Capital of several empires in ancient India, Delhi was an important city, situated on the ancient trade routes from north-west to the plains of the Ganges.
Many ancient monuments, archaeological sites and remains of national importance have been erected in the course of history.
The Mughals established their capital of an empire in a part of the city now known as the Old City or Old Delhi.
During the British Raj, New Delhi, the new town was built as the administrative district of the city.
In the early 1900s, the British government demanded the relocation of the capital of British Indian Empire,
then based in Calcutta since 1772 and considered too eccentric to the city of Delhi, more centrally located.
In 1911, George V, then Emperor of India,, announced that the capital of the Raj is now in Delhi.
New Delhi was declared capital of India after the country had won its independence from British administration in 1947.
