What Were The New Towns Like - Colonial Records And Urban History ?

From the early years, the colonial government was keen on mapping. This knowledge provided better control over the region and helped to gauge commercial possibilities and plan strategies of taxation.

From the late 19th century onwards the British handed over some responsibilities to elected Indian representatives to collect municipal taxes.

The growth of cities was monitored through regular headcounts. By the mid-19th century, several local censuses had been carried out in different regions. The first all-India census was attempted in 1872. Thereafter, from 1881, decennial (conducted every ten years) censuses became a regular feature. This collection of data is an invaluable source for studying urbanisation in India.However, the census process and its corresponding enumeration were riddled with ambiguity. The classification failed to capture the fluid and overlapping identities of people. for eg: a person who was both an artisan and a trader were difficult to classify. People themselves were never able to provide their real profession.

After 1800, urbanisation in India was slow-moving.19th century up to the first two decades of the 20th, the proportion of the urban population to the total population in India was extremely low and had remained stagnant.However, there were significant variations in the patterns of urban development in different regions. The smaller towns had little opportunity to grow economically. Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, on the other hand, grew rapidly and soon became sprawling cities.

Earlier these three centres functioned as collection depots for the export of Indian manufacturers such as cotton But now become the entry point for British-manufactured goods and for the export of Indian raw materials.The introduction of railways in 1853 meant a change in the fortunes of towns. Economic activity gradually shifted away from traditional towns which were located along old routes and rivers.

By the 18th century Madras, Calcutta and Bombay had become important ports.

The English East India Company built its factories (i.e., mercantile offices) there and because of competition among the European companies, fortified these settlements for protection.Indian merchants, artisans and other workers who had economic dealings with European merchants lived outside these forts in settlements of their own.

After the 1850s, cotton mills were set up by Indian merchants and entrepreneurs in Bombay, and European-owned jute mills were established on the outskirts of Calcutta. This was the beginning of modern industrial development in India.Calcutta, Bombay and Madras grew into large cities, but this did not signify any dramatic economic growth for colonial India as a whole.

India never became a modern industrialised country, since discriminatory colonial policies limited the levels of industrial development.The majority of the working population in these cities belonged to what economists classify as the tertiary sector.

There were only two proper “industrial cities”: Kanpur, specialising in leather, woollen and cotton textiles, and Jamshedpur, specialising in steel.

After the Revolt of 1857 British attitudes in India was 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 and new urban spaces called “Civil Lines” were set.White people began to live in the Civil Lines. Cantonments – places where Indian troops under European command were stationed – were also developed as safe enclaves. These areas were separate from but attached to the Indian towns.

From the 1860s and 1870s, stringent administrative measures regarding sanitation were implemented and building activity in the Indian towns was regulated. Underground piped water supply and sewerage and drainage systems were also put in place around this time.