Word Meaning
जहानाबाद
Jahanabad
Meaning
Shahjahanabad or Old Delhi, the historic Mughal imperial capital.
Detailed Meaning
Jahanabad is a shortened poetic name for Shahjahanabad, the walled city of Delhi founded by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. In this couplet, it represents the once-glorious and densely populated imperial capital that has been reduced to desolate ruins. The poet uses the city's ruin as a poignant metaphor for political decay and personal sorrow.
Etymology
Persian compound of 'jahān' (world) and 'ābād' (cultivated, inhabited city), serving as a contraction of 'Shahjahanabad'.
Usage
In classical Urdu shahr-ashob poetry, Jahanabad is frequently invoked as a melancholic symbol of cultural annihilation and imperial fall.
Examples
The ruined alleys of Jahanabad tell tales of lost majesty.
Whoever passed through Jahanabad remembered its bustling streets.