108 GARDENS OF THE PLAINS DELHI 



little that still remains of the Shalimar Bagh of 

 Delhi will have disappeared without leaving a 

 trace." 



One quaint survival of the days of the older 

 Badshahi (Empire) still lingers by the Grand 

 Trunk Road between the Shalimar and the city 

 the Mulbarak Bagh. This garden is the property 

 of an Oudh Nawab, who recalled the fact that 

 one of the Mughal Emperors gave it to his family 

 on condition of supplying the Court with dalis of 

 vegetables, fruit, and flowers. He cannot now 

 fulfil the terms of his tenure ; but lately he has 

 allowed the enclosure to be partly used as a 

 botanical garden and nursery for young plants 

 in connection with the building of New Delhi. 

 The Oudh nobles are always said to represent 

 the best side of feudalism, and certainly there is 

 something charming about this graceful action, 

 in its suggestion of the duty of a tenant-in-chief 

 towards his absent King-Emperor. 



Nearer the city, to the west of Sabzi Mandi, 

 the suburb of the Vegetable Market, are Ros- 

 hanara Begam's gardens. This Princess ruled 

 the Court under Aurungzeb, very much as her 

 sister Jahanara had done in the last days of Shah 

 Jahan's reign. They were both children of the 



