Class 12 History Chapter 14 Colonial Cities

Class 12 History Chapter 14 Colonial Cities Solutions to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse through different chapters Assam Board HS 2nd Year History Chapter 14 Colonial Cities Question Answer.

Class 12 History Chapter 14 Colonial Cities

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Colonial Cities

Chapter – 14

PART – III

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Q.1. When did English settle in Madras and Calcutta? 

Ans: Agents of the East India Company settled in Madras in 1639, and in Calcutta in 1690.

Q.2. Give two distinguishing features of urban and rural centres in the years preceding British rule. 

Ans : a) Towns represented specific forms of economic activities and cultures. They were peopled by artisans, traders, administrators and rulers. While rural areas people subsisted by cultivating land, foraging in the forest or rearing animals. 

b) Towns dominated over the rural population, thriving on surplus and taxes derived from agriculture. 

c) Towns and cities were often fortified by walls, symbolising separation from the countryside. 

Q.3. When was the 1st All India Census attempted? From when did census become a regular feature? 

Ans : The first All India Census was attempted in 1872. Censuses became a regular feature from 1881.

Q.4. Give two common feature of the three major cities (Madras, Calcutta, Bombay) which under went rapid urbanisation under British rule. 

Ans : i) The were originally fishing and weaving villages. 

ii) They had coasted areas. 

iii) They grew into important trading centres, because of economic activities of the East India Company. 

Q.5. Give two factors which helped growth on an Indian capitalist class: 

Ans : a) Participation of Indian merchants and middlemen, as junior partners in opium trade. 

b) Upsurge in demand fro Indian cotton following American Civil War in 1861. 

Q.6. Name the two proper industrial cities which came up during this time. 

Ans : a) The two industrial cities were Kanpur and Jamshedpur. 

b) Kanpur specialized in leather, woolen and cotton textiles while Jamshedpur specialised in steel. 

Q.7. How did the British keep track of life in the growing cities and towns? 

Ans : They carried out regular surveys, gathered statistical data and published various official reports. 

Maps were also prepared not only to plan the development of the towns but also to development of the towns but also to develop commerce and consolidate power. 

Q.8. What were the objectives of early hill-stations? 

Ans : i) The initial hill-stations served the needs of the British army. 

ii) They served places to stay troops, guard frontiers and launch campaigns against enemy rulers. 

Q.9. The British had taken the task of urban planning in their hands in Bengal from the very beginning. Give any two points. 

Ans : There were many reasons for the British taking up the responsibility of town planning from the early years of their rule in Bengal. 

i) They did so far their defence. In 1856, Sirajudaula, the Nawab of Bengal, attacked Calcutta. He sacked the trade which the British traders had built to store their goods. So the traders of East India Company had always questioned the sovereignty of the Nawab.

ii) When Sirajudaula was defeated in the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the East India Company decided to build a new invincible and impregnable fort so that no enemy force may win or break it.

Q.10. Explain the meaning of Qasbah and Ganj.

Ans : Qasbah is a small town in the countryside after the seat of local notable. Ganj refers to a small fixed market. Both Qasbah and Ganj dealt in cloth, fruit, vegetables and milk products. They provided for noble families and the army. 

B. Textual Questions & Answers: 

Q.1. To what extent are census data useful in reconstructing patterns of urbanisation in the colonial context? 

Ans : Census data are very useful in reconstructing pattern of urbanisation in the colonial context. 

We knew that every colonial government belive in colour and racial discrimination. There census data provide us the total number of the people in this way these data are useful of know exact number of population as well as the total population of while and blacks. After knowing the number and exact population of white and blacks. It becomes easier to prepare town, planning design its formation, provision for future expansion, keeping in view living standards, needs and style of the whites as well as of the blacks. These data also tell us upto what extant total number of people or total population had been effected adversely by the fearful deadly diseases. 

Census data provide us complete information about total number of different communities, their language, their works and means of livelihood as well as about their caste and religion also. The growth of cities was mentioned through regular head counts. By the midnight nth century several local censuses had been carried out in different reg ons. The first all-India census was attempted in 1872. Thereafter, fr 1881, decimal (conducted every ten years) census become a regular feature. 

This collection of data is an invaluable source for studying urbanisation in India. When we look at these reports it appears that we have hard data to measure historical change. The endless pages of tables on disease and death, or the enumeration of people according their age, sex, caste and occuption, provide a vast mass of figures that creates an illusion of concreteness. Historians have however, found that the figures can be misleading. Before we use these figures we need to understand who collected the data, and why and how they were gathered, we also need to know what was measured and what was not. 

Q.2. What do the terms “White” and “Black” Town signify? 

