAP's Naresh Yadav is the MLA of Mehrauli. The councillor for Lado Sarai is Rajeev Sansanwal (AAP), for Mehrauli is Rekha Mahender Chaudhary (AAP), and for Vasant Kunj is Jagmohan Mehlawat (BJP). Concealed in a black polythene bag, a tiffin box bomb was dropped by two unidentified persons riding a motorcycle in Mehrauli's Sarai electronic market on 27 September 2008, killing 3 people and injuring 23 others. South Delhi district South Delhi
432-567: Is the first true arch in Indo-Islamic architecture . Another tomb, that of Balban's son, Khan Shahid, who died before he could be crowned, is also located nearby in Mehrauli Archeological Park. A baoli or stepwell known as Rajon Ki Baoli was constructed in 1506 during Sikandar Lodhi 's reign. It was used to store water though it is now completely dried and is now known as Sukhi Baoli (dry well). The Jamali Kamali Mosque
480-474: The Delhi Development Authority demolished a 600-year-old mosque, madrasa and several graves without any prior notice. The demolition was criticized by several historians and scholars. Post Delhi's 2022 municipal delimitation, the Mehrauli assembly constituency (AC-45) comprises 3 municipal wards, which are Lado Sarai (ward 154), Mehrauli (ward 155), and Vasant Kunj (ward 156). Of these, ward 155
528-710: The Delhi Metro , namely the Yellow and Magenta lines pass through the district. The nearest railway station is Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station . The nearest airport is Indira Gandhi International Airport , located towards west of the district. South district is considered to be the most affluent of all residential districts of Delhi, other than the districts falling under Lutyen's Delhi, viz. New Delhi and Central Delhi . With upscale areas like Saket , Sainik Farm , Malviya Nagar , Hauz Khas , Greater Kailash , Green Park , Rama Krishna Puram , Gulmohar Park , Gulmohar enclave , Vasant Vihar and Vasant Kunj , it has one of
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#1732851958034576-628: The Hauz Khas locality of South Delhi. The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade of Delhi is located in the Qutub Institutional Area of South Delhi. Sangam Vihar is also located in South Delhi, which has the highest population in the state. The top Central University Jamia Millia Islamia is situated in the Jamia Nagar area of South Delhi. Further, University of Delhi South Campus which is one of
624-644: The Mughal Empire , who were all members of the Timurid dynasty ( House of Babur ), ruled the empire from its inception on 21 April 1526 to its dissolution on 21 September 1857. They were the supreme monarchs of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent , mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India , Pakistan , Afghanistan and Bangladesh . They ruled many parts of India from 1526, and by 1707, and ruled most of
672-667: The Timurid empire on his father's side, and Genghis Khan on his mother's side. Ousted from his ancestral domains in Turkestan by Shaybani Khan , the 40-year-old prince Babur turned to India to satisfy his ambitions. He established himself in Kabul and then pushed steadily southward into India from Afghanistan through the Khyber Pass . Babur's forces occupied much of northern India after his victory at Panipat in 1526. The preoccupation with wars and military campaigns, however, did not allow
720-546: The 11th century, who shifted his capital to Lal Kot from Kannauj .The Tomars were defeated by the Chauhans in the 12th century. Prithviraj Chauhan further expanded the fort, which is now Qila Rai Pithora . He was defeated and killed in 1192 by Mohammed Ghori , who put his general Qutb-ud-din Aybak in charge and returned to Afghanistan. Subsequently in 1206, after the death of Mohammed Ghori, Qutubuddin enthroned himself as
768-654: The Aravallis foothills are few examples. It has a good mix of concrete and greens. According to the 2011 census South Delhi has a total population of 2,731,929, comprising 1,467,428 males (53.8%) and 1,264,501 females (46.2%), roughly equal to the nation of Jamaica or the US state of Nevada . This gives it a ranking of 144th in India (out of a total of 640 ). The district has a population density of 10,935 inhabitants per square kilometre (28,320/sq mi). Its population growth rate over
816-497: The Marathas. The Indian campaign of Nader Shah of Persia culminated with the Sack of Delhi and shattered the remnants of Mughal power and prestige, as well as capturing the imperial treasury, thus drastically accelerating its decline. Many of the empire's elites now sought to control their own affairs and broke away to form independent kingdoms. The Mughal emperor, however, continued to be
