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Draft:Rural Delhi

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Rural Delhi refers to the network of officially recognized revenue villages and historic agrarian settlements within the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Administratively, these villages are notified under the Delhi Land Revenue Act and maintained by the Revenue Department of the Government of NCT of Delhi.[1] While many of these areas have been affected by the city's expansion during the British period and since Independence,[2] many retain distinct social, cultural, and administrative features that reflect their village origins.

Several villages acquired for urbanization are now classified as urban villages, a transformation shaped by successive Delhi Master Plans and the expansion of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).[3][4][5][6]

The incorporation of village lands into Delhi’s urban fabric has transformed traditional agrarian societies. Many inhabitants, particularly from communities such as Jats, Gujjars, Yadavs, and Tyagis, shifted from agriculture to real estate, construction, and rental economies as farmland was acquired for housing colonies and institutions.[7] Ancestral havelis and village lanes — often called lal dora areas — remain outside formal municipal regulations and have been partly commercialized.[8]

As of the 2020s, Delhi retains over 300 recognized revenue villages across its 11 districts, concentrated largely in the Southwest, Northwest, and Outer Delhi regions. Many continue to practice small-scale agriculture, dairy farming, and floriculture, while others have integrated into peri-urban economies through education and service industries.[9][10][11] The persistence of panchayat governance, religious structures, and kinship networks underscores the continuing rural character of these settlements despite rapid urbanization.

History

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Villages around Delhi predate the modern city and reflect the region’s long agrarian history. Several settlements originated in medieval times and are associated with historic monuments or waterworks; for example, the area around the Hauz Khas reservoir dates to the Delhi Sultanate period.[12]

During the 19th and 20th centuries, land from numerous villages was acquired for imperial and later national capitals, infrastructure projects, and planned housing, resulting in the transformation of agricultural land into urban neighbourhoods. Several villages survive as compact residential clusters—often referred to as "urban villages"—within the expanding city.[13][14][15]

Delhi's rural communities include primarily Jats, Gujjars, and Yadavs (Ahirs) as the dominant land-owning groups, along with other agrarian and artisan castes such as Tyagis, Brahmins, Rajputs, , Sainis, Julahas (weavers), Nais (barbers), Kumhars (potters), Lohars (blacksmiths), Telis (oil-pressers), and Vishwakarmas (carpenters and craftsmen). Additionally, villages were home to Muslim communities, Scheduled Castes including Chamars, Valmikis, Doms, and Bhangis, reflecting a diverse social and occupational composition across Delhi’s agrarian settlements.[16][17][18][19] [20]

Administration

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Official lists and land records for Delhi’s revenue villages are maintained by the Department of Revenue of Delhi, which publishes district-wise data and notifications. Local governance historically involved gram sabhas and village panchayats, but many of these functions have been subsumed into urban civic bodies and the revenue administration as municipal services expanded.[21][22][23]

Land acquisition and urbanisation

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Delhi's village lands were acquired both during the British era and the post-independence era.

During the British colonial period, following the decision to move the capital of India from Kolkata to Delhi in 1911, the government acquired large tracts of land from over 150 villages surrounding the site of what would become New Delhi. Villages such as Malcha, Raisina, and Alipur were taken to construct the new imperial capital, including administrative buildings, the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House, and other official residences and roads. The acquisitions were carried out under the Land Acquisition Act of 1894, often with minimal compensation to villagers, and involved the relocation of entire communities.[24][25]

In the post-independence era, large tracts of agrarian land belonging to Delhi's villages were acquired over decades by agencies such as the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), central government agencies, and state departments for housing, industry, and infrastructure.[26][27]