Ans: The British had white skin. So they were often called the ‘white’. They suffered from the white man’s burden and considered themselves as superior to others. On the other hand, the blacks had brown or black skin. So they were called as the ‘black’ such as the Indians or Africans. Thus white signified the superiority over the black. According to the British, the black areas symbolished chaos and anarchy, filth and disease. On the other hand, the white area stood for cleanliness and hygiene. In Black areas, epidemics like cholera and plague often spread. So the British took stringent measures to ensure sanitation and public health.They wanted to prevent diseases of the black areas. 

So they ensured underground piped water supply. They also introduced sewerage and drainage system. In other words, the British paid a lot of attention towards sanitary vigilance. Thus white towns were those parts of the colonial towns where the white people lived. The cantonment area were also developed at safe. They had wide roads, barracks, churches and parade ground. Besides they had big bungalows in big gardens. In fact, the White Town symbolished settled city life. But in the Black Towns, the Indians lived. They were unorganised. They were source of filth and disease. 

Q.3. How did prominent Indian merchants establish themselves in the colonial city? 

Ans : The colonial cities reflected mercantile culture of their new rulers. Indian merchants quick to grasp the reality that trade was slipping out of their hands established themselves as interpreters dubashes middlemen, agents (gomasthas) and suppliers of goods. They acted as intermediaries between Indian society and the British thereby ensuring for themselves an important place in the new colonial cities. They used their privileged position in government to acquire wealth. These rich agents and middlemen built large traditional courtyard houses in the Black Town in the vicinity of the bazaars to symbolise their new status.They bought up large tracts of land in the city as future investment. To impress their English masters they threw lavish parties during festivals. Their powerful position in society was established by their charitable works and patronage of temples in the Black Town. 

Q.4. Examine how concerns of defence and health gave shape to calcutta. 

Ans: In 1756, Sirajudaula the Nawab of Bengal sacked the small fort which the British traders had built to house their goods. Consequently when Sirajudaula was defeated in the Battle of plassey, the British built a new fort. Fort William would not be easily attacked. Around Fort William, a vast open space was left which came to be known as the Maidan or garermath. This was done so there would be no obstructions to a straight time of fire from the Fort against an advancing enemy army. Soon the British began to move out of the Fort and built residences along the periphery of the Maidan. 

This was how the English settlement in calcutta started taking shape. The vast open space around the fort became calcutta’s first significant town planning measure. Lord Wellesley was concerned about the conditions that existed in the Indian part of the city the filth, overcrowding and the poor drainage. He wrote a minute (an administrative order) in 1803 on the need for town planning and set up various committees for this purpose. It was believed that creating open places in the city would make the city healthier. 

Consequently many bazaars, ghats, burial ground and tanneries were cleared or removed. After wellesley’s departure, the Lottery committee carried on with the work of Town planning. In its drive to make the Indian areas cleaner, the committee cleared the river bank of encroachment and pushed the poor to the outskirts of calcutta. The outbreak of cholera and plague epidemics in the 19th century gave a further impetus to town planning. The government believed that there was a direct link between living conditions and the spread of disease. Densely areas were regarded as insanitary as it obstructed sunlight and circulation. of air. 

Q.5. What are the different colonial architectural styles which can be seen in Bombay city? 

Ans : The buildings constructed in the neo-Gothic architectural susie had high. pitched roofs, pointed arches and extensive decoration. This style was adopted in the construction of the churches in northern Europe during the medieval period. It was again revievd in England in the mid 19th century. It was the time when the Bombay government was building its infrastructure. This style was adopted for this purpose. In Bombay, many buildings like the secretariat, the High court and the university of Bomaby were built in this style. Few Indians also gave money for buildings made in this style. For example Sir Cowasjee Jehangir Readymoney donated money to build the university hall. 

He was a rich parsi merchan. In the same way premchand Roychand funded the making of the University Library clock tower. This tower was named on the name of his mother as Rajabi Tower. Indian merchants also liked the neo-Gothic style because they believed that the building styles of British were also progressive, like their ideas and it would help make Bombay into a modern city. But the most spectacular and bewitching example of the neo-Gothic style is the Victoria Terminus, the station and head quarters of the Railway company. The British invested a lot of money in the design and construction of railway stations in cities because they were proud of themselves that they had built an all India railway network. central Bombay was dominated by a group of these buildings. Their uniform neo-Gothic style gave a special character to the city. 

A new hybrid architectural style developed in the beginning of the 20th century which was a mixture of Indian style with European style. This style was given the name of Indo-Saracenic style. The world Indo was as a short form of ‘Hindu’ and the word ‘Sarecen’ was used by Europeans to designate Muslims. This style was inspired by the medieval buildings in India with their domes, Chhatris, Jalis, arches etc. By integrating Indian style with European style, British wanted to express that they are the legitimate and natural rulers of India. In 1911, the Gate way of India was built to welcome the king George V and Queen Mary to India, It is the most famous example of the traditional Gujarati style. The famous industrialist Jamsetji Tata built the hotel Taj Mahal in a similar style.

