When did the British shift the capital to Delhi?

Question

When did the British shift the capital to Delhi?

1. A. 1912 (Correct answer)
2. B. 1913
3. C. 1911
4. D. More than one of the above

Correct Answer

Option A — 1912

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is 1912.

Key Points

• The British transferred the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi in 1912. The decision was announced by King George V at the Delhi Durbar on 12 December 1911, and the capital was formally shifted in 1912, with New Delhi later being built as the grand new capital (inaugurated in 1931).
• The shift was partly to move the seat of power to a historically imperial city and away from Calcutta, which had become a centre of nationalist and revolutionary activity in Bengal.

Additional Information

• because the announcement (1911) and the actual transfer (1912) fall in different years, the year the capital was shifted is 1912, option (A).