Imperial Land Grab: How Britain Bulldozed Villages to Crown New Delhi

Ancient Legacies and Rural Tranquility: Delhi’s Landscape Before 1911

Delhi’s history as a political epicenter spans over two millennia, from the mythical Indraprastha in the Mahabharata to capitals under various dynasties including the Tomaras, Chauhans, Slave Dynasty, Khiljis, Tughlaqs, Lodis, and Mughals. By the 19th century, following British conquest in the 1803 Battle of Delhi, Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi) functioned as a provincial hub in the North-Western Provinces. The southern regions destined for New Delhi were rural, featuring arid ridges, scrublands, and villages populated by Jats, Gujjars, and Meos, who sustained themselves through agriculture, herding, and trade. This area, part of Delhi District in Punjab Province, had low population and productivity due to infertile soil and inadequate irrigation. Villages such as Raisina (on Raisina Hill), Malcha, Kushak, Pelanjee, Dasgarah, Talkatora, Motibagh, Todapur, and Jaisinghpur were prominent. British gazetteers from 1909 portrayed the Delhi Ridge as rugged and underutilized, dotted with ruins but marginal to development. Calcutta remained the capital since 1858, but Bengali nationalism—sparked by the 1905 Partition of Bengal, boycotts, and violence—prompted a relocation to a central, historically significant site. Manuscripts from India Office Records emphasize Delhi’s imperial allure in this decision.

The Turning Point: 1911 and the Delhi Durbar Proclamation

On December 12, 1911, at the lavish Delhi Durbar in Coronation Park—drawing over 80,000 attendees—King George V proclaimed the capital’s shift from Calcutta to Delhi. This secretive announcement reversed the Bengal Partition, aiming to curb regional unrest and capitalize on Delhi’s centrality and prestige. Punjab administration reports justified it for efficiency and control amid anti-colonial fervor. New Delhi’s planning commenced south of Old Delhi, with Raisina Hill chosen for its elevation. Surveys invoked the Land Acquisition Act of 1894, enabling compulsory seizure for public use with market-value compensation. Official notes detail compensation for about 30 settlements fully acquired or evacuated, though broader impacts affected 150 villages. Notifications were issued, but the process was coercive, especially for illiterate farmers.

1912–1919: Acquisition, Displacement, and Wartime Delays

In 1912, Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker were appointed to design the imperial city, fusing neoclassical and Indian elements to embody British rule. The foundation stone shifted from Kingsway Camp to Raisina Hill. Acquisition targeted 17,000 acres from roughly 150 villages, with 20–30 directly displaced for core areas. Razed villages included Raisina (for Viceroy’s House, now Rashtrapati Bhavan), Malcha (Award No. 30 of 1911–12), Kushak, Pelanjee, Dasgarah, Talkatora, Motibagh, Todapur, and parts of Jaisinghpur and Aliganj. The British quarried ridges for stone, cleared forests, and demolished villages for boulevards, offices, and residences. Compensation under the 1894 Act was low—e.g., Rs 35 per acre for arable land, Rs 15 for non-arable—and often unclaimed due to poor notifications or bank deposits inaccessible to villagers. In Malcha, farmers resisted, facing violence and deaths while demanding fairer terms like Rs 2,400 per acre for fertile land. Displaced groups migrated to Gurgaon (now Gurugram) in Haryana, Delhi’s urban edges, or Punjab’s canal colonies touted as better prospects. British reports portrayed relocations as advantageous for revenue. World War I (1914–1918) paused work, redirecting resources; temporary camps in Timarpur and Wazirabad caused further evictions. Indian Historical Records Commission manuscripts highlight logistical issues and scant community input.

1920–1931: Resumed Construction, Grievances, and Inauguration

Post-war, construction employed over 30,000 workers from Rajputana and Punjab to build India Gate (1921) and Princes’ Park on ex-village lands. Rail rerouting in Paharganj disrupted more areas. Disputes over compensation continued; court records show appeals on undervaluations, with biases favoring garden over village lands. Nominal payments proved insufficient, prompting migrations to Haryana or Punjab canals. On February 13, 1931, Viceroy Lord Irwin inaugurated New Delhi, a costly emblem of empire built on vanished villages. The endeavor boosted colonial revenues by resettling farmers elsewhere.

