NCERT Class 8 History Colonialism and the City

Colonialism and the City The Story of an Imperial Capital What

What Happened to Cities Under Colonial Rule?

You have seen how life in the countryside changed after the establishment of British power. What happened to the cities during the same period? The answer will depend on the kind of town or city we are discussing. The history of a temple town like Madurai will not be the same as that of a manufacturing town like Dacca, or a port like Surat, or towns that simultaneously served many different functions. In most parts of the Western world modern cities emerged  with industrialisation. In Britain, industrial cities like Leedsand Manchester grew rapidly in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as more and more people sought jobs, housing and other facilities in these places. However, unlike Western Europe, Indian cities did not expand as rapidly in the nineteenth century. Why was this so?

In the late eighteenth century, Calcutta, Bombay and Madras rose in importance as Presidency cities. They became the centres of British power in the different regions of India. At the same time, a host of smaller cities declined. Many towns manufacturing specialised goods declined due to a drop in the demand for what they produced. Old trading centres and ports could not survive when the flow of trade moved to new centres. Similarly, earlier centres of regional power collapsed when local rulers were defeated by the British and new centres of administration emerged. This process is often described as de-urbanisation. Cities such as Machlipatnam, Surat and Seringapatam were deurbanised during the nineteenth century. By the early twentieth century, only 11 per cent of Indians were living in cities. 

How many ‘Delhis’ before New Delhi?

You know Delhi as the capital of modern India. Did you also know that it has been a capital for more than a 1,000 years, although with some gaps? As many as 14 capital cities were founded in a small area of about 60 square miles on the left bank of the river Jamuna. The remains of all other capitals may be seen on a visit to the modern city-state of Delhi. Of these, the most important are the capital cities built between the twelfth and seventeenth centuries.

The most splendid capital of all was built by Shah Jahan. Shahjahanabad was begun in 1639 and consisted of a fort-palace complex and the city adjoining it. Lal Qila or the Red Fort, made of red sandstone, contained the palace complex. To its west lay the Walled City with 14 gates. The main streets of Chandni Chowk and Faiz Bazaar were broad enough for royal processions to pass. A canal ran down the centre of Chandni Chowk. Set amidst densely packed mohallas and several dozen bazaars, the Jama Masjid was among the largest and grandest mosques in India. There was no place higher than this mosque within the city then.

Delhi during Shah Jahan’s time was also an important centre of Sufi culture. It had several dargahs, khanqahs and idgahs. Open squares, winding lanes, quiet cul-desacs and water channels were the pride of Delhi’s residents. No wonder the poet Mir Taqi Mir said, “The The Making of New Delhi In 1803, the British gained control of Delhi after defeating the Marathas. Since the capital of British India was Calcutta, the Mughal emperor was allowed to continue living in the palace complex in the Red Fort. The modern city as we know it today developed only after 1911 when Delhi became the capital of British India.

Demolishing a past Before 1857, developments in Delhi were somewhat different from those in other colonial cities. In Madras, Bombay or Calcutta, the living spaces of Indians and the British were sharply separated. 

Let’s recall

1. State whether true or false:

(a) In the Western world, modern cities grew with industrialisation.

(b) Surat and Machlipatnam developed in the nineteenth century.

(c) In the twentieth century, the majority of Indians lived in cities.

(d) After 1857 no worship was allowed in the Jama Masjid for five years.

(e) More money was spent on cleaning Old Delhi than New Delhi.

2. Fill in the blanks:

(a) The first structure to successfully use the dome was called the _____________.

(b) The two architects who designed New Delhi and Shahjahanabad were _____________ and _____________.

(c) The British saw overcrowded spaces as _____________.

(d) In 1888 an extension scheme called the _____________ was devised.

3. Identify three differences in the city design of New Delhi and Shahjahanabad.

4. Who lived in the “white” areas in cities such as Madras?

Let’s discuss

5. What is meant by de-urbanisation?

6. Why did the British choose to hold a grand Durbar in Delhi although it was not the capital?

7. How did the Old City of Delhi change under British rule?

8. How did the Partition affect life in Delhi?

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 8 History Colonialism and the City