Delhi's ethnic groups are diverse. The Yamuna river's flood plains provide fertile alluvial soil suitable for agriculture but are prone to recurrent floods. The Yamuna, a sacred river in Hinduism, is the only major river flowing through Delhi. The original natives of Delhi are those whose ancestors lived in the Yamuna basin, a region which spreads radially from the capital up to a distance of approximately 200 kilometres.Memorandum submitted to the States Re-Organisation Commission Regarding Greater Delhi, 1 May 1954, quoted in Shiv Charan Gupta, Delhi: The City of Future, New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House, 1987, pp. 146–156. This province was not ethnically homogeneous and large amounts of Hindi-speakers resided in the southeast, now Haryana, eastern side, now West Uttar Pradesh and in Delhi's Yamuna Basin. Today the migrant population consists largely of Punjabis, Haryanvis, Bengalis, Biharis, Uttar Pradeshis, Rajasthanis and Madhya Pradeshis etc.Percival Spear, Delhi: The Stop-Go Capital: A Summation, p. 32, in RE Frykenberg, (editor), Delhi Through the Ages: Selected Essays in Urban History, Culture and history. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1993.

During the time of British Raj, Delhi was made a district city of the Punjab Province of British India.

Caste and politics

According to a 2013 The Hindu article, surveys by the political parties indicate that the dominant voter caste / community groups in Delhi include the Jats (10%), Punjabis (9%), Vaish (8%), Gujjars (7% ) and Sikhs (4%). A 2013 The Pioneer report estimates Jats to be only 5.5% of the total electorate. According to another 2013 The Pioneer report, the Brahmins comprise 12-14% of Delhi's population. According to a 2015 India TV article, the major voter social groups include Punjabis (different castes and religions) (35%), Purvanchalis (24%), Muslims (12%), Jats (8%), Vaish (8%), Gujjars (7%), Sikhs (5%) and around 3.5 million Uttarakhandis. In the 2015 Legislative Assembly election, 12 out of Delhi's 70 constituencies were reserved for scheduled caste (Dalit) candidates because of dominant Dalit population. According to a 2015 report by The Tribune, Delhi has 81% Hindus and 11.7% Muslims. 35% Punjabi population controls 15-20% vote share in at least 20 constituencies. Purvanchalis, as per the report, were at 4 million. A 2017 article by the Indian Express reported a total of 1.2 to 1.4 million voters who have roots in Uttarakhand. As per 2020 report by ThePrint, Migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar almost dominate Delhi's population. Two out of every three migrants in Delhi were born in either state. As per a 2020 India Today report, Purvanchali voters—Delhi residents with roots in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand—comprise about 25-30 per cent of the electorate. A 2022 article by Times of India, have reported that "People from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, who comprise Purvanchalis, are believed to be numerically superior to other ethnicities in 16 of the 70 assembly seats in the city, accounting 30% of the population. Jats, Punjabi Khatris and Brahmins dominated politics in Delhi for many decades. Numerically high, the ethnic Punjabis of all castes are believed to account for at least 35% to 40% of Delhi's total population, and are predominantly Hindi-speaking Punjabi Hindus with a significant minority being Punjabi-speaking Sikhs. According to a 2025 report by Financial Express, Delhi has highest percentage of upper-castes of all the union territories of India accounting for 35% to 40% of the total population, of which 13% are Brahmins, 8% Rajputs, 7% Vaish and 5% Punjabi Khatris. 30% belong to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), with Jats and Gujjars occupying a major chunks followed by castes including Yadavs. At least 16% are Dalits, and approximately 13% are Muslims and 3% Sikhs.

History

Medieval

Early

Early Medieval Delhi (8th–12th Century) During the early medieval period, Delhi emerged as a regional power center under the Tomara Rajputs (c. 8th–11th century), who founded Lal Kot, the city's first fortification near Mehrauli. Later, the Chauhans of Ajmer extended their control, with Prithviraj Chauhan (r. 1178–1192 CE) enlarging Lal Kot into Qila Rai Pithora. Delhi became a fortified political base and a symbol of Rajput valor and resistance during this era.

Late

During the Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526), Delhi served as the imperial capital (Dar-ul-Mulk) and administrative center of the empire, from where the Sultans ruled and controlled all provinces. Under the Mughals (1526–1857), Delhi again became the imperial capital (Dar-ul-Khilafat), especially after Shah Jahan founded Shahjahanabad in 1638, making it the political and symbolic heart of Mughal India.

British rule

Land ownership During the late 19th century, under British colonial administration, land ownership in Delhi District which includes today's Delhi, Sonipat and Ballabgarh was predominantly rural and tied to proprietary rights assessed during settlement operations. The Gazetteer of Delhi District, 1883–84 provides a detailed breakdown of these holdings by caste and tribe, reflecting the agrarian structure where Jaats emerged as the largest proprietors, controlling most of the assessed land. This dominance was concentrated in northern and western villages, while the remaining holdings were distributed among approximately 20 other communities, highlighting the fragmented nature of rural land tenure.; ; ;

Community/Caste/Tribe Percentage of Total Land Holdings Jaats 44.3% Brahmins 10.2% Rajputs 9.8% Muslims(Moguls) 7.3% Christians (i.e. by Govt) 4.7% Other Hindus 4.8% Taga 4.8% Ahir 3.9% Gorwah 2.4% Taga Musalman 2.1% Saiyid 2.1% Gujjars 2.0% Meo 1.8%Shaikh1.5%Pathan0.7%Baloch0.3% Total 100%

Per person land ownership In terms of per person landholdings, the hierarchy differed from total land control. Jaat held the highest average at 3.55 Acres per person, followed by Brahmin with 3.37 Acres and Rajputs with 3.28. Ahirs averaged 2.17 Acres, Balochs 2.03 Acres , Saiyids 1.98 Acres, Meos 1.54 Acres, Gujjar 1.47 Acres, and Pathans 0.47 Acres , Shaikhs had the lowest average with 0.25 Acres per person.

