What was the capital of India before New Delhi?

Calcutta was the capital of India before New Delhi became the capital in 1911.

The British East India Company developed Calcutta, now officially Kolkata, as a major trading and administrative center in eastern India. It became the capital of British India in 1772 under Warren Hastings and remained the seat of imperial government for more than a century.

In 1911, King George V announced the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi during the Delhi Durbar. Delhi had deeper historical associations with several Indian empires and was considered more centrally positioned for governing the subcontinent. New Delhi, a purpose-built imperial district designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, was formally inaugurated in 1931.

A common mix-up is treating Delhi and New Delhi as identical answers. Delhi is the broader historic city and territory; New Delhi is the modern capital district. Calcutta also remained an important cultural, commercial, and political center after the capital moved.