Unfolding Chandni Chowk

WHEN WE THINK about Chandni Chowk, the things that come to our mind are the exotic markets, a variety of street food stall adorning the narrow streets and a huge sea of people. But there is more to the city and these untold tales became the subject of Swapna Liddle's new book ‘Chandni Chowk: The Mughal City of Old Delhi'.

Launched on March 9 at the Annexe Court of the Indian International Centre in the presence of eminent writer Gurcharan das and William Dalrymple, it unfolds the story about “Shahjahanabad”– the present-day Chandni Chowk, which was established by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan. It is the vivid description of how the city came to its existence, its grandeur as the capital of an empire at its peak, and its important role in helping to evolve the language and culture of North India. It brings back the memories of the revolt of 1857, the invasion of Nadir Shah and the Partition.

Swapna Liddle, a PHD scholar on the cultural and intellectual life of the 19th century Delhi, draws upon a wide variety of sources, such as accounts of the Mughal court chroniclers, newspapers and government documents, travellers' memoirs to paint a vivid picture of the city from its inception to recent times. Her use of pictures collected with the help of her husband takes us back to the 17th century. “It's a book which makes you fall in love with Delhi .This glorious and inglorious past of Shanjahanabad is brought to life by a historian with a light touch,” says the writer of ‘India Unbound', Gurcharan Singh. He later described Swapna's presentation of Shahajanabad in Baudelaire's word – ‘How the sinuous gait of a beautiful women who beckons and does not yield her secrets easily.'

Over the years, many writers wrote about poets like Ghalib and rulers like Aurangzeb but what found expression in Swapna's book are the women of the 17th century like Begum Samru and Jahanara. According to her, “In the 19th century many of these women were poets and writers too. Some were really powerful. But very few wrote about them.” In her book, Swapna described her love for Delhi in the words of the 18th century Urdu poet Mir– “Why do you mock at me and ask yourselves Where in the world i come from, easterners? There was a city, famed throughout the world Where dwelt the chosen spirits of the age Delhi its name, fairest among the fair Fate looted it and laid it desolate And to that ravaged city I belong”

“The book is a wonderful and much needed introduction to the history of the old city of Delhi and a welcome addition to the literature on Shahjahanabad,” said William Dalrymple. The book was made possible with the support of YES Institute and YES bank.