Fractured forest, quartzite city : a history of Delhi and its ridge

A sprawling megacity of nearly twenty million people, Delhi has forgotten its ecological history, a key part of which is the Ridge, often referred to as Delhi's green lung. At various points, Delhi has been a crucial hub of politics, warfare, trade and religious expansion on regional and global levels. Placing Delhis environment at the front and centre of its unique history, the book tells the tale of the Ridge, which resonates far beyond the boundaries of India's capital. The Ridge offers a crucial vantage point for viewing these historical and geographical interconnections. Its trees can't be separated from the stones below them, nor the cities that rose and fell around them. Only with this perspective does a clear picture of the Ridgeand Delhi as a wholeemerge. Cover 1 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Seeds: Introductio 14 1 Stones 34 2 Soil 78 3 State 138 4 Surplus 226 5 Spirits 288 Notes 341 Bibliography 354 About the Author 368 The first book on the Ridge, Delhi′s ‘green lung’, and the significant role it has played for centuries.