Shahjahanabad was the historic capital city of Mughal India. It was a treasure trove of culture and heritage. Its plan and design reflect a unique balance of architectural grandeur at its best incorporating indigenous materials and cross-cultural knowledge of architecture and technology. The city was founded by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the year 1639 and its construction completed in 1648. The imperial city was described by Mirza Ghalib in the following words “If the world is the body, Delhi is the soul” (IHC report, 2014)

This walled city reflects Hindu and Islamic influences which were borrowed from Mansara, an ancient treatise on architecture. The design known as the Karmuka or ‘bow’ which is well suited for cities located near a seashore or riverfront. The focal points of its architecture are the Red Fort and Jama Masjid while the construction of buildings and housing were done keeping in mind the local climatic conditions and the materials used were sourced from surrounding areas. The city was a microcosm of the empire at large. It was divided into various mohallas and katras and the intricate network of lanes and bylanes gave a pedestrian culture to the city.

This encouraged trade and commerce, promoted socialisation and led to the evolution of the finely cultivated art of conversation, which gave the city its glorious sheen.

The city saw many invasions from which it would recover due to its resilience. However, the British attack in the year 1857, the subsequent demolition of walls, gates and introduction of railway lines changed the design and dynamics of the city. The British established cantonment towns and the elite of the old city gravitated towards these new settlements while Shahjahanabad decayed. The fear of post partition mayhem in 1947 led many Muslim residents of Shahjahanabad to migrate towards Pakistan while the refugees from Pakistan were housed in the walled city and elsewhere. It is during this time that we see the migration towards the city of Muslims from the surrounding areas of Aligarh, Meerut who were escaping the fires and mayhem of partition riots.

In the 21st century, Shahjahanabad is known as an urban space with increasing congestion and rising density of population. The present living conditions are non-conducive for the residents. It has turned into a site of chaos, dilapidated buildings, traffic jams, crumbling infrastructure, and unauthorised constructions. These problems are a result of institutional apathy and poor planning.

In our race towards ‘smart cities’ we should not forget our culture and heritage, most importantly, the systemic neglect and bureaucratic indifference towards the people living in the area. Mughal splendor and its syncretic culture which was once the hallmark of Shahjahanabad is now a distant memory. The present scenario depicts the friction between communities who once thrive in the ecosystem of interdependence.