Internal Assessment

Name Pakhee
Roll number 2021/1957
Course BA Political Science
Honours
Section B
Paper name Delhi Through the Ages:
From Colonial to
Contemporary Times
Submitted to Professor Sushmita Banerjee

Question - Does Ghalib’s writings help us in understanding

the transitions that happened in the nineteenth century Delhi?

Introduction
 Ghalib was the pen name of Mirza Asadul L-Lah Beg who was born in agra in
1797 in a family of soldiers. Except for a few short trips to Rampur and and for
absence of three years when he went to Calcutta via Lucknow and Benares,
Ghalib remained in Delhi until his death on 15 February 1869. Ghalib was then
raised by his maternal relatives who had soldiered for the British.
Urdu literary historiography in the twentieth century has often referred to
Ghalib as the last true representative of the “Mughal” intellectual and literary
traditions.
The literary historians gave two particular metaphors to traditions. describe
Delhi’s transition as an aftermath of Indian revolt of 1857. Altaf Husain Hali the
first chronicler of Ghalib’s life in his book Yadgar-e- Ghalib described Delhi
saying that “autumn had already come to this garden”. autumn is a symbol of
decline, decay or old age and by this garden Hali refers to Delhi. Although one
might believe that after autumn there’s spring so there’s hope for revival but
for Delhi Hali perceived no possibility of revival after the revolt of 1857.
Mirza Farhatu I’Lah Beg in his work Dilli ki Akhiri Sham (The Last Candle of
Delhi) says that,” the last mushaira of Delhi has come to an end”. the last
mushaira became in the popular mind as the “last candle” a name given by
Khvaja Hasan Nizami. Just like a candle flare up one last time before
extinguishes Bahadur Shah 2’s Delhi was a period of momentary revival for
Mughal Delhi before decline.

Social changes
There was immense human tragedy in Delhi in the second half of the
eighteenth century. The wars between the Turani and Irani factions, the
cataclysmic invasion by Nadir Shah, the repeated scourges of the Afghans, the
Marathas, the Ruhilas and the Jats—they all took heavy tolls in human lives
and also forced much emigration from Delhi and its environs. Then there was
the great famine of 1782 in which, according to some estimates, nearly one-
third of the rural population of the territory around Delhi starved to death.
In 1821, The British restored the old city canal built by Firoz Tughluq and
people of Chandni chowk greeted the flowing water with offerings of ghee and
flowers. Ghalib saw the old gardens were repaired and new ones are planted.
 It is indeed amazing to find in Delhi in the first half of the nineteenth century
an array of distinguished people like Asadu ’l-Lah Khan Ghalib, Shah ‘Abdu ’l-
‘Azμz, “Master” Ram Chandra, Syed Ahmad Khan etc. It was the new sense of
security which made that gathering possible; other-wise, as had happened in
the second half of the preceding century, some of them might not have come
to Delhi, while some others would have emigrated from there.
“Delhi Renaissance,” which is now generally believed to have come to a sad
end in 1857 refers merely to the simultaneous presence in Delhi of the above-
named luminaries.

Economic Changes
The British never gave the Mughal more than Rs. 12 lakhs in any given year. In
1827 Akbar Shah II petitioned the Directors of the East India Company and
managed to get his allowance increased to Rs. 15 lakhs, but the increase was
never actually paid at all.
There was a change in financial situations for Ghalib during the britishers.
Britishers arranged a small pension for the dependents of Ghalib’s uncle.
Ghalib’s share was Rs. 62 and 8 annas per month. But Ghalib received the
amount in full only till 1827, he had to struggle hard to get his share.
Ghalib also mentions the positive changes he witnessed in Delhi after the
arrival of Britishers. He watched Delhi gradually gain in prosperity.
Ghalib in his Persian poem that he wrote in 1855 praised western inventions
such as telegraph and steam engine. Ghalib of course did not know how
excessive taxes and rigid tenancy regulations introduced by the British ruined
the peasantry in Delhi.

Political changes
The replacement of the Marathas by the British in the nineteenth did not alter
the actual state of Shah ‘Alam’s authority. Although the ruling powers of the
Mughal emperor had for quite some time been limited to the walls of his
citadel, the Red Fort. Financially, however, he was now better off.
More importantly, Ghalib witnessed something that had not taken place in
Delhi for centuries: peaceful transfers of authority, not just in the Fort
involving puppet kings, but also in the British administration that wielded
enormous visible power. power. In 1829, Edward Colebrook, Resident at Delhi,
was first suspended then later dismissed from service on charges of
corruption. It must have amazed the people of Delhi to see their virtual king
removed without any breakdown of authority.
Ghalib saw the walled city and its unwalled sprawl become more secure under
the judicial powers of the Resident and protection by the army from raids by
the Gujars and Mewatis.
Ghalib in in Persian poem that he wrote in 1855 praised the law of the realm
that is of the britishers.
In the first half of the nineteenth century the presence of the emperor was felt
in the city only on those occasions that involved some public pomp and
display.

Religious Changes
There was a major new development in the religious life of Delhi during the
first half of the nineteenth century, and that was the establishment of a
Christian presence within the walled city and an expansion of Christian
missionary work. Apart from Jama masjid there was now another prominent
enough building that is St. James’ Church.
There were also instances of conversion, including at least three major cases,
those of Dr. Chimman Lal, “Master” Ram Chandra and Maulavi Imaduddin.
The spirit of inquiry and the confidence in affirming one’s faith even in the face
of opposing traditions became stronger after the Revolt according to CM Naim.

Literary changes
While the people of pre-Revolt Delhi were quite enthusiastic about Western
sciences. The city did not lack in madrasas where traditional Islamic learning
was available, but none gained the status and fame that was acquired by what
eventually came to be known as Delhi College. At first the College had classes
only in “Oriental” languages but in 1828 an English section was also opened.
This institution taught Western sciences to all its students, and that too
through the medium of Urdu.
In 1865 the commissioner of Delhi organised a scholarly association named
Delhi Society, Ghalib attended its second meeting.
Persian and Urdu books were first published in Calcutta in the beginning of the
nineteenth century. By 1840 there were Urdu presses and newspapers all over
North India. The first important Urdu newspaper in Delhi was a weekly, Dihli
Akhbar started in 1837 and the next important Urdu press and weekly was
Saiyadu I-Akhbar started in 1841
In the area of Urdu literature, Ghalib continued to be productive after the
Revolt, particularly in the form of Urdu letters to his numerous admirers. The
publication of these letters in no doubt played some role in the development
of modern Urdu prose.

Conclusion
To conclude, there had really been two Delhi’s for Ghalib, one of the times
before May 1857 and the other of after October 1857, the two separated by
the traumatic days of the Revolt and its brutal aftermath. Delhi was “a garden
yet to be fully created,” and Ghalib was its “nightingale,” singing away
“warmed by the ecstasy of Imagination.”
There was more prosperity and security in Delhi itself by the 1830s than the
city had experienced at any time in the preceding one hundred years. More
importantly, there were also many new ideas and institutions and several new
technologies, whose impact was gradually being felt by an increasing number
of people, particularly in urban centres such as Delhi. Ghalib, unlike any other
writer of his generation, shows an awareness of these developments in his
writings.