Delhi history in five chapters
Delhi history is layered rather than linear. Different rulers chose the area at different times, and each left buildings that you can still visit. This page follows five chapters: the Delhi Sultanate, the Qutb complex, Shahjahanabad and the Red Fort, British New Delhi, and independence. If you are looking for new delhi history in particular, the British planned city is the fourth chapter, and it sits beside much older neighbours.
The dates come from official and heritage sources. Where a source gives a date, this page names it, and where two events are easy to confuse, they are kept apart. Use the list below as a map for your own sightseeing and follow the links to the sights.
Our pick: Old Delhi heritage walk
Our take: This heritage walk with metro tickets leads through Old Delhi and fits the story of the old city.
Hand-picked tours, booked through Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Old Delhi heritage walk
A heritage walk through Old Delhi with a guide in your preferred language and metro tickets included. Hotel pickup applies only to the private option, and breakfast is included on Sundays only. More tours are listed with live prices and availability.
The Delhi Sultanate
Delhi Tourism dates the founding of the Delhi Sultanate to 1206 and treats Babur's victory at Panipat in 1526 as the transition to Mughal rule. Those two years frame a long period in which sultans and their successors built, rebuilt and moved their centres of power within the wider Delhi area. When you walk through south Delhi, you are mostly looking at the sultanate era, and the area around Mehrauli is where it is easiest to see.
The Qutb complex under Aibak and Iltutmish
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) describes the first section of the minaret at the Qutb complex as the work of Aibak, with further sections added under Iltutmish. That makes the complex a good example of how one monument can grow across rulers. The tower, the surrounding ruins and the stone columns tell the story of that early period. To plan a visit, including what is and is not accessible, see Qutub Minar.
Shahjahanabad and the Red Fort under Shah Jahan
UNESCO describes the Red Fort as the palace fortress of the new capital of Shah Jahan, known as Shahjahanabad. Today that walled city is what visitors call Old Delhi. It is a different place from the British planned city that came later, so do not mix them up when you read about "the capital". For the fort, see Red Fort, and for the streets of the old city, Chandni Chowk.
New Delhi: the capital decision of 1911 and the inauguration of 1931
12 December 1911
At the Delhi Durbar, King George V announced that the capital would move from Calcutta, now Kolkata, to Delhi. This is the decision, not the opening of a finished city.
Planning
New Delhi was planned largely by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. The wide avenues, the government buildings and the approach to Rashtrapati Bhavan belong to this plan. See India Gate for the ceremonial axis.
11 February 1931
The Delhi Legislative Assembly gives this date for the formal inauguration of New Delhi. Keep 1911 and 1931 apart: one is the announcement, the other the inauguration.
Independence and the modern capital
India became independent on 15 August 1947. The President's Secretariat links this date with the renaming of the Viceroy's House to Government House, which later became Rashtrapati Bhavan. Delhi became a Union Territory in 1956, and the institutional framework was reorganised through a constitutional amendment and the National Capital Territory Act of 1991. That is why the region is formally called the National Capital Territory of Delhi, and it is the reason that "New Delhi" and "Delhi" are used for different things in official language.
To see the layers on one trip, start in the south with the sultanate era, cross to Old Delhi for the Mughal city and finish on the avenues of the British plan. The things to do in Delhi page groups all of these sights by area.
Delhi history: frequently asked questions
When was the Delhi Sultanate founded?
Delhi Tourism gives 1206 as the founding year. It names Babur's victory at Panipat in 1526 as the transition to Mughal rule.
When did New Delhi become the capital?
The decision was announced at the Delhi Durbar on 12 December 1911. The formal inauguration of New Delhi is given as 11 February 1931. The two dates describe different events.
Who planned New Delhi?
New Delhi was planned largely by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.
Is Old Delhi the same as New Delhi?
No. Old Delhi is the walled city of Shahjahanabad, built for Shah Jahan, with the Red Fort. New Delhi is the planned British capital that came later.
When did India become independent?
On 15 August 1947. Delhi became a Union Territory in 1956, and the National Capital Territory framework dates from 1991.
Is this an official history of Delhi?
No. This is an independent guide and not the website of Delhi Tourism, the ASI or the Delhi government. It summarises dates from their public pages.