How can you say that the pace of urbanisation and city development was sluggish after 1800 AD? What factors were responsible for it?
(i) After 1800, the pace of urbanisation in India was sluggish. The growth of urban population in proportion to the total population of India was almost stagnant. From 1900 to 1940, the urban population increased from 10% to 13%.
Besides the smaller towns did not grow because they had limited economic opportunities. Only the cities like Calcutta, Bombay and Madras grew rapidly. They became sprawling cities because they offered ample opportunities for employment. They became commercial and administrative centres. But most of the other urban centres remained the same.
(ii) The other urban centres did not grow as only Calcutta, Madras and Bombay had become the hub of colonial economy. They had become export centres of the Indian goods. But after the Industrial Revolution in England, the trend of growth was reversed. These cities had become the centres to export Indian goods. Hence other areas did not develop well.
(iii) The introduction of railways in 1853 also accelerated the economic activity in Calcutta, Bombay and Madras. The traditional towns lagged behind in growth as they were located along old routes and rivers. For example, Mirzapur was famous collection centre of cotton and cotton goods from the Deccan. When a rail link was made to Bombay, this town witnessed a decline. On the other hand, cities like Jamalpur, Voltairs and Bareilly developed most as they came on a rail track.
