National capital territory (pop., 2001 prelim.: 13,782,976), north-central India.
Bordered by the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana , it has an area of 573 sq mi (1,483 sq km) and comprises the cities of Delhi (popularly known as Old Delhi) and New Delhi (India's capital) and adjacent rural areas. Delhi was the capital of a Muslim dynasty from 1206 until it was laid waste by Timur in 1398. It was conquered by the Mughal Bābur in 1526. Although the Mughal capital was mostly at Agra , Delhi was beautified by Shah Jahān , beginning in 1638. Pillaged by Nādir Shah in 1739, it surrendered to the Marathas in 1771. Taken by the British in 1803, it was a centre of the Indian Mutiny in 1857. Delhi replaced Calcutta (now Kolkata ) as the capital of British India in 1912, at which time construction began on the section of the city that became New Delhi. The capital was moved to New Delhi in 1931, and it became the capital of independent India in 1947. The area's economy and population centre mainly in Old Delhi, while government is concentrated in New Delhi. The government is the chief employer. The territory is also the transportation hub for north-central India.