Following the Partition of 1947, a large influx of refugees arrived from areas that are now in Pakistan, prompting the government to acquire village lands across Delhi to construct new residential colonies and housing for the displaced population. For example, Moti Nagar was formed in 1948–50 on lands from the villages of Jhandewalan, Shadipur, and Basai Darapur, which were predominantly Rajput villages consisting of hutments, farmlands, and forests, and was developed to accommodate temporary squatters with the aid of the Delhi Improvement Trust.[28] Lajpat Nagar, developed in the 1950s, housed mainly Hindu and Sikh refugees, including Saraikis and Sindhis, on the acquired village lands of Zamrudpur; Dayanand Colony in Lajpat Nagar IV was named after Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati.[29][30][31] Punjabi Bagh was established on land from Madipur village, initially called “Refugees Colony,” and later developed in the 1960s into a posh residential area.[32] Vasant Vihar emerged from the villages of Munirka and Basant Gaon in the 1960s, while Greater Kailash was developed on lands from Zamrudpur and Devli Gaon in 1955.[33][34] Kirti Nagar and Rajouri Garden also developed on lands from Basai Darapur village.[35][36] Malviya Nagar was formed from Shahpur Jat village,[37] and Ashok Nagar originated from Tihar Village 2.[38] Sarojini Nagar was carved out of the Pillanji (Pilanji) village of the Gurjar community, and additionally included lands from the Jat-dominated village of Mohammadpur.[39][40] The Rama Krishna Puram (R.K. Puram) area was also built in the second phase of the extension of New Delhi, on the acquired Jat-dominated village of Mohammadpur. Construction started in the late 1950s by acquiring barren lands, and the development, led by CPWD, continued until the 1970s. R.K. Puram primarily consists of double-storeyed housing blocks with 2–3 bedroom apartments for central government officers.[41] Inderpuri was developed on agricultural land acquired from the villagers of Dus-Ghara (Dasghara),[42] Patel Nagar and Rajender Nagar were both developed on land acquired from the villages of Shadipur, Khampur, and neighboring settlements.[43]

Since the 2010s, the DDA has introduced land-pooling and development schemes for several rural zones. The process has produced mixed outcomes, as some villagers benefited from compensation and new housing, while others lost farmland and livelihoods as traditional economies declined.[44][45][46]

Socio-economic and cultural aspects

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Rural pockets of Delhi traditionally depended on agriculture, dairying and local trades; these occupations have declined with urban expansion. Many villages now host mixed economies such as small businesses, rental housing, craft work, and some remaining agricultural plots. Cultural continuity (festivals, temples, and clan networks) often persists within the abadi (residential cluster), even as younger generations move into urban employment. Studies of villages such as Shahpur Jat describe rapid social change, gentrification and infrastructure strain.[47]

