Explain the changes reflected in the history of urban centers in India during the 18th century with special reference to network of trade.

OR

Explain the sources from which we can reconstruct the political career of Gandhiji and the history of the nationalist movement.

Changes in the urban centres during 18th century:

(i) With political and commercial realignments, old towns went into decline and new towns developed.

(ii) The gradual erosion of Mughal power led to the demise of the old towns associated with their rule.

(iii) The Mughal capitals like Delhi & Agra lost their political authority.

(iv) The growth of new regional powers was reflected in the increasing importance of regional capitals likes Lucknow, Hyderabad, Seringapatam, Poona, Nagpur … etc.

(v) Traders, administrators, artisans etc. migrated from the old Mughal centers to these new capitals in search of work and patronage.

(vi) Continuous warfare between the new kingdoms resulted in mercenaries finding new employment.

(vii) Renewed economic activity in some places and in other places, there was decline in economic activities.

(viii) Some local notables and officials associated with Mughal rule in North India also used this opportunity to create new urban settlements such as the qasbah and ganj

(ix) European commercial companies had setup their base in different places during the early Mughal era.

(x) With the expansion of commercial activity, the towns grew around these trading centres.

OR

The different kinds of available sources which helped the historians in reconstructing the political career of Gandhiji and the history of the national movement that was associated with it:

(i) Public voice- One important source is the writings and speeches of Mahatma Gandhi and his contemporaries, including both his associates and his political adversaries Speeches, for instance, allow us to hear the public voice of an individual,

(ii) Private scripts- Private letters give us a glimpse of his or her private thoughts. In letters we see people expressing their anger and pain, their dismay and anxiety, their hopes and frustrations in ways in which they may not express themselves in public statements

(iii) Autobiographies- It similarly give us an account of the past that is often rich in human detail. They tell us what the author could recollect, what he or she saw as important, or was keen on recounting, or how a person wanted his or her life to be viewed by others.

(iv) Through police eyes- Another vital source is government records, for the colonial rulers kept close tabs on those they regarded as critical of the government.

(v) From newspapers- One more important source is contemporary newspapers, published in English as well as in the different Indian languages, which tracked Mahatma Gandhi’s movements and reported on his activities, and also represented what ordinary Indians thought of him.