Imperialism In India

The British Empire was at its zenith when, in 1911, it was decided to move the capital of British India from Calcutta to Delhi. While the move away from Calcutta was the result of political and administrative considerations, the choice of Delhi was dictated strongly by symbolic associations – the desire to tap into the aura of an ancient capital city. Soon work began on grand capital city, worthy of the jewel in the crown of the British Empire.

A major aim was to represent the might of the Empire ruled by the British. In the words of Herbert Baker, “First and foremost it is the spirit of British sovereignty which must be imprisoned in its stone and bronze”. Another important consideration was the need to establish a connection with the long tradition of Delhi as a capital of empires, and of the several cities established by successive dynasties in the Delhi triangle. A third consideration was to express British rule as a unifying force, bringing together the diversity of India – in its people and their culture, arts, and traditions; and blending it with what were considered to be the benign and beneficial effect of western influence. Contemporary British imperialists believed, as Baker put it, “British rule in India is not
Lutyens had been associated with the design of Hampstead Garden Suburb, a prominent example of an attempt to create housing for all sections of society in a healthy setting in harmony with nature. It found its expression in the residential areas, mainly dotted with bungalows of high British officials, set in large green plots. In their scale and use these had clear links to the tradition of the colonial bungalow, which had a long history in India. In any even the generous use of trees to line the roads, and a low density of construction, gave the city its characteristic green