THEME-12 COLONIAL CITIES

CH-12-COLONIAL CITIES

Ø  INTRODUCTION-

In this chapter we will see the process of urbanization during colonial period and find the distinguishing characteristics of colonial cities and the social life. We will look closely the development of three presidencies cities-

v  Madras (Chennai)-Company agents settled in 1639.

v  Calcutta (Kolkata)- Company agents settled in 1690.

v  Bombay (Mumbai)-It was given to the company in 1661, by English King, who got it as a   dowry from king of Portugal.

Ø  SOURCES TO KNOW ABOUT COLONIAL CITIES:-

v  Records of the East India Company.

v  Census reports

v  Municipal reports.

Ø  TOWNS AND CITIES IN PRE-COLONIAL TIMES 

Ø  FEATURE OF TOWNS AND VILLAGES

v  Towns were defined in opposition to rural areas.

v  Towns represented specific forms of economic activities and cultures.

v  In the rural areas the people lived by cultivating land, foraging in the forest, or rearing animals.

v  In towns, by contrast, people were artisans, traders, administrators, and rulers.

v  Towns dominated over the rural population but in rural areas population are less.

v  Towns and cities were often fortified by walls which symbolized their separation from the countryside.

Ø  RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOWNS AND VILLAGES

v  Separation between town and village was fluid

v  When towns were attacked, people often sought shelter in the countryside.

v  Traders and peddlers took goods from the towns to sell in the villages.

v  During famine village people flocked toward cities in hope to get food grains.

v  There was a revenue flow of humans and goods from towns to villages.

Ø  FEATURES OF MUGHAL CITIES

v  The towns built by the Mughals were famous for their concentration of populations, their monumental buildings and their imperial grandeur and wealth.

v  Agra, Delhi, and Lahore were important centers of imperial administration and control.

v  Artisans produced exclusive handicrafts for the households of nobles.

v  Grains from the countryside were brought into the urban markets for the town-dwellers and the army.

v  The treasury was also located in the imperial capital.

v  In these Mughal cities there were gardens, mosques, temples, tombs, colleges, bazaars and caravanserais.

v  The focus of these towns was oriented towards the palace and the principal mosque.

v  In north India an imperial officer called Kotwal saw the internal affairs and policing of the town.

Ø  TOWNS IN SOUTH INDIA 

v  In the towns of south India such as Madurai and Kanchipuram, the principal focus was the temple

v  These temples were the important commercial centers.

v  Religious festivals often coincided with fairs, linking pilgrimage with the trade.

v  The ruler was the highest authority and the principal patron of religious institutions.

v  The relationship that he had with other group and classes determined their place in society and in the town.

Ø  CHANGES IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 

v  Due to the decline of Mughals the old towns went to decline and new towns developed in the eighteenth century.

v  The growth of new regional powers was reflected in the increasing importance of regional capitals – Lucknow, Hyderabad, Seringapatam, Poona, Nagpur, Baroda and Tanjore.

v  Trade, administrators, artisans, and others migrated from the old Mughal centers to these new capitals in search of work and patronage.

v  In some places there was renewed economic activity, in other places war, plunder and political uncertainty led to economic decline.

v  Some local notable and official related with  Mughal rule also create new urban settlementsuch as Qasbah and ganj,(small fixed market)

Ø  CHANGES IN THE NETWORK OF TRADE

v  The European commercial companies had set up base in different places early during the Mughal era as-

SR NO	COUNTRY	CITY	YEAR
1	Portuguese	Panaji	1510
2	Dutch	Masulipatam	1605
3	British	Madras	1639
4	French	Pondicherry	1873

v  .By the end of eighteenth century, the land-based empire in Asia was replaced by the powerful sea-based European empires..

v  Forces of international trade, mercantilism and capitalism now came to define the nature of society.

v  The commercial centers such as Surat, Masulipatam, and Dhaka which had grown in the seventeenth century had declined in mid 18^th century when trade shifted to other places.

v  Madras, Bombay and Calcutta rapidly emerged as new economic capitals and centers of colonial administration and political power.

v  New buildings, occupations, institutions developed.