Notable villages

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Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "List of Villages (District Wise)". Department of Revenue, Government of NCT of Delhi. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  2. ^ Dabas, Maninder (22 August 2023). "The Jats Who Owned Lutyens' Delhi And A 104 Year Old Wait For Compensation". India Times. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  3. ^ Sheth, Sudev J. (2011). "Historical Transformations in Boundary and Land Use in New Delhi's Urban Villages". Journal of South Asian Studies. 52 (5): 41–49. JSTOR 44166148. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  4. ^ Sen, R. "HGT‑2025 Final Report" (PDF). Centre for Borderland Governance, UVT. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  5. ^ "Ray of hope for residents of 300 'old urbanised' & 'declared urban' villages". The Times of India. 5 September 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  6. ^ Sinha, Snehil (18 May 2025). "48 villages to be urbanised in Master Plan 2041: Delhi govt". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  7. ^ Sen, Geeti (2001). The Human Landscape. Orient Blackswan. p. 236.
  8. ^ Jha, Sumit (12 November 2006). "Lal Dora demystified". The Economic Times. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  9. ^ "Urban Villages & Rural Villages – Baseline Shelter (DDA)" (PDF). Delhi Development Authority. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  10. ^ "Dynamics and growth dichotomy of urban villages: Case study Delhi". Housing Science. 38 (2): 81–94. 2014. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  11. ^ "Comprehending Urbanization, Urban Schemes and Urban Villages in Contemporary India". Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  12. ^ "Delhi's Hauz Khas Village: a journey through time". The Times of India. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  13. ^ "Delhi's Hauz Khas Village: a journey through time". The Times of India. 28 September 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
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  16. ^ "Caste matters in a metro like New Delhi too". Gulf News. 15 September 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  17. ^ "The Jats who owned Lutyens' Delhi and a 104-year-old wait for compensation". India Times. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  18. ^ "Discovering multiple layers of Delhi". Millennium Post. 11 December 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  19. ^ "Caste could be decisive factor in Delhi polls". The Economic Times. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
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  24. ^ "The Jats who owned Lutyens' Delhi and a 104-year-old wait for compensation". India Times. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  25. ^ "Ghosts of Raisina Hill: Where are the original inhabitants of Lutyens' Delhi?". 6 May 2025. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  26. ^ "Lands under DDA (Nazul‑II / Acquired Land)". Delhi Development Authority. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  27. ^ "SC upholds decades‑old acquisition of land by DDA, DSIIDC and DMRC between 1957‑2006". The Times of India. 25 May 2024. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  28. ^ Prerana Chatterjee, "Managing Urban Transformations of Refugee Settlements in West Delhi from Camps to Nagars: The Story of Moti Nagar and Kirti Nagar," p. 189, Scribd, https://www.scribd.com/document/911797295/121-Article-Text-195-1-10-20190807
  29. ^ Sharma, Mohit (24 April 2014). "The Afghan trail". Millennium Post. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  30. ^ Thapliyal, Uma Prasad (1987). Gazetteer of Rural Delhi. Gazetteer Unit, Delhi Administration. p. 285.
  31. ^ O’Leary, Heather Elaine (2014). Uneven Absorption: World‑Class Delhi, Domestic Workers and the Water that Makes Them (PhD dissertation). University of Minnesota. p. 43.
  32. ^ City Level Projects: Punjabi Bagh Site Specific Design Study Ward Number 103 (PDF) (Report). Delhi Urban Art Commission. March 2015. pp. 10–11. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  33. ^ "VASANT VIHAR – Delhi Information". DelhiInformation.in. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  34. ^ Sehran, Sohil (1 August 2016). "Glitzy GK‑I tangled up in its own growth". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  35. ^ "Virender Sood v. Union of India & Ors" (PDF). Indian Employees. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  36. ^ "Land Acquisition Award No. 11/2004-05 – Village Basai Darapur" (PDF). Government of NCT of Delhi, Department of Revenue. 2005. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  37. ^ "How freedom fighters lent name to post-Partition refugee settlements". The Indian Express. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  38. ^ "Pin Code of Ashok Nagar Delhi". citypincode.in. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  39. ^ Jeelani, Gulam (16 February 2018). "How Delhi's urban villages turned into 'no-plan land'". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  40. ^ Sharma, Vibha (21 October 2021). "Mohammadpur village in Delhi debates its name and past". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  41. ^ Sharma, Vibha (21 October 2021). "Mohammadpur village in Delhi debates its name and past". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  42. ^ "The Making of New Delhi: How Partition Changed the City". The Wire. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  43. ^ "The Making of New Delhi: How Partition Changed the City". The Wire. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  44. ^ "About Land Pooling". Delhi Development Authority. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  45. ^ "Land pooling policy: Delhi L-G Anil Baijal approves 95 villages as development areas". The Economic Times. 16 June 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  46. ^ "Explained: DDA's new norms to make Delhi land more attractive for developers". The Indian Express. 5 April 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  47. ^ Roy, Sidharatha (20 October 2019). "Shahpur Jat is a rural-urban melting pot: Discover today". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
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  54. ^ "Gujjar leader Bidhuri to join BJP, gives Congress the slip". www.hindustantimes.com. 9 September 2013.
  55. ^ "Bidhuri looks to score with Gujjar community". The Hindu. 31 October 2013. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
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  59. ^ Burari shootout: Shaken, shopkeepers at market press for security, 20 June 2018
  60. ^ "Delhi's Most-Wanted Criminal Killed Haryana Folk Singer Harshita Dahiya, Didn't Take Money For Murder: Police". India: Outlook. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
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