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Colonial Cities
Choose five different types of buildings in your town or village. For each of these, find out when it was built, how it was planned, how resources were obtained for its construction, and how long it took to built it. What do the architectural features of the buildings express ?
By the mid-nineteenth century second local census had been carried out in different regions. The first all India census was attempted in 1872. Thereafter, from 1881 decadel (conducted every ten years) census become a regular feature.
A careful study of census reveals some fascinating trends. For example, after 1800, urbanisation in India was sluggish. All through the nineteenth century up to the first two decades of the twentieth, the proportion of the urban population to the total population in India was extremely low and had remained stagnant.
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What do the terms “White” and “Black” Town signify?
How did prominent Indian merchants establish themselves in the colonial city?
Examine how concerns of defence and health gave shape to Calcutta.
What are the different colonial architectural styles which can be seen in Bombay city?
How were urban centres transformed during the eighteenth century?
What were the new kinds of public places that emerged in the colonial city? What functions did they serve?
What were the concerns that influenced town planning in the nineteenth century?
To what extent were social relations transformed in the new cities?
On an outline map of India, trace the major rivers and hill ranges. Plot ten cities mentioned in the chapter, including Bombay. Calcutta and Madras, and prepare a brief note on why the importance of any two cities that you have marked (one colonial and one precolonial) changed in the nineteenth century.
You have been reading about big colonial cities. Choose any small town with a long history. It could be a temple town, market town, administrative centre, a pilgrimage centre or a combination of these. Find out how the town was established, when it developed, and how its history changed during modern times.
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