The Delhi That No-One Knows

R. V. Smith came to Delhi as a young journalist in the fifties of the last century. His hobby for several years was to travel through the city, collecting stories about and histories of its many monuments, known and unknown.

The Delhi that No-one Knows beings together R. V. Smith's writings, presenting them as an unconventional introduction to the city. The legends, myths and folklore surrounding these monuments and how the author chanced upon these delightful teles together give the book its unique appeal. The writings are grouped into four sections, 'South Delhi', 'Shahjahanabad', 'Lal Qila' and 'Beyond the City Wall', for those who wish to follow in the author's footsteps.

Dr Narayani Gupta in her 'Foreword' explains why this book is a valuable addition to the literature Delhi.

Ronald Vivian Smith is more familiarly known as R. V. Smith. His columns, particularly 'Quaint Places', have delighted readers for several decades. His career as a journalist spans nearly four decades.

R. V. Smith is a man of diverse interests. He has written books of poetry, a romantic novel and travelogues. He continues to write for The Statesman, The Hindu and Mid-day on a wide range of subjects.

Considered by many as an expert on Delhi, particularly its forgotten monuments, R. V. Smith belongs to the rare breed of amateur antiquarians.

Foreword

In 1803, Lord Lake defeated the combined forces o the Mughals and the Marathas at the Battle of Patparganj and the city of Delhi came under the control of the East India Company. Two yeas earlier, in 1801, a seventeen-year-old Englishman called Salvador Smith had come to India and joined the army, not that of the English company, but of the Sindhias. After serving for forty years, he settled down in Agra. He married the daughter of an English Soldier who, like him, had served in the army of an Indian ruler, the raja of Jeypur (in Orissa). Salvador Smith, a colonel who was affectionately known by the more ringing title of 'Captain', lived until 1871. his children pre-deceases him, and he adopted Victoria Marian, who marred Gabriel, both Armenians, a community which had settled in Indian towns descendant was Thomas Smith, well Known in Agra for his articles which made the history of that Mughal city accessible to its inhabitants. His son is R. V. Smith.

Two thins make this book special. First, that it is not just another book on Delhi's monuments. It links the monuments, and many neighbourhoods of the city, with moments in history. The author has an acquaintance with Delhi's many-layered pasts-its early history, the centuries when the Sultanate of Delhi was known beyond the subcontinent, through the great days of the Mughals, and then the period of the Raj-which few of us can command. Second, what comes across is the sense of delight in histories discovered over the years while tramping down roads, strolling through shady galis, or glancing through a ruined arch.

It takes an effort of imagination to recall that there was a time, not so long ago, when there were few cars in Delhi and walking on the city's pavements was a pleasure. Sundays were synonymous with picnics among the ruins in the winter sunshine. Urdu was language that many people could read as well as speak. Then followed some three decades during which the population increased steadily, the skyline soared upwards, and the city's history seemed to sink under the weight of the metropolis. Fortunately, Delhi's inhabitants despite (or is it because of) the fact that most of them have no connection with it.

R. V. smith published his first article on Delhi in 1958, when he was visiting the city after completing his Masters from St John's College, Agra. Over the decades, he wrote numerous pieces abut Delhi's monuments and history, illustrated with sketches by his son Tony.

Readers will find this an enjoyable though unconventional introduction to a city that hides its history behind highrise buildings and flyovers. The writings have been grouped according to the city's geography rather than chronologically. Names encountered in textbooks of history acquire a context, and regain their place in historic buildings still around us, in streets and lanes that are still recognizable. We have reason to thank this scholar who has re-discovered India's greatest historic city for us.