The Delhi Durbar
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The Delhi Durbar
From the archives of the The Times of India OCTOBER 25 | 1911 onwards
The Delhi Durbar was among the momentous events of British India. The Times of India captured the event in delightful details
The glamorous event had far-reaching significance. Supposedly held to commemorate the coronation in London of King George V and Queen Mary and proclaim them sovereigns of India, the splendorous show threw up surprises. Without warning, the King declared moving of the capital of imperial India from Calcutta to Delhi. He annulled the 1905 partition of Bengal. The Bengali-speaking areas were consolidated and borders of eastern India redrawn. The state of Bihar was born, its capital in Patna.
Times of India’s December 13 edition gushed: “The scene at Delhi yesterday, when his Imperial Majesty, the King Emperor announced in person the solemn rite of his coronation to his Indian people, was one of unsurpassed dignity and splendour.” In a news item painted in bold brushstrokes of colour, the daily described how: “Indian sovereigns and thousands of His Majesty’s loyal subjects witnessed a spectacle the like of which has never before been seen.”
The sovereigns appeared in their coronation robes, the kingemperor wearing the bejeweled Imperial Crown of India studded with 6,170 diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies. So heavy was the crown that it reportedly gave the king a headache.
An earlier sequence of news reports detailed the meticulous preparations for the grand event. The durbar camp, specially constructed for the occasion, spread over 25 sq miles and had its own railway. Sixty-four km of new roads were built. A Shimla-datelined story carried a long list of camps to be set up for the durbar in Delhi, key British officials who’d attend, public works, roads to be spruced up or built and an unending list of Indian royals who’d be present. Other than the biggies, this mentioned relatively obscure, smaller princes and there were more than 500 of them.
On the sidelines, the imperial government organised football and hockey tournaments to celebrate the occasion.
A June 13 report in TOI quotes an official letter thus: “There will be in connection with the coronation durbar football and hockey tournaments open to the British and Indian armies, respectively, for cups presented by HM the King.” On sartorial matters too, the Raj government had a lot to say. TOI mentioned a government decision to fix dresses for judges.
“The government of India has been in communication with the court authorities about the dresses of the judges of various high and chief courts with a view to restore uniformity in judicial court dresses at the Delhi Durbar.”
After the build-up coverage, the actual durbar report started descriptively and switched to an analytical tenor explaining the import of the decisions announced by George V. “With this wonderfully impressive spectacle (of the coronation durbar) fresh in our imagination, we come to the announcements made by His Majesty at the close of the ceremony.” The first “dramatic” announcement related to the “change of the seat of government from Calcutta to Delhi” and “readjustment of the province of Bengal”.
“The King announced that the great city which had been the headquarters of government ever since British rule in India was to be abandoned in favour of the ancient capital of the Moghuls and a former seat of Hindu power. The King declared the remodelling of the administrative boundaries of East India,” the paper recorded.
Calling the shift of capital progressive and an administrative necessity, the TOI report said “judged on merit”, the decision had “universal support”.
The previous arrangement, it said, was impracticable and that the government of India can’t be associated with any particular provincial government. “The location of government of India in Calcutta for many months of the year kills provincial independence in Bengal... renders the Imperial government... in a manner both unjust and unworkable. The case for the removal of the government of India from Calcutta is overwhelming and urgent...”
Delhi, the report says, is most suitable as the seat of imperial government. “It is well served by the railway, its climate is good for seven months and it embraces every facility necessary for the creation of a great imperial city.” Three days after the announcement about shifting the capital, the fo u n d at i o n stone for New Delhi was laid at Coronation Park, E dw a rd L u t ye n s given the task of designing the capital.
CORONATION OR DURBAR?
Sir, At the Town Hall meeting on Thursday the High Sheriff seems to have referred several times to the “Coronation” of Their Majesties at Delhi... Is not the coronation of the King of the United Kingdom an exclusively Christian ceremony requiring exclusively Christian Ministers to perform it? Is the ceremony repeatable any more than a Christian baptism or Christian marriage is repeatable? If there is to be a crowning of some kind or other at Delhi, who is to place the crown on the King’s Head? Is it not more correct and therefore more desirable to describe the Delhi ceremony as a Proclamation Durbar. —Letter to the editor by one Rose Dartle
DURBAR BOSSMAN’S PERKS & PRIVILEGES
Sir John Hewett was president of the Delhi Coronation Durbar Committee. Times of India reported that he was allowed a private secretary and aide de camp. He was given a house in Simla (then summer capital of the British Raj), although “he will pay constant visits to Delhi”.
District dos
In the districts, durbars were held in several places. A large gathering of native chiefs, officers of the agency, and leading residents was held in Mahi Kantha. In Dharwar, a sports meet was held. Ajmer hosted a gathering at the Marwaras Regimental Maidan. Baroda had a holiday.
Medal mania
There were reports that 5,000 additional medals were distributed arbitrarily. The press sought a probe. “We learn that by order of the governor-general the original 5,000 medals set aside for the military are to be increased by another 5,000... But the medals to ladies, to visitors and to sundry clerks still remains to be explained”.
Viceroy loses train
The viceroy’s special train was renovated and upholstered for use of the King George V and Queen Mary. Interestingly, another railway company known as E B S Railway, managed to provide a special train for the use of the viceroy.
Definitely in tents
TOI reported thus: It has been definitely decided that their Majesties, during their visit to Delhi, will reside in tents and not in a house. All the camps will be arranged on a uniform plan so as to produce the best spectacular effect instead of allowing each tent to be arranged independently of the rest.
No Ribbon cutting
The British government actually issued a press release that said: “We are informed that owing to shortness of his stay in India, His Majesty the king regrets that he will not be able to accept invitations to perform functions such as the laying of the foundation stones of public buildings, opening of hospitals etc”.
Shown the door
The Maharaja of Kashmir presented the king emperor splendid walnut carved doorways and panels, which he so admired in the Kashmir camp at the Delhi Durbar. George V accepted the Kashmiri gifts and the carvings were packed for shipment to London, TOI reported
