Delhi Book or Delhie Book titled Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi is a collection of paintings done in

Company style Company style, also known as Company painting or Patna painting (Hindi: ''kampani kalam'') is a term for a hybrid Indo-European style of paintings made in India by Indian artists, many of whom worked for European patrons in the East India Company ...

, commissioned by Sir Thomas Metcalfe in 1844. It contains 120 paintings by Indian artists, mainly by Mughal painter, Mazhar Ali Khan. The book was bought by the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

in London.William Dalrymple on The Dehlie Book , Art and design , The Guardian
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History

It was commissioned by Sir Thomas Metcalfe, Governor-General's Agent at the Imperial court of the Mughal Emperor,

Bahadur Shah Zafar Bahadur Shah II, usually referred to by his poetic title Bahadur Shah ''Zafar'' (; ''Zafar'' Victory) was born Mirza Abu Zafar Siraj-ud-din Muhammad (24 October 1775 – 7 November 1862) and was the twentieth and last Mughal Emperor as well a ...

. The paintings, done by Mughal painter, Mazhar Ali Khan, document the lifestyle of the last Mughal in 19th century Delhi. The book containing the paintings was sent to England for Metcalfe's daughter, Emily.

The book

The Delhi Book is an album consisting of 89 folios with approximately 130 paintings by Indian artists. The paintings depict Mughal and pre-Mughal monuments of

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

, the lives of native Indians, and other contemporary material. Metcalfe added extensive descriptions to almost all paintings and bound them into a book. He had assembled the album as a gift for his daughter Emily, who at the time in 1844 lived in England. The book shows buildings as they were before the

siege of Delhi The siege of Delhi was one of the decisive conflicts of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The rebellion against the authority of the East India Company was widespread through much of Northern India, but essentially it was sparked by the mass up ...

during the

Indian Mutiny The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...

. Many of these structures were razed, vandalized, or suffered neglect in the years following the Mutiny. File:Different views of the Metcalfe House, Delhi, 1843.jpg, Different views of the Metcalfe House, Delhi, 1843, which now houses the

Laser Science and Technology Centre Laser Science and Technology Centre (LASTEC) is a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organization ( DRDO). Located in Delhi, it is the main DRDO lab involved in the development of lasers and related technologies. LASTEC functions un ...

(

DRDO The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) (IAST: ''Raksā Anūsandhān Evam Vikās Sangaṭhan'') is the premier agency under the Department of Defence Research and Development in Ministry of Defence of the Government of India, ...

). File:St Jame's Church, Delhi, folio from book by Thomas Metcalfe, 1843.jpg,

St. James' Church, Delhi St. James' Church (also known as Skinner's Church) was once the official church of the British Viceroy of India in Delhi, India. The building, which was built in 1836 for Colonel James Skinner, is one of the oldest churches in the city. It remai ...

File:A panorama in 12 folds showing the procession of the Emperor Bahadur Shah to celebrate the feast of the 'Id., 1843.jpg, A panorama in 12 folds showing the procession of the Emperor

Bahadur Shah Zafar II Bahadur Shah II, usually referred to by his poetic title Bahadur Shah ''Zafar'' (; ''Zafar'' Victory) was born Mirza Abu Zafar Siraj-ud-din Muhammad (24 October 1775 – 7 November 1862) and was the twentieth and last Mughal Emperor as well a ...

to celebrate the feast of the 'Id., 1843. File:Details of Skinner's Tomb, St. James' Church, Delhi.jpg, Details of the tomb of Colonel James Skinner C.B. at

, and Styles and titles in Persian of Metcalfe as Agent of

Governor-General of India The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 1 ...

(right page) File:Description of assassination of William Fraser, Agent to the Governor-General of India, in a 1843 manuscript.jpg, Description of assassination of William Frazer, Agent to the

, on 22 March 1835, in Delhi. File:Folio from 'Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi’, an album by Thomas Metcalfe, 1843.jpg, Scenes from a Royal procession, and a party of

Skinner's Horse The 1st Horse (Skinner's Horse) is a regiment of the Armoured Corps of the Indian Army. It traces its origins as a cavalry regiment from the times of the East India Company, followed by its service in the British Indian Army and finally, afte ...

regiment.

References

{{reflist Mughal art British Library collections Delhi 1844 books 19th-century Indian books