864-421: The Mughal supply lines. The Marathas were unable to take the Mughal fortresses via a storm or formal siege as they lacked the artillery, but by constantly intercepting supply columns, they were able to starve Mughal fortresses into submission. Successive Mughal commanders refused to adjust their tactics and develop an appropriate counter-insurgency strategy, which led to the Mughals losing more and more ground to
912-830: The Qutub Minar which was built by Qutb ud-Din Aibak with subsequent additions by Iltutmish and Alauddin Khalji . The Qutb Minar complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site , and also the venue for the annual Qutub Festival .Mausoleum of a 13th-century Sufi saint, Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki , is also situated near the Qutub Minar Complex and the venue for the annual Phoolwalon-ki-sair Festival. The dargah complex also houses graves of later Mughal emperors, Bahadur Shah I , Shah Alam II , and Akbar II , in an adjacent marble enclosure. To
960-607: The South Delhi district. It was originally created after the construction of New Delhi . Jahaz Mahal , Zafar Mahal , Hauz Khas Complex , Bijay Mandal , Qutub Minar , Mehrauli Archaeological Park , and the Safdarjung's Tomb comprise some of South Delhi's most scenic heritage sites. The administrative district had 20% green cover, as of 2009. It has several spacious green parks, wildlife sanctuary, biodiversity parks, and green belts. Deer Park and Rose Garden in Hauz Khas , Asola Wildlife Sanctuary close to Delhi's southern border on
1008-452: The authority of the emperor, accepting him only as 'King of Delhi' and removing all references to him from their coinage. After the Indian rebellion which he nominally led from 1857–58, the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar , was deposed by the British, who then assumed formal control of a large part of the former empire, marking the start of the British Raj . Titular emperors Over
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#17328519580341056-520: The court, however, began to exceed the revenue being levied. Shah Jahan's eldest son, the liberal Dara Shikoh , became regent in 1658, as a result of his father's illness. Dara championed a syncretistic Hindu-Muslim religion and culture. With the support of the Islamic orthodoxy, however, a younger son of Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb , seized the throne. Aurangzeb defeated Dara in 1659 and had him executed. Although Shah Jahan fully recovered from his illness, there
1104-622: The decade 2001–2011 was 20.59%. The religious composition of the population is predominantly Hindu, making up 78.8% (2,155,759 adherents), followed by Muslims at 16.3% (445,914). Other religious communities include Christians, numbering 1.5% (41,880); Sikhs, with 2.5% (69,520); Buddhists at 0.1% (3,862); and Jains, totaling 0.4% (11,020). Many renowned markets of Delhi such as Sarojini Nagar Market , Green Park Market, etc. and malls such as DLF Avenue , MGF Metropolitan , Select Citywalk , Malviya Nagar , etc. are located in South Delhi. South Delhi has three administrative divisions: Two lines of
1152-532: The empire heavily in both militarily and financially. A further problem for Aurangzeb was the army had always been based upon the land-owning aristocracy of northern India who provided the cavalry for the campaigns, and the empire had nothing equivalent to the janissary corps of the Ottoman Empire. The long and costly conquest of the Deccan had badly diminished the "aura of success" that surrounded Aurangzeb, and from
1200-731: The empire's decline, but he ultimately had to seek the protection of outside powers. In 1784, the Marathas under Mahadaji Shinde won acknowledgement as the protectors of the emperor in Delhi, a state of affairs that continued until after the Second Anglo-Maratha War . Thereafter, the East India Company became the protectors of the Mughal dynasty in Delhi . After 1835 the Company no longer recognised
1248-457: The fabulous wealth of the Mughal court, but the glittering court hid darker realities, namely that about a quarter of the empire's gross national product was owned by 655 families while the bulk of India's 120 million people lived in appalling poverty. After suffering what appears to have been an epileptic seizure in 1578 while hunting tigers, which he regarded as a religious experience , Akbar grew disenchanted with Islam, and came to embrace
1296-510: The first Sultan of Delhi . Thus Delhi became the capital of the Mamluk dynasty of Delhi ( Slave dynasty ), the first dynasty of Muslim sultans to rule over northern India. Mehrauli remained the capital of the Mamluk dynasty which ruled until 1290. During the Khilji dynasty , the capital shifted to Siri . In 12th-century Jain scriptures, the location is also mentioned as Yogninipura , now noticeable by