Ø  FINDING OUT ABOUT COLONIAL CITIES

Ø  COLONIAL RECORD AND URBAN HISTORY 

v  Colonial rules were based on the production of enormous amount of data collected by britishers.

v  The British kept a detailed record of their trading activities in order to regulate their commercial affairs.

v  They carried out the regular survey, gathered statistical data, and published various official report.

v  The town map gives information regarding the location of hill, river and vegetation – all important for planning structure for defence purpose. The survey of India was established in 1878.

v  These maps also show the location of ghats, density, and quality of house and alignment of roads, etc which were used to gauge commercial possibilities and plan strategies of taxation.

v  The municipal corporation with some popular representations was meant to administer essential services such as water supply, sewerage, road buildings and public health.

Ø  PROBLEM FACED WHILE COLLECTING THE CENSUS DATA

v  The first all-India census was attempted in 1872. From 1881 decennial (conducted every ten years) censuses became a regular feature.

v  The people often refused to cooperate or gave evasive answers to the census officials.

v  The people were suspicious of census operation and believed that inquiries were being conducted to impose new taxes.

v  Upper caste people were also unwilling to give any information regarding the women of their household.

v  Women were supposed to remain secluded within the interior of the household and not subjected to public gaze or public inquiry.

v  Census officials also found that the people were claiming identities that they associated with higher status.

v  The figures of mortality and disease were difficult to collect for all deaths were not registered and illness was not always reported, nor treated by licensed doctors.

v  Historians have to use sources like census with great caution, keeping in mind their possible biases, recalculating figures and understanding what the figures do not tell.

Ø  TRENDS OF CHANGE 

v  After 1800 Urbanisation in India was very slow. But it increase during 1900 to 1940.During these years the urban population increased from 9 to 13 %.

v  Now the smaller towns had little opportunity to grow economically.

v  Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras, on the other hand, grew rapidly and soon became sprawling cities due to administrative and commericial activities.

v  After the industrial revolution in Englandthese cities become the entry point for british manufactured good and for the export of Indian raw materials.

v  The introduction of railways in 1853 meant a change in the fortunes of towns.

v  Economic activities gradually shifted away from traditional towns which were located along old routes and rivers.

v  Every railway station became a collection depot for raw materials and distribution point for imported goods.

v  Railway towns like Jamalpur,(Bihar) Waltair(Visakhaptnam), and Bareilly (UP)developed as a trading centres.

Ø WHAT WERE THE NEW TOWNS LIKE?

Ø  PORTS, FORTS AND CENTERS FOR SERVICES 

v  Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay had become important ports.

v  The English East India Company built its factories because of competition among the Europeans companies, fortified the settlement for protection.

v  In Madras, Fort St George, in Calcutta Fort William and in Bombay the Fort marked out the areas of British settlement.

v  There were separate quarters for Europeans and Indians, which came to be labeled in contemporary writings as the “White Town” and “Black Town “.

v  From mid 19th century the railway network linked to the hinterland for the cheap labour and raw material.

v  Two Industrial cities also developed – Kanpur specializing in leather, woolen and cotton textiles and Jamshedpur, specialize in steel.

v  India never became a modern industrialized country as discriminatory colonial policies limited the levels of Industrial development.

v  Madras, Calcutta Bombay grew into a large city but did not signify any dramatic economic growth as majority of the working population in these cities belonged to tertiary sector.

