Shahjahanabad Analysis

THEORY OF SETTLEMENTS STRUCTURE OF SHAHJAHANABAD SHAHJAHANABAD or old Delhi is the heart of the city and it is considered to be the seventh city of Delhi. This city was built in 1639, by Mughal emperor, Shahjahan (1627- 57), who shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi. The site for the new capital in Delhi was ideally suited as a convergence point of land routes, being centrally located geographical. The site was situated on the western bank of river Yamuna where a natural projection formed a triangle with the land and the river. To ensure its prosperity, the site was placed on a high land and was bow shaped (kamukha). The arm of the archer was Chandni Chowk and the string was Yamuna river. The

The city was divided into several Thanas(wards), which were sub-divided into Mahollas. All these Mahollas were arranged in a functional manner according to the social groups. All of the Mahollas have separate gates and they act as semi private, tough it has courtyard houses with private space separated once again with a gate. The streets in the old city were mostly narrow and crowded. The major network of the streets started from the Chandini Chowk and these streets have major activities and marked as commercial streets. The streets are active with shops, sweaty rickshaw-pullers, mosques and temples in them, children running across them, cattle walking along the streets etc.Oil extractors, wool producers, weavers, manufacturers of straw goods, meat traders, bangle sellers, bread and biscuit makers are considered to be the superior traders and they are located close to the core of the city. Potters, masons, carpenters, metal workers, coal workers, kabaadi walas, etc are considered as inferior professions and are placed in the narrow streets of the city. The narrow streets end up with some irregular spaces and become a node for more human activities. Human activities are being increased, but the space is remaining the same. Hence the buildings are storeyed. As the priority is given to privacy, the ground floors have the shops and the first floors have living activities. The people of Shahjahanabad live in clutter, but they never feel as so. They feel they are together. The hidden culture of old Delhi is still alive in narrow streets of