1344-447: The highest land prices in Delhi. Urban villages in South Delhi, like Hauz Khas Village , and Shahpur Jat have become hub for designer boutiques, restaurants and art galleries and design studios. The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi , All India Institute of Medical Sciences and National Institute of Fashion Technology , three of the country's premier institutes in the field of technology, medicine and fashion respectively lie in
1392-561: The highest manifestation of sovereignty. Not only the Muslim gentry, but the Maratha, Hindu, and Sikh leaders took part in ceremonial acknowledgements of the emperor as the sovereign of India. In the next decades, the Afghans , Sikhs , and Marathas battled against each other and the Mughals, revealing the fragmented state of the empire. The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II made futile attempts to reverse
1440-505: The kingdom stretched to 3.2 million square kilometres, including parts of what are now India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. After his death in 1707, "many parts of the empire were in open revolt." Aurangzeb's attempts to reconquer his family's ancestral lands in Central Asia were not successful while his successful conquest of the Deccan region proved to be a pyrrhic victory that cost
1488-433: The labyrinth of its passages, it was later used by the British as a residence, rest house and even as a police station. Close to Adham Khan's tomb, lies that of another Mughal General, Muhammad Quli Khan , later it served as the residence of Sir Thomas Metcalfe , governor-general's agent at the Mughal court. The Mehrauli Archaeological Park spread over 200 acres, adjacent to Qutb Minar site was redeveloped in 1997. Most of
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1536-568: The late 17th century onwards, the aristocracy became increasingly unwilling to provide forces for the empire's wars as the prospect of being rewarded with land as a result of a successful war was seen as less and less likely. Furthermore, at the conclusion of the conquest of the Deccan, Aurangzeb had very selectively rewarded some of the noble families with confiscated land in the Deccan, leaving aristocrats unrewarded with confiscated land feeling strongly disgruntled and unwilling to participate in further campaigns. Aurangzeb's son, Shah Alam , repealed
1584-452: The left of the dargah, lies Zafar Mahal , the summer palace of the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar along with Moti Masjid , a small mosque, built for private prayer by the son of Aurangzeb , Bahadur Shah I . Balban's tomb belonging to Balban , Mamluk dynasty ruler of Delhi Sultanate was constructed here in the 13th century can still be seen through in a dilapidated condition. The architecturally important structure as it
1632-457: The monuments and heritage buildings in Mehrauli today lie in a state of despair. Due to unplanned urban sprawl especially after the Partition of India , most havelis , mosques and baolis were occupied and razed to build houses. Poor restoration and conservation have led to the disappearance, encroachment and vandalization of many heritage buildings. In February 2024, a controversy erupted after
1680-676: 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 into exile in Persia by rebels. Humayun's 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 an accident shortly afterwards. Humayun's son, Akbar , succeeded to
1728-918: The oldest universities in India has its southern campus in the region. The southern campus is a part of the proposed four direction-based campuses in Delhi with East and West campuses currently in progress. This district has thriving medieval era colonies or sarais, which now are severely congested and under neglect. These include Chirag Delhi, Kalu Sarai, Jia Sarai , Ber Sarai , Lado Sarai, Katwaria Sarai , Yusuf Sarai , Hauz Khas Village , Munirka , Kotla Mubarakpur , Begumpur , Saidulajaib , Mohammadpur, Khirki Village, Adhchini, Chhattarpur Village, Aayaa Nagar, Maandi Village, and Dera Village. Many important city roads such as Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road , Aurobindo Marg , August Kranti Marg, Press Enclave Road, etc. fall in this district, while arterial roads like Inner Ring Road and Outer Ring Road pass through it. Mughal Emperor The emperors of
1776-648: The presence of the " Yogmaya Temple ", near the Qutub Minar complex, believed to have been built by the Pandavas . It was also the execution place of Banda Singh Bahadur after he sacked the regional Mughal capital of Samana . Mehrauli lies in the South district of Delhi at 28°30′57″N 77°10′39″E / 28.51583°N 77.17750°E / 28.51583; 77.17750 . To its north lies Malviya Nagar. Vasant Kunj lies to its West and Tughlakabad to its south. Like