Ø  A NEW URBAN MILIEU 

v  Colonial cities reflected the mercantile culture of the new rule.

v  Political power and patronage shifted from Indian rulers to the merchants of the East India Company.

v  Indians who worked as interpreters, middlemen, traders, and suppliers of goods also had an important place in these new cities.

v  Economic activities near the river or the sea led to the development of docks and ghats.

v  Along the shore many godowns, offices, insurances agencies, transport depots and banking were established by merchants and traders. Many administrative offices also set up Writers building in Calcutta were set up.

v  Around the periphery of the fort, Europeans merchants and agents built garden houses, racially exclusive clubs, racecourse and theatres for the ruling elites.

Ø  BUILDING PATTREN OF COLONIAL CITIES AFTER 1857

v  After the revolt the British attitudes in India were shaped by a constant fear of rebellion . They felt that towns needed to be better defended and white people had to live in more secure and segregated enclaves away from the threat of the natives.so they have taken many steps.

v  Pasture lands and agriculture fields around the older towns were cleared.

v  New urban spaces called Civil Lines were set up.

v  Cantonments places where Indian troops under European command were stationed were also developed as safe enclaves.

v  With broad streets, bungalows large garden, barracks, prade ground and church meant as safe haven for Europeans and model of urban life in contract to densely build up Indian towns.

Ø  Steps taken for cleanliness

v   Britishers were interested primarily in the cleanliness and hygiene of the white areas. But when the epidemics of cholera and plague spread colonial official felt the need for more stringent measures of sanitation  and public health .So they have taken many steps as-

v  Underground piped water supply were put up in the cities.

v  Sewerage and drainage system were also put in places around this time.

v  Sanitary vigilance become the another way of regulating Indian towns.

Ø  THE DEVELOPMENT OF HILL STATIONS:

v  British Government started developing hill stations initially because of need of British army. Simla (present day Shimla) founded during Gurkha war (1815-16). Anglo-Maratha war led to development of Mount Abu (1818). Darjeeling was taken from the ruler of Sikkim in 1835.

v  The temperate and cool climate of hills were seen as sanitarium (places where soldiers could be sent for rest and recovery from illness) because these areas were free from diseases like cholera, malaria, etc.

v  Hilly regions and stations became attractive place for European rulers and other elites. During summer season, for recreation they visited these places regularly. Many houses, buildings, and Churches were designed according to European style.

v  In 1864 Viceroy John Lawrence officially moved his council and capital during hot summer to Shimla.

v  Later introduction of railway made these places more accessible and upper and middle class Indians like maharajas, lawyers and merchants also started visiting these places regularly.

v  Hilly regions were also important for economy as tea plantation, coffee plantation flourished in the region.

Ø  SOCIAL LIFE IN THE NEW CITIES:

v  In cities life seemed always in a flux for Indians. There was a great inequality between rich and poor.

v  New transport facilities like horse drawn carriage, trains, and buses had been developed. People now started travelling, from home to work place using the new mode of transportation.

v  Many public places were created, e.g. public parks, theatres, dubs, and cinema halls in 20th century. These places provided entertainment and opportunity for social interaction.

v  A new social group emerged in the cities.. As the demands of clerks, teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers and accountants increase in the cities people migrated from the rural areas. There were schools, colleges and libraries.

v  A new public sphere of debate and discussion emerged. Social norms, customs and practices came to be questioned.

v  They provided new. Opportunities for women. It provided women avenues to get out of their house and become more visible in public life.

v  They entered new profession as teacher, theatre and film actress, domestic worker, factory worker, etc.

v  Middle class women started to express themselves through the medium of autobiographies, journals and books.

v  Conservatives feared these reforms; they feared breaking existing rule of society, and patriarchal order.

v  Women who went out of the household had to face opposition and they became object of social censure in those years.

v  In cities, there was a class of labourers or the working class came to cities looking for opportunity few came to cities to live a new way of life and desires to see the new things.

v  Life in cities was expensive, jobs were uncertain and sometimes migrants leave their family at native place to save money. Migrants also participated in the Tamashas (folk theatre) and Swangs (satires) and in that way they tried to integrate with the life of cities.