Post-1931: Partition Upheaval, Modern Claims, and Enduring Injustices

The 1947 Partition surged Delhi’s population with refugees, who settled on acquired lands in colonies like Lajpat Nagar and Defence Colony. Pre-Partition displacees’ issues receded post-independence. Recent judgments revive debates: In 2011, Delhi High Court addressed 1911 acquisitions, with petitions for market-rate compensation. A 2017 Supreme Court decision barred stale claims under the 2013 Act to curb endless suits. Malcha and Raisina descendants protest in Haryana over unclaimed funds. New Delhi’s origin illustrates colonial dispossession: lands appropriated, villages eradicated, and people uprooted with inadequate remedy, influencing contemporary urban conflicts.

References and Evidence

This article draws from historical records, government reports, manuscripts, court judgments, and scholarly sources. Below is a comprehensive list of all cited sources, including titles, publication details where available, and URLs for access. Evidence includes direct quotes, data on villages and compensation from British-era documents, and modern legal outcomes.

1. Construction of New Delhi -(Details on planning, architects, and wartime delays.)
2. How areas like Lajpat Nagar and Defense Colony grew after partition? Covers displacement of 300 families and post-Partition settlements.)
3. Delhi Reborn: Introduction | Stanford University Press – (Historical context of conquests and displacements.)
4. A Historical Picture of New Delhi (1911-Present) – (Commissioning and 20-year construction timeline.)
5. **** [PDF] Displacement and city- making in a Delhi neighbourhood – https://publications.goettingen-research-online.de/bitstream/2/99036/1/muslim-pasts-and-presents-displacement-and-city-making-in-a-delhi-neighbourhood.pdf (Post-colonial displacements and departures.)
6. **** New Delhi – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhi (Foundation stone, Durbar announcement, and inauguration.)
7. **** How Delhi’s urban villages turned into ‘no plan land’ – Hindustan Times – https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/how-delhi-s-urban-villages-turned-into-no-plan-land/story-wI6PqbrcETuM3eqnZ59xWP.html (Published: Feb 16, 2018; Rail disruptions in Paharganj.)
8. **** [PDF] HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF DELHI REGARDING CITY … – https://rgplan.com/delhi/HISTORICAL%2520BACKGROUND%2520OF%2520DELHI%2520REGARDING%2520CITY%2520PLANNING.pdf (Village inclusion and low productivity pre-1911.)
9. **** From rocks & ridge rose a New Delhi – Hindustan Times – https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/from-rocks-ridge-rose-a-new-delhi/story-Siszo7SYbLVD3ay3ivAgzM.html (Published: Aug 29, 2011; Acquisition from Todapur and Dasghara.)
10. **** Delhi – Urban Planning, Architecture, History | Britannica – https://www.britannica.com/place/Delhi/City-layout (Planning committee and site selection.)
11. **** British Canons, 48 hours and uprooted villages of Lutyens’ Delhi – https://www.reddit.com/r/IndianHistory/comments/1dnay7e/british_canons_48_hours_and_uprooted_villages_of/ (Published: Jun 24, 2024; 150 villages affected, 20-30 razed.)
12. **** [PPT] The Land Acquisition Act of 1894 and Its Impact in the Making … – AWS – https://scholar-event.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/digital_content/asset/9107/CG_Athenes_.pptx (Durbar proclamation and efficiency justification.)
13. **** Possessing the City: Property and Politics in Delhi, 1911 … – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338766857_Possessing_the_City_Property_and_Politics_in_Delhi_1911-1947Property_and_Politics_in_Delhi_1911-1947 (Private property development and revenue benefits.)
14. **** [PDF] ‘Making’ of New Delhi ‘Erosion of Memories’ and (re) Settlements … – http://inet.vidyasagar.ac.in:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/4500/1/Nalini%2520Singh%2520and%2520Shaheen%2520Islamuddin.pdf (Large-scale acquisition of villages and lands.)