1824-509: The reign of Aurangzeb , the empire, as the world's largest economy and manufacturing power, worth over 25% of global GDP, controlled nearly all of the Indian subcontinent, extending from Dhaka in the east to Kabul in the west and from Kashmir in the north to the Kaveri River in the south. Its population at the time is estimated to be 158,400,000 (a quarter of the world's population), over
1872-606: The religious policies of his father and attempted to reform the administration. "However, after his death in 1712, the Mughal dynasty sank into chaos and violent feuds. In the year 1719 alone, four emperors successively ascended the throne". During the reign of Muhammad Shah , the empire began to break up, and vast tracts of central India passed from Mughals to the Marathas hands. Mughal warfare had always been based upon heavy artillery for sieges, heavy cavalry for offensive operations and light cavalry for skirmishing and raids. To control
1920-447: The rest of Delhi, Mehrauli has a semi-arid climate with high variation between summer and winter temperatures. While the summer temperatures may go up to 46 °C, the winters can seem freezing to people used to a warm climate with near 0 °C. The soil of Mehrauli consists of sandy loam to loam texture. The water level has gone down in the recent past hovering between 45 m to 50 m due to rise in population. Though Mehrauli
1968-456: The southwest, and South West Delhi to the west. South Delhi has a population of 2,731,929 (2011 census), and an area of 250 square kilometres (97 sq mi), with a population density of 9,034 persons per km (23,397 persons per mi ). The South Delhi neighborhood of Hauz Khas is witnessing the growth of trendy shops and lodgings. It is now becoming the center for domestic and international tourists and backpackers. The area also
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2016-689: The subcontinent. Afterwards, they declined rapidly, but nominally ruled territories until the Indian Rebellion of 1857 , where they gave their last stand against the invading British forces in India. The Mughal dynasty was founded by Babur ( r. 1526–1530 ), a Timurid prince from the Fergana Valley (modern-day Uzbekistan ), was a direct descendant of both Timur and Genghis Khan . The Mughal emperors had significant Indian Rajput and Persian ancestry through marriage alliances as emperors were born to Rajput and Persian princesses. During
2064-556: The term South Delhi in day-to-day life expands from Delhi 's IGI Airport in the New Delhi district to the river Yamuna in the South East, a region protruding into administrative South West Delhi district. South Delhi is a vast area in the city of Delhi and contains many significant locations. Of the eleven 'historical cities' of Delhi, three, viz. Qila Rai Pithora (1st), Mehrauli (2nd) and Siri (including Hauz Khas ) (3rd) fall in
2112-570: The throne under a regent, Bairam Khan , who helped consolidate the Mughal Empire in India. 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 ruling elite loyal to him, implemented a modern administration, and encouraged cultural developments. He increased trade with European trading companies. The Indian historian Abraham Eraly wrote that foreigners were often impressed by
2160-438: Was a succession war for the throne between Dara and Aurangzeb. Finally, Aurangzeb succeeded the throne and kept Shah Jahan under house arrest. During Aurangzeb's reign, the empire gained political strength once more, and it became the world's largest economy, over a quarter of the world GDP, but his establishment of Sharia caused huge controversies. Aurangzeb expanded the empire to include a huge part of South Asia. At its peak,
2208-471: Was also interested in elevating the way individuals view leaders with the stylings of his clothes and ensemble. Akbar's son, Jahangir , was addicted to opium , neglected the affairs of the state, and came under the influence of rival court cliques . During the reign of Jahangir's son, Shah Jahan , the splendour of the Mughal court reached its peak, as exemplified by the Taj Mahal . The cost of maintaining
2256-498: Was built by Sir Thomas Theophilus Metcalfe in true English style as a pleasure retreat by surrounding it with many rest houses, follies, and gardens. 'Dilkhusha' in Urdu means "Delight of the Heart". The Adham Khan's Tomb was constructed by Mughal Emperor Akbar in memory of his foster brother and general Adham Khan in 1566. The tomb, also known as Bhulbhulaiyan , as one could get lost in
2304-615: Was built in 1528, in honour of the Sufi saint Shaikh Hamid bin Fazlullah, also known as Dervish Shaikh tahaJamali Kamboh Dihlawi or Jalal Khan. The saint's tomb built-in 1536 upon his death is adjacent to the mosque. Near the Jamali Kamali lies the tomb of Quli Khan, which during the British period was converted into a country house by the Metcalfe family. Known as 'the retreat' or ' Dilkhusha ', this
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