Getting Around 18th-Century Delhi: From Palkis to Stagecoaches

Eighteenth-century Delhi—Mughal twilight, Maratha incursions, British ascent—offered a transport mosaic reflecting its layered society. Here's how people and goods moved.

Human Power

• Walking: Default for most, all short trips.
• Palki / Doli: Covered palanquins borne by 4–6 kahars (porters). Nobles, women, elderly. Status symbol; ornate ones had velvet interiors, silver poles.

Animal Power: Wheeled

Animal Power: Pack & Mount

• Horseback: Elite, military, messengers.
• Camels: Long-distance freight, caravans to Rajasthan/Sindh.
• Elephants: Heavy loads, royalty, siege equipment.
• Mules/Donkeys: Narrow lanes, hill tracks, construction sites.

Water Transport

The Yamuna River was a major artery. Boats (dungis, patelas) and rafts moved grain, stone, timber, and people between Delhi and the Gangetic plain. Seasonal—monsoon floods expanded capacity; dry season limited draft.

Communication Infrastructure

Dak Chowkis (postal relays)—Mughal system refined by British—used horse riders and foot runners (harkaras) at 10–15 km intervals. Speed: ~80–100 km/day for urgent dispatches.

Social Geography of Mobility

• Old City (Shahjahanabad): dense, narrow—palkis, tongas, walking dominated.
• Civil Lines / Cantonment (British): wider roads—stagecoaches, horses, early carriages.
• Rural hinterland: bullock carts, camel trains, river boats.

By 1803, British control brought metalled roads, regular stagecoach schedules, and a postal network that stitched Delhi into colonial India's nervous system—prelude to the railway revolution half a century later.