Page 68 - A History of the World in 25 Cities

Life in
314 Number of gates that
In NuMbers
Number of gates in Delhi’s original city walls:
survive in Delhi today:
Population of Delhi in 1660:
Delhi’s central northern location meant that it was in the path of anyone invading from the north. Having captured and ransacked the city, invading forces would often decide to stay here or to build their own ‘superior’ city because its position was so desirable. This has meant that Delhi is one of the oldest continually inhabited areas in the world and one of the longest serving capital cities.
Between 1527 and 1707, six great Mughal emperors ruled over India. These Mughal rulers had great military skills, but also established a stable, inclusive government
by including people of different religions, such as Hindus. This age of Islamic rule was a golden age for art, literature and science. The Mughal emperors had a special passion for
constructing amazing buildings.
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Delhi was surrounded by thick forests of Indian pine trees that were home to many kinds of wildlife. Indian elephants are smaller than their African cousins and are intelligent animals that are easy to train. They were used for transport and to move large objects for building projects.
Population of Delhi today:
5O OOO