Page:Provincial geographies of India (Volume 1).djvu/354

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CITIES
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for "darshan" or a sight of their sovereign was abundantly gratified. None who saw the spectacles of that historic week will ever forget them.

New Imperial Capital.— The turn of Fortune's Wheel has again made Delhi an imperial city. The transfer of the seat of government from Calcutta announced by the

Fig. 146. Darbar Medal.

King Emperor at the darbar, is now being carried out. The site will probably extend from Safdar Jang's tomb to a point lying to the west of Firoz Shah's citadel.

Lahore (31.34 N., 74.21 E.). The capital of the Panjab lies on the east bank of the Ravi, which once flowed close to the Fort, but has moved a mile or two to the west. In high floods the waters still spread over the lowlands between the Ravi and the Fort. Lahore lies nearly halfway between Delhi and Peshawar, being nearer to the latter than to the former.

Early History.— Practically we know nothing of its history till Mahmud conquered the Panjab and put a garrison in a fort at Lahore. Henceforth its history was intimately connected with Muhammadan rule in India. Whether north-western India was ruled from Ghazni or from Delhi, the chief provincial governor had his headquarters at Lahore. In the best days of Moghal rule