Ø  SEREGATION, TOWN PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE

Ø  SETTLEMENT AND SEGREGATION IN MADRAS:

v  Company first set up its centre at Surat and then tried to occupy east coast. British and French were engaged in Battle in South India.

v  A trading post in Madraspatnam was set up by purchasing from Telgu lords, The nayaks of Kalahasti.

v  With defeat of France in 1761, Madras became secure and started to grow as commercial centre.

v  Fort St. George became the important centre where Europeans lived and it was reserved for English men.

v  Officials were not permitted to marry Indians. However, other than English Dutch, Portuguese were allowed to live in the fort as they were European and Christian.

v  Development of Madras was done according to the need of whites. Black town, settlement of Indians, earlier it was outside the fort but later it was shifted.

v  New Black town resembled traditional Indian town with living quarter around temple and bazaar. There were caste specific neighbourhoods.as

v    Chintadripet	v    Area of weavers
v    Washermnpet	v    Colony of dyres
v    Royapuram	v    Christian boatmen

v  Madras was developed by incorporating many nearby villages. City of Madras provided numerous opportunities for local communities as dubashes.(who speak two languages)

v  Different communities perform their specific job in the Madras city, people of different communities started competing for British Government job.Initally Vellalars took the advantage of new opputunities. Later on other communities also compete as

v  Telgu Komaties	v  Powerful commercial group controlled the grain trade
v  Gujarati Bankers	v  Powerful commercial group
v  Paraiyars and vanniyars	v  Labouring class
v	v

v  Many new areas were also set up by Indians Nawaba And local rulers-

v    Triplicane	v    Nuclues of Muslim settlement set up by Nawab of Arcot
v    San Thome	v    Center of Roman Catholic
v    Mylapore	v    Earlier hindu religious center

v  Resident European move out of the Fort Garden House first started coming up along the two main artries-Mount Road and Poonamalee Road.

v  Transport system gradually started to develop. Urbanization of Madras meant areas between the villages were brought within the city.

Ø  TOWN PLANNING IN CALCUTTA:

v  Town planning required preparation of a layout of entire urban space and urban land use. Britishers took upown the task of town planning because of these reasons-

§  To defend from the Bengal Nawab, Sirajudulla.

§  To Built the depot for their goods.

§  Reluctant to pay custom duties.

§  Questing on the soverginity of  Nawab.

v  So when Sirajudulla. was defeated in Battle of Plassy East India Company decided to built a new fort.

v  Calcutta was developed from three villages called Sutanati, Kolkata and Govindpur. The company cleared a site of Govindpur village for building a fort there.

v  Town planning in Calcutta gradually spread from Fort William to other parts.

v  Area around the fort William they left out the open space know as maidan or garer math for the safety to established the straight line of fire.

v  Role of Lord Wellesley

§  In 1798, Lord Wellesley became the governor General.

§  He built a massive palace, government House, for himself in Calcutta, a building that was expected to convey the authority f the British.

§  He worried about the  condition of Indian cities due to  the excessive vegetation, the dirty tanks, the smells and poor drainage. It cause disease.

§  In 1803 he wrote a minute on the need of town planning and set up many committees for this purpose.

§  Many bazaars, ghats,burial grounds, and tanneries were cleared or removed. For public health.

v  Lottery committee(1871)

§  The ork of town planning was carried by Lottery committee with the help of government. Funds for town planning were raised by Lotteries.

§  Major activities were road building in Indian cities.

§  Clearing the river bank from encroachment.

§  Removed many huts and displace the poor people and pushed them in outskirt of city.

v  Effect of epidemics on town planning

§  The threat of epidemics gave further impetus to town planning after 1820s.

§  Cholera started spreading from1817 and in 1896 plague appeared.

§  The government said that there is a direct relation between living condition and spread of deseas.

§  Some Indian also sported like Dwarkanath Nath Tagore and Rustomjee Cowasjee that the city shoud be cleaned.