Community/Caste/Tribe Acres per person Jaat 3.55 Brahmin 3.37 Rajput 3.28 Ahir 2.17Baloch2.03 Saiyid 1.98 Meo 1.54 Gujjar 1.47Pathan0.47Shaikh0.25

Religion The 1941 Census, conducted during the final years of British colonial rule, offers the last detailed pre-Partition view of Delhi Province's religious demographics. Covering a territory roughly equivalent to the modern National Capital Territory of Delhi, it recorded a total population of 917,939, with Hindus comprising 61.8% and Muslims 33.22%. Urban areas exhibited greater religious diversity than the predominantly Hindu rural hinterland.; ;

Religion Urban Delhi Province Rural Delhi Province Total Delhi Province Population % Population % Population % Hinduism 374,968 53.9% 192,296 86.52% 567,264 61.8% Islam 277,815 39.93% 27,156 12.22% 304,971 33.22% Christianity 15,593 2.24% 1,882 0.85% 17,475 1.9% Sikhism 15,787 2.27% 370 0.17% 16,157 1.76% Jainism 10,770 1.55% 517 0.23% 11,287 1.23% Zoroastrianism 284 0.04% 0 0% 284 0.03% Buddhism 150 0.02% 0 0% 150 0.02% Judaism 52 0.01% 3 0% 55 0.01% Others 267 0.04% 29 0.01% 296 0.03% Total population 695,686 100% 222,253 100% 917,939 100%

Present

Impact of Partition on Delhi

The Partition of India in 1947 had profound demographic, economic, and spatial effects on Delhi. Following independence, New Delhi continued as the capital of the Dominion of India and, after 1950, of the Republic of India. The city's population nearly doubled between 1941 and 1951—from approximately 920,000 to 1.74 million—driven largely by the arrival of over 500,000 Hindu and Sikh refugees from what is now Pakistan, while roughly two-thirds of Delhi's Muslim residents, concentrated mainly in the old walled city, migrated to Pakistan.Ian Talbot, "Masjids, Monuments and Refugees in the Partition City of Delhi, 1947–1959," Urban History, Cambridge University Press, Vol. 41, No. 2 (2014), pp. 315–331.Rotem Geva, Delhi Reborn: Partition and Nation Building in India's Capital, Stanford University Press, 2022, ISBN 9781503632110.

In the decades following Partition, the villages on Delhi's periphery experienced dramatic transformations as agricultural land was acquired for urban expansion. According to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), metropolitan Delhi has grown largely on lands obtained from these villagers.SRIVASTAVA Committee Report. "Report of the Expert Committee on Lal Dora, New Delhi, January 2007." PDF, DDA. https://dda.gov.in/sites/default/files/Landmgmt/SRIVASTAVA%20COMMITTEE.pdf Many former agrarian households adapted to wage labour, rental income, and non-agricultural livelihoods, reflecting the broader urbanisation of these areas.Vipul Kumar. "Speculative Planning: Agrarian‑Urban Transformation in Peri‑Urban Areas – Case Study of Land Pooling Policy, Delhi." ISOCARP 2021. PDF. https://isocarp.org/app/uploads/2022/02/ISOCARP_2021_Kumar_268.pdf Physically, these villages transformed from open fields and "abadi" plots into high-density settlements with informal housing, narrow lanes, and piecemeal infrastructure development.S. K. Routray. "Urban Restructuring and the Politics of Poverty in Delhi." Open Library UBC, 2014. https://open.library.ubc.ca/media/stream/pdf/24/1.0166053/2 The Delhi Land Pooling Policy currently recognises approximately 104 "urban villages" that have required major civic upgrades to integrate fully into the metropolis."About Land Pooling – DDA." https://dda.gov.in/land-pooling/about"Why the DDA's Land Pooling Policy Has Led to Concerns Among …" The Wire. https://m.thewire.in/article/urban/delhi-land-pooling-policy-dda

Urbanization intensified in the early 1950s under the Delhi Improvement Trust (established in 1937), which initiated schemes for congestion relief, housing, and urban improvement. However, post-Partition challenges, including land scarcity and rising property prices, limited project completions.Sanjiv Shankaran and Anirudh Burman, "Planning Delhi ca. 1936–1959," South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, Vol. 36, No. 4 (2013), pp. 636–655. https://doi.org/10.1080/00856401.2013.829793 The state acquired agricultural land from surrounding villages for refugee rehabilitation and infrastructure expansion, often under ordinances such as the 1955 Delhi Control of Building Operations Act.Sushmita Pati, "Urban Villages of Delhi," academia.edu (2015). https://www.academia.edu/12937025/Urban_Villages_of_Delhi Private developers also purchased village lands to construct residential colonies, such as those in Hauz Khas during the mid-1950s.

In 1957, the Delhi Development Authority was established. Successive Master Plans converted large tracts of agricultural and village land into residential, commercial, and industrial zones, expanding the city's built-up area from approximately 326 km² in 1961 to 702 km² by 2001.Delhi Development Authority, "Achievements," accessed 1 November 2025. https://dda.gov.in/achievementsDelhi Development Authority, Master Plan for Delhi 1962 and Master Plan for Delhi 2001; Government of India, Ministry of Urban Development, "History of Urban Development in Delhi." https://dda.gov.inGovernment of NCT of Delhi, Planning Department, "Urban Development," Economic Survey of Delhi 2001-2002, Chapter 14. https://delhiplanning.delhi.gov.in/sites/default/files/Planning/economic-survey-2001-02/chapt14.pdf

Migrants