[Reader-list] 2nd posting

[Sarai Independet Fellowship]

Origin and Growth of Hazrat Nizamuddin Village The origin of Nizamuddin 
is obscure, but it is believed to be the personal territory or domain of 
Giyas-ud-din Balban (1266-1287), the last of the Slave Kings. It was 
created along with Lal Kot, the first Muslim capital. Balban named the 
area Giyaspur after himself. He built the palace called Lal Mahal and 
the surrounding fortifications. The next stage of developments is 
associated with the Saint Hazrat Nizamuddin, a Sufi saint of the Chishti 
order. He chose the area very near Balban’s palace, a flat piece of land 
which he called Chabutara Yaran, as his meeting place. Alauddin Khilji 
(1296-1316) built the Jamat Khana mosque as he was a disciple of the 
saint. The saint made some modifications and additions in the area. He 
constructed the baoli (stepped well) and extended the existing gateway 
to relate to the baoli. Both these acts are of mystic significance to 
the local people, but they also demonstrate a vision which was the key 
factor for the village’s subsequent growth and development. When he 
died, he was buried in the Chabutara Yaran, as he had desired in his 
lifetime. This added to its importance and soon the area acquired a new 
identity, Nizampur after the saint. The village gradually developed, 
more people came and settled and came to be known as Nizamuddin. The 
village was embellished by subsequent dynasties of kings and important 
people by buildings. Feroze Tughlak made the Kali Masjid, a semi covered 
mosque. Other buildings of interest are the tomb of Ataga Khan, the tomb 
of Telangani and the Chausath Khamba, the tomb of Mirza Aziz Kokantash. 
Nizamuddin has the most outstanding collection of Islamic Architecture 
ranging over a period of 700 years. The buildings vary in visual 
appearance and material, but yet retain homogeneity. The post 
Independence period brought a great deal of change to Delhi. The influx 
of refugees from West Pakistan and there resettlement began the trend of 
migration to the capital. This rapid rate of population growth caused 
concern which led to the preparation of the Master Plan for Delhi. The 
Master Plan declared Nizamuddin a slum to be cleared. The village was 
red-lined along its existing boundaries, and development proposals were 
made for the land immediately outside this confined area. The Delhi 
Development Authority acquired the surrounding land. People relying on 
the land for agriculture lost their livelihood. The new surrounding 
development meant that the village could not grow as it had in the past. 
This led to a marked change in the village structure. The old walls were 
broken down and new shops were built which opened to the outside. The 
value of the land in the village increased due to its proximity to 
central hub of Delhi. This led to demolition of buildings and ne! w high 
rise construction. This, in turn, caused two new problems: first, the 
loss of heritage by demolition of buildings, and second, the new 
buildings spoil the skyline of the historic area. In the past, the size 
of the building related to their relative importance, resulting in an 
interesting skyline of domes. The new construction is not only out of 
scale, but it is also incompatible in the materials used and final 
visual appearance. The next series of problems within the village were 
attributed to the general problems of Delhi, one being that of 
migration. The Muslims from the rural areas of adjoining states are 
attracted to Nizamuddin. As it is a Muslim neighbourhood, the new 
arrivals find it the most appropriate area in which to settle. Many of 
the monuments and dilapidated buildings provide shelter, which is cheap 
and inexpensive accommodation. The other problem relates to large scale 
building projects in Delhi. The area near the village of Nizamuddin saw 
the construction of two flyovers, an open air stadium and numerous 
office blocks and housing complexes. All of these Government projects 
require massive labour. This scale of construction brings more migrants 
from the rural areas. As each project takes a considerable period of 
time, the labourers settle. The population of Nizamuddin grew without 
control because of the construction projects in the vicinity.