Write a Short Essay on the Following

Q.6. How were Urban centres transformed during the eighteenth century? 

Ans : Transformation of Urban centre during the eighteenth century With political and commercial relighments, all town ment into decline and new towns develops. The Mughal power was declining rapidly after the death of Aurnagzeb. This political change led to demise of towns associated with Mughal rules for next more than 100 and 150 years. The Mughal capital Agra, Fatehpur sikri, Delhi etc. last political authority. New provincial starts develops. The growth of new regional power was reflecting in the increasing significance of regional capital such as Lucknow of Awadh, Hyderabad of Hyderabad state, Srirangpatnam and Poona along with Nagpur, Baroda and Tanjore etc. 

become very famous due to their new administrative character and other developments. Traders, administrators, artisan and other migrated from the Mughal centre new capitals of newly emerging provincial or a small state. People of different profession and taste went their in search of work and patronage. Continuous warfare between the new kingdoms meant that mercenaries too found ready employment there. 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. However, the effects of political decentralisation were uneven. 

In same places there was renewed economic activity, in other places war, plunder and political uncertainty led to economic decline. In sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries new European merchants, Sodagars reached from different direction in India. Changes in the network of trade reflected in the history of urban centres. The European commercial companies had set up base in different places early during the Mughal Era, the portuguese in Panaji in 1510, the Dutch in Masulipatnam in 1605, the British in Madras in 1639 and the French in Pondicherry (present day puducherry) in 1673. 

With the expansion of commercial activity, towns grew around these trading centres. By the end of the eighteenth century the land based empires in Asia were replaced by the powerful sea-based European empires. Forces of international trade, mercantilism and capitalism now came to define the nature of society. From the mid-eighteenth century. There was a new phase of change. Commercial centres such as Surat, Masulipatnam and Dhaka, which has grown in the seventeenth century, declined when trade shifted to other places. 

As the British gradually acquired political control after the Battle of Plassey in 1757, and the trade of the English East India Company expanded, colonial port cities such as Madras, calcutta and Bombay rapidly emerged as the new economic capitals. They also became centres of colonial administration and political power. New buildings and institutions developed, and urban spaces were ordered in new ways. New occupations developed and people flocked to these colonial cities. By about 1800 they were the biggest cities in India in terms of population. 

Q.7. What were the new kinds of public places that emerged in the colonial city? What functions did they serve? 

Ans : Economic activity near the river or sea in colonial cities led to the development of docks and ghats. Godowns mercantile offices, insurance agencies of banking establishments were set up along the shore. Further inland were set up the chief administrative offices of the company e.g. the writer’s Building in Calcutta. Racially exclusive clubs, racecourses and theatres were also built for the entertainment of the Europeans. Rich Indian agents and middleman built temples to establish their status in society. Other public places that emerged were forts, educational institutions and religious structures. These public place served the needs of defence, administration, commerce and entertainment. They also represented ideas such as nationalism, religious glory and imperial power. 

Q.8. What were the concerns that influenced town planning in the nineteenth century? 

Ans : Town planning under the British colonial rule in the nineteenth century. India was inspired by purely imperial concern to impress their superiority, authority and power. These imperial concerns took precedence and acquired different forms in the three colonial cities. Madras, Calcutta and Bombay. The predominant concern was defence, establishing trading interests and establishing British racial The British concern of protecting and securing trade interset from other European rival’s e.g. the french in Madras or Sirajudaulah in Bengal led to fortification of trading post- Fort St. George in Madras, and Fort William in Calcutta. 

Over time these Forts became nucleus of white town and distinct white enclaves. The Black Town or native areas in contrast developed outside the fort. It was marked by crowding, laid out in straight lines, and resembled traditional Indian town with living quarters built around its temple and bazaars, and caste specific neighbourhood. In the name of security old Black Town was demolished to create open space. Originally cleared as line of fire, the open ground was later maintained as green area. Once the British became established in their power- civil lines, cantonments, garden houses were set up. The difference and distance between ‘Black’ and ‘white’ areas symbolised British exclusively so they always remained alien rulers. 

They made conscious attempts to create distance. The second concern ensued from protection from epidemics e.g. calcutta. The racial divide was reinforced by the new divide of healthy and unhealthy. Densely populated areas bustos were seen as insanitary. The British feared spread of epidemics from living conditions and spread of disease. The British feared spread of epidemics from ‘Black areas’ to white areas. Official intervention in the 1860 s and 1870 s on the notion of public health led to clearing of many bazaars, ghats, burial grounds, and tanneries. The labouring poor-hawkers, workers, unemployed were pushed to the outskirts of the town. Underground piped water supplies, sewerage and drainage systems were put in place. 