15. **** India Moves Capital City From Kolkata To New Delhi In History … – VOI – https://voi.id/en/memori/338220 (December 12, 1911 announcement and nationalism context.)
16. **** How areas like Lajpat Nagar and Defense Colony grew after partition? – https://enrouteindianhistory.com/from-agrarian-fields-to-elite-conclaves-the-transformation-of-delhi/ (List of displaced villages: Raisina, Malcha, etc.)
17. **** India farmers stake claim to Delhi land – BBC News – https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-15015767 (Published: Sep 26, 2011; 13 villages razed.)
18. **** Descendents of Farmers from Raisina Hills Demand Compensation … – https://www.landconflictwatch.org/conflicts/raisina-hills-land-compensation-issue (1,700 acres from 150 villages; modern claims.)
19. **** New Delhi villagers seek compensation 100 years after being … – https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/8681785/New-Delhi-villagers-seek-compensation-100-years-after-being-evicted-by-Raj.html (Published: Aug 4, 2011; Compensation disputes, Rs 2,400 demanded vs. offered rates.)
20. **** [PPT] The Land Acquisition Act of 1894 and Its Impact in the Making … – AWS – https://scholar-event.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/digital_content/asset/9107/CG_Athenes_.pptx (Bhola’s compensation example; biases in valuation.)
21. **** Still waiting for a Raisina welcome – Fountain Ink Magazine – https://fountainink.in/reportage/still-waiting-for-a-raisina-welcome (Sajjan Singh’s fight; migrations to Gurgaon.)
22. **** Do You Know How The British Acquired Land For The Rashtrapati … – https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2016/05/delhi-land-acquisition-british-period/ (1894 Act details.)
23. **** The Jats Who Owned Lutyens’ Delhi And A 104 Year Old Wait For … – https://www.indiatimes.com/news/the-jats-who-owned-lutyens-delhi-and-a-104-year-old-wait-for-compensation-274993.html (Published: Aug 22, 2023; Rs 3 per bigha, Rs 5 disturbance allowance.)
24. **** Catalog Record: East India (Delhi) First [Second, and Final]… – https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/012154899 (Delhi Town Planning Committee reports; imperial allure.)
25. **** Delhi – Colonial Planning, Slums and Gated Communities – https://centreforsustainablecities.ac.uk/news/delhi-colonial-planning-slums-gatedcommunities/ (Published: Oct 21, 2019; Pre-1911 ridge description.)
26. **** Sajjan Singh & Ors vs Union Of India & Ors on 2 May, 2017 – https://indiankanoon.org/doc/168474952/ (Published: May 2, 2017; Petition on Award No. 30, Malcha village.)
27. **** Supreme Court Rules Against Reviving Stale Land Acquisition … – https://www.casemine.com/commentary/in/supreme-court-rules-against-reviving-stale-land-acquisition-claims-under-section-24%282%29-of-the-2013-act/view (Published: Sep 9, 2017; Ruling against old claims.)
28. **** Migration, Public Culture, and Urban Identity in Delhi, c. 1911-present – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375060184_City_on_the_Move_Migration_Public_Culture_and_Urban_Identity_in_Delhi_c_1911-present (Relocated villages and erasures post-1931.)
29. **** How areas like Lajpat Nagar and Defense Colony grew after partition? – https://enrouteindianhistory.com/from-agrarian-fields-to-elite-conclaves-the-transformation-of-delhi/ (Migrations to canal colonies.)
30. **** Full text of “Coronation Durbar Delhi 1911” – Internet Archive – https://archive.org/stream/coronationdurbar030742mbp/coronationdurbar030742mbp_djvu.txt (Durbar details and attendance.)
31. **** The New Capital Of India Vol-i – https://ia801405.us.archive.org/13/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.210206/2015.210206.The-New_text.pdf (Home Department files on acquisitions; relocations as beneficial.)
32. **** [PDF] Indian Historical Records Commission Vol-xxvi Part-i – https://ia802907.us.archive.org/33/items/in.ernet.dli.2015.206386/2015.206386.Indian-Historical_text.pdf (Logistical challenges and records up to 1911.)