§  Densely build up are were seen as insanitary as it obstructed direct sunlight and air.

§   So Many huts ‘bustis’ and poors were displaced to make Calcutta cleaner and disease free and these people were shifted to outskirt of Calcutta.

v  Town planning in 19 th century:-

§  Bylate 19^th century official intervention in the city become more common.

§  Now government took over all the initiatives for town planning including funds.

§  So the british government cleared more huts to developed British portions of the town..

§  These policies further deepened the racial divide of white town and black town and new division of healthy and unhealthy further rised. Gradually public protest against these policies strengthened anti-imperialistic feeling and nationalism among Indians.

§  .British wanted the cities like Bombay, Calcutta and Madras to represent the grandeur and authority of the British Empire. Town planning were aimed to represent their meticulous and rational planning and execution alongwith Western aesthetic ideas.

Ø  ARCHITECTURE IN BOMBAY:

v  Although, government building primarily serving functional needs like defense, administration and commerce but they often meant to showcase ideas of nationalism, religious glory and power.

v  Bombay as Economic capital

§  Bombay has initially seven islands, later it become commercial capital of colonial India and also a centre of international trade.

§  Bombay port led to the development of Malwa, Sind and Rajasthan and many Indian merchants also become rich.

§  Bombay led to development of Indian capitalist class which came from diverse communities like Parsi, Marwari, Konkani, Muslim, Gujarati, Bania, Bohra, Jew and Armenian.

§  Increased demand of cotton, during the time of American civil war and opening of Suez Canal in 1869 led to further economic development of Bombay.

§  Bombay was declared one of the most important city of India(Urbs Prima In Indis- latin phrase). Indian merchants in Bombay started investing in cotton mills and in building activities.

v  Many new buildings were built but they were built in European style. It was thought that it would:

§  Give familiar landscape in alien country to European, thus to feel at home in the colony.

§  Give them a symbol of superiority, authority and power.

§  Help in creating distinction between Indian subjects and colonial masters.

v  British adopt Indian style building

§  After some years britishers adopted some Indian style to suit their needs.

§  The best example is the Bungalow which was used by the british officers.This word come from bangle , a traditional thatched Bengali hut.

§  It was set on extensive ground to ensure privacy and distance from Indian world.

§  The traditional pitched roof and surrounding veranda kept bengla cool in summer.

§  It had the seprate quarters for domestic servants.

Ø  Architectural styles

Ø  . Neo-classical,

Ø  Neo-Gothic Indo

Ø  -Saracenic styles.

v  Neo-classical, v  Construction of geometrical structure fronted with lofty pillars. v  Drived from the original typical building of ancient Rome. v  Wanted to express the glory of imperial India like Imprial Rome. v  Example-Town Hall In Bombay(1833), Elphinstone circle(1860)

v  Neo-Gothic, v  High pitched roofs, pointed arches and detailed decoration v  Roots in building Churches during mediveval period. v  Examples- Secretraiat, University of Bombay, High Courts, Vicoria Terminus, Head quarter of Graet Indian Peninsular Railway Company

v  Indo-Saracenic styles v  Hybrid architectural style v  Indo for Hindus and Saracen for Muslims v  Inspirations from medieval bulding of India. v  Features-Domes, Chhatries, Jali, Arches etc. v  Example- Gateway of India(1911 to welcome King George V and queen Mary In Gujarati Style), Taj Mahal Hotel by Jamsetji Tata

v  The Chawl is a multi-storeyed single room apartment with long open corridors built around a courtyard..These were developed due to the lack of space in the city.

Ø  Building  and Architectural Styles tell us

v  Architecture reflected the aesthetic idea prevalent at that time, building also expressed vision of those who build them. Architectural styles also mould taste, popularise styles and shape the contours of culture.

v  From the late nineteenth century, regional and national tastes were developed to counter colonial ideal. Style has changed and developed through wider processes of cultural conflict.