Sanitary vigilance thus became another way of regulating Indian towns. Yet another concern was imperial power and authority. Buildings in cities apart from serving functional needs were meant to establish imperial power and glory. The buildings reflected the superior culture. As a group the buildings, for example, Town Hall, Elphinstone circle (Neo classical – style), Victoria Terminus (Neo Gothic) dominated the central Bombay skyline and were awe- inspiring structures. 

The British sought to legitimise their authority and in their distinctiveness from traditional Indian style they were statements British glory, racial superiority and authority. 

Q.9. To what extent were social relations transformed in the new cities? 

Ans: The new colonial cities were bewildering places for the people of India. Life in these cities seemed to be in a flux. It was a mixture of richness and poverty, prosperity and adversity. 

a) Lack of Coherence and Familiarity : The new colonial cities lacked coherence and familiarity. As the cities were big all the people did not know each other. They were detached and lacked harmonious relations. 

b) Creation of public places : The new colonial cities had many places like theatres, cinema halls and public parks. They were the source of entertainment. They also encouraged and provided opportunities for social interaction. 

c) New opportunities for women : In the new colonial cities, the were given abundant opportunities to grow and progress. So many middle-class women expressed themselves through journals, books and autobiographies. They became more visible in public, they entered new professions. They became teachers, artists and domestic and factory workers. They moved out of house hold. 

d) Separation of the place of work from the place of Residence : The new colonial cities had new facilities of transport. There were trains, buses and horse- drawn carriages for the transportation of the people. So the people could live at a distent place from the main city centre. Gradually the place of work seperated from the place of residence. The people experienced a new kind of life when they moved from their place of residence to their factory, office or any other kind of place of work. 

e) Opposition to Change In Traditional Patriarchal Norms : Social change is generally not acceptable to traditional and conservative people. So many people objected to change in traditional patriarchal norms. They feared that the education of women would turn the world upside down. They felt that education of women would threaten the very basis of Indian social order. They wanted to see women as mothers and wives. They wanted that all the women should remain confined to the household.

f) Emergence of New Social Groups and Middle classes : In the new colonial cities the people lost their old identities. They formed new social groups. Many people had left their old cities and settled in the big cities. These, people included clerks, teachers, lawyers, doctors, engineers and accountants. Collectively all of these formed the middle classes. They had an access to new educational institutions. They were also free to express their views on society and government. They also challenged the practice of many social customs. 

g) Emergence of Working class : The new colonial cities saw a new class. It was a class of the labouring poor. It was a class of working people. Paupers from the rural areas rushed to the cities in search of employment. They found new opportunities in the new cities. They were also allured by the new cities. They also wanted to see things that they had never seen before. But they were poor. They could not afford to live in the city as life here was very costly and expensive. So they kept their families in their villages. They worked in the city and went back to their villages. For them, life in a city was struggle because a city had uncertain jobs, expensive food and unaffordable residences. 

Map Work

Q.10. 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 Pre – colonial) changed in the nineteenth century. 

Ans : Major rivers and hill ranges of India: 

River : Indus, Jhelmm, Ravi, Setluj, Ganga, Yamuna, Beas, Kasi, Narmada, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri. 

Hill ranges : Himalaya, Aravali, Vindhyachal, Satpure, Kareporam. 

Cities : Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, Punjab, Pondicherry, Surat, Cochin, machilipatnam, Lahore, Delhi, Patna, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Agra.

Importance of two cities : 

Pre- Colonial (Delhi) : Delhi was capital of Mughal emperor since the days of Shahjahan and it remained centre of Mughal estate upto 1857. Shahjahanabad popularly and Delhi was built by Shahjahan. It was encircled by huge strong wall. This wall had certain huge gates. It had been not only a centre of political and administrative activities but it was one of the major trading and commercial centre. The people of different religion and faith had been living since Mughal period in this city. The merchants and traders use to come from different country of the world. It was fully recapture in 1857 after the revolt. The English made Delhi capital in 1911, living Calcutta. 

When India became independent our dear National Flag was unfurled by our great leader Jahwar Lal Nehru on 15 August, 1947. Now-a-days it is capital of Indian Democratic Republic, the larger democracy of the world. It is famous for its historical monuments and other religious cultural buildings and great structures. 

Colonial (Madras) : In 1639 the English constructed a trading post in Madraspatam. This settlement was locally known as chennapatnam. The company had purchased the right of settlement from the local Telugu lords, the