The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-03

In Delhi After the Mutinies.
Copyright in lhe United States; ali tights reserved

For the full perception of the misery
and desolation of Delhi Immediately after
the Muunies in 1857, it is necessary TO
remember what the city had been in.
historic. almost prehistoric, times and
what it was just before these events, say
an 1S56
Delhi is situated on the bank of the
Jamna. at some little distance, though
comparatively not very far, from the
base OF the Himalayas. 1t originally
dominated the upper basins. OF the rivers
Ganges and Jamna, and was the earliest
settled home of the Hindu race. Near
if were fought the pri,neval contests be-
tween the heroes, recounted in the ma
uonal Epic which is TO The Hindus what
the Had vas to the ancient Greeks When
in the eleventh. century the Moslems
made their irTuptions into Northern In
dia- one horde after another each with
the establishment Of a conquering dy-
nasty. one orerturning or succeeding an
other, they ali, or most of them, settled
at Delhi Each of them built its edi-
fees shrines. mosques, tolnts. during a
brief tenure of power, and then left them
to faH Into dec;iy under his successor
Who in turn raised its structures and
heGueathed 10 them n similar fate-stin
the ruins srandly remained. Thus IL e
nsiRhborhood dispi lgsa the almost unique
spectacle, not OF q series of remains bu:
OF several series in close juXtanosition
or Inc same generic type. but With diff
ferences In architectural style The place
Is not exactly q city of the dead, but a
vast field or area OF. mausolea and ,nonl,-
ments But through these troublous
centuries the city of Delhi continuecs 10
be great trading mart on the Jamna.
and for the upper Gangetic valley as
well. It is not like many Indian cities
IN the middle ages. founded merely for
war and politics, which became desert
&c and unl.'habited when the citadel had
been 'sto1,med. the chief OF the king ex-
PEELED, and the garrison dispersed No:
it had commercial position which in
the days before seaports and inland com
municauon was the best in Northern
jnGia. Furthermore, according to the
strategy OF those centuries. il had a mill
itary position equally advantageou Tins
when. In what would be called by Eng
Eshmen the Tudor times, the Niogul EN-
pire was founded on the ruins of the
preceding Moslem Kingdoms, Delhi be-
came the Imperial Capital. 1t hasa in
deed In Agra sister and a rival: still.
owing TO its commercial and military
auNdhtase- 1t retained the pre-eminency.
HER GOLDEN AGE
This was its golden age for art. o,-ienta,
culture, refinement, decoration. resplen-
aencN. The ponp and pageantry were
not sernl-barbaric. but refined and eIc-
CANT 10 a degree never surpassed in any
place at any age of history and We're
yet full of manliness aud nobility. The
style OF building was the most beautiful
ever known in TIE history of arch!tec-
lure. Rarely. perhaps even never. have
timer spectacles been seen than those
which must have frequently been dis
.cin o<I al
cessions, or of marches of Imperial ar
mics Probably the city was not equal
ied by any of the most famous cities OF
ASIA, not by BaSdad under the Caliphs,
nor BY Samafcand under Ta1nerlane. nor
py Marking under its Chinese en,pe.,ors.
Il was in variety superior to Pekin even
before the destruction of the Summer
Palace. Under British rule no city in
India would be equal in stately, imposing
effect to the medieval Delhi except. per-
haTss. Bombay-befo"e the recent vista
tons of the plague.
On the sreak-up of the Mogul Empire
IN the seventeenth and eighteenth cen
tofies, Delhi fSll into the hands of the
Mafrattas, Hindu power of inferior
culture 1t sustained two disastrous at
facks by Afghan and Persian hordes, and |
'ss pihtoef WAS so immense as to be a. |
most fabulous The utular Mogul En- |
- y. '9sso p1ppet IN Inc hands flrSt i
OF INC tMahrattas. and then of the new |
conquerors. the British In the begin |
ming Of the nineteenth century he was
cou1sci!ed II his ancestral, palace indeed i
with state ana honor, and With limited |
jurisdiction IN the city and suburbs. gut
after little while this jurisdiction was
taken away. and he was immured with |
some magnlt1cence, State pensioner in
the paiace. The city sank to the grade |
OF a provincial capital. but as railways
had net yet been introduced the advan- |
tages of its ancient commercial situation !
reIna!ned Its trade continued to be !
great: some of its finer manufactures and |
Industrial arts remained: and It's broad
bazsaD -sArs still giitering In all the /