Delhi is the second largest metropolis of India, and the eighth largest city in the world by population, with a population greater than 18 million. It is a federally-administered union territory. Located on the banks of river Yamunainnorthern India, archaeological evidence suggests that Delhi has been continuously inhabited since at least the 6th century BC. In 1639, Mughal emperor Shahjahan built a new walled city in Delhi which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1649 to 1857. A new capital city, New Delhi, was built during the 1920s. When India gained independence from British rule in 1947, New Delhi was declared its capital and seat of government. As such, New Delhi houses important offices of the federal government, including the Parliament of India. Owing to the immigration of people from across the country, Delhi has grown to be a cosmopolitan city. Its rapid development and urbanisation, coupled with the relatively high average income of its population, has transformed the city. Today, Delhi is a major cultural, political, and commercial center of India. (more...)
