City of Djinns

Title: City of Djinns – A Year in Delhi

Author: William Dalrymple

Publisher:  Penguin, 2004 (First published 1993)

ISBN: 978-0-143-03106-2

Pages: 343

Dalrymple is an acknowledged Indophile whose other books have also been reviewed earlier in this blog, like The Last Mughal, The White Mughals and Nine Lives. He was born in Scotland and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Asiatic Society. Besides writing, Dalrymple has presented television documentaries on Indian topics. His wife, Olivia Fraser is herself an artist who has produced the remarkable illustrations adorning the pages of the book. The couple now divide their time between London and Delhi.

The book is in essence what the author saw and thought during his year-long stay in the Indian capital city in 1989-90. He borrows the concept of djinns (spirits said to have been created from fire) from Muslim folklore to make the theme of the book, a portrait of a city disjointed in time, a city whose different ages lay suspended side by side as in aspic, a city of djinns (p.9). The author peels through the thin layers of history surrounding the core of the city, the recent ones first. Thus, the British presence is dealt with first, followed by the struggle of the last of the mughals in 1857, consolidation of the British during early 19^th century, last remnants of Mughal structure in the 18^th, Shah Jahan’s founding of the city during middle-17^th, Tughluk’s period during the sultanates, Prithvi Raj Chauhan, and into the mists of pre-history, like Indraprastha and Hastinapura of Mahabharata. Each section is amply made lucid by interactions with noted personalities from Delhi who has made it their speciality of study.

Delhi enters prehistory through the Mahabharata epic. The palace of the Pandavas, Indraprastha, was situated there. Though archeologists differ about the scale of magnificence of the Pandava structures, there is no denying, from excavated remains that a civilization which has produced fine pottery known as painted grey ware, has been flourishing along the coast of river Jamuna around 2800 years before. After a long hiatus, Delhi again comes into the picture with Prithvi Raj Chauhan who made the mistake of pardoning his Afghan enemy once in the war – Mohammed of Ghor! He came back with a larger force the next year, defeated and beheaded Chauhan in 1192, inaugurating six centuries of Islamic rule in the city. The middle ages saw flashes of splendour echoing along the streets of Delhi in the superb buildings made by emperor Shah Jahan. What we see in Old Delhi is the remains of fine structures built by that megalomaniac autocrat. 

Shah Jahan was ousted from the throne by his treacherous third son, Aurangzeb who declared war against the country and its culture. Lot of temples were destroyed or desecrated resulting in resentment throughout the empire. No wonder that the empire began to crumple no sooner Aurangzeb died in 1707. The 18^th century was an era of palace intrigue, treachery, and degenerate morals. The British came on the scene not much later, who gradually sunk their claws into the flesh of Islamic society and mercilessly tore down the social order when it effectively crushed the rebellion of 1857. Lutyens modelled a new city, New Delhi, which remains the seat of power of the Indian government.

The book is eminently readable, with its presentation of characters throughout the chapters in the form ordinary Delhiites, like the landlord, the taxi driver, the Persian-language professor and numerous such people. One thing which emerges from the treatise is the helping mentality of the common people. It is not to be confused with the normal mindset of the people, who will nevertheless be willing to extend a helping hand to a foreigner staying amidst them. Dalrymple also displays an aspect of Indian society – venality – which permeates all spheres of society, be it politics, religion, social relations and administration. Indians must take note of this disturbing fact, which keeps on churning to the top from the writings of foreign authors, right from the 15^th century Arab and Portuguese travelers. Dalrymple just confirms the notion in a gentle, apologetic way. The book is very humorous and is a delight to read. The section in which the author dissects through newspaper advertisements for arranged marriage is taking hilarity to new heights.

One downside which can be pointed out is that, as always, Dalrymple caters to British sensitivities about India. There is no arguing that the book appeals equally strong to the Indian reader, but a British one is more at ease while reading it. The native reader experiences a whole panoply of emotions like pride, curiosity, anticipation and even outright shame by going through the work, the foreign one feel a sense of déjà vu – it simply reaffirms what he had had already in his mind.

The book is strongly recommended.

Rating: 3 Star