This chapter discusses political and social evolution of Delhi and its surrounds. It also discusses the political, economic and social contexts within which the built environment of Delhi and surrounds evolved. The visible built environment of modern-day Delhi and its surrounds is a continuum of more than 1,500 years of human actions that is reflected in its buildings, urban form, urban systems and materials. The built environment of a city is influenced by its political, economic and social systems that evolve over a period of time. These form the context within which cities take shape. Existing and archaeological evidences pertaining to built environment and its components have been studied by different disciplines to develop theories, but these, merely as a tool, are less than satisfactory utilisations of the materials. The 'surrounds' are viewed as a dynamic boundary of the city to which it expands. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.