The Civil Lines area of Delhi has a rich, layered eminence in the existence of the city. From the pre-Mughal and the Mughal era to the colonial and postcolonial growth of the city into a metropolis, the area on the northern limits of the capital bears many imprints of history.
The low-rise residences hidden behind tall gates convey a sense of old money. The broad, leafy avenues manage to remain relatively quiet despite the buzzing bylanes of Old Delhi situated not far away. It is the seat of Delhi’s power, with top functionaries of the state administration living here. The Vidhan Sabha, the chief minister’s residence and the lieutenant governor’s official abode are all here. It is also the repository of Delhi’s engrossing historical heritage.
The area had first become important in the British scheme of things when the army of the East India Company defeated the Marathas at the Battle of Patparganj in 1803 and won territory around Delhi. When the British arrived in the northern extremity of Delhi, the monuments that stood out in the vicinity included Firoz Shah’s hunting lodge in the Ridge Forest, the Chauburja Mosque built during the Tughlaq ruler’s reign and the Qudsia Bagh, a garden built by the Mughals on the banks of the Yamuna.
It was in this historical backdrop that the British built a settlement that was distinctly European but adapted to Indian conditions. The area almost became the symbol of imperial supremacy, since New Delhi, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and built further south in and around the Raisina Hill, became the seat of power.
“It was in and around this area that the British built their settlements,” said Sohail Hashmi, an expert on Delhi history. “Many of them lived in the Kashmere Gate area in the beginning. They built a church―the St James Church―a market where you would find outfitters, haberdashers and shops selling leather goods or hatboxes. It was like an English township.”
The earliest British constructions in the area included a cantonment and a civilian area. Some of the buildings built in the 1800s have endured. These include Sir Thomas Metcalfe’s House, which was built in 1835 and was badly damaged during the 1857 uprising. It was reconstructed in 1913 and now houses the office of the Defence Research and Development Organisation. Ludlow Castle is another landmark that is now known more for the label than the actual building. It was the residence of a British surgeon in the 1820s, and served as office and residence of the commissioner of Delhi after 1857. It later housed the British Delhi Club, and after independence, it was converted into a government high school. It was demolished in the 1960s for expansion of the school. Flagstaff Tower was built in 1828 to serve as a signal tower for the cantonment.
The 1857 uprising left a deep imprint on the area. The siege of Delhi that lasted a few months and the forceful crushing of the revolt by the British was a crucial turning point in the history of the area as much as of the country. There are reminders of the battle, built by the victors. The British built the Victory Memorial in the Northern Ridge in 1863 in remembrance of their officers and soldiers who helped win Delhi in 1857. They also built the Nicholson Cemetery, where they buried their own who perished in the uprising.
With the railways making an entry into the area in 1864, Hashmi says, the railway line became a sort of a demarcation between the walled city and the European settlements. “To the north of the railway line were the British areas and to the south were the areas where the natives lived,” he said.
There was a spurt in construction in the area in the early 20th century. The Vice Regal lodge was built in 1902. It was originally constructed to serve as the circuit house of the cantonment. After 1912, when the British declared the shifting of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi, it served as the Vice Regal Lodge. It was in one of the rooms of this building that Lord Mountbatten proposed to Edwina Ashley. It is now the office of the vice chancellor of the Delhi University.
Governor generals worked out of the Old Secretariat building, which was constructed in 1912. The residence of the governor general now houses the Indraprastha College for Women.
The Maidens Hotel, one of the few European style hotels built in the area (1903), is still functioning. It was here that Lutyens had stayed when he visited India during his assignment to design New Delhi. There was also Hotel Cecil, which was later converted into a school.
A large number of colonial bungalows were constructed for the British officers. Private individuals also constructed their residences in the area, which was largely a British domain.
Civil Lines was the seat of imperial power and governance in India from 1912 to 1931, from the time the capital was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi till Lutyens Delhi came up. The area attracted Indian aristocracy, as also prosperous Indian traders from the neighbouring walled city. It is one of the two bungalow zones in the capital, where there are restrictions on the height of buildings. No industrial activity is allowed here.
Over the decades, in keeping with the massive growth of Delhi, land parcels have become smaller and many residents have sold their properties to private builders, who have built apartments. However, the area continues to be far less congested and has managed to hold on to its original character.
“The changes taking place in Civil Lines are not unique in nature,” said Hashmi. “Even Lutyens Delhi is seeing major changes, with a lot of the old giving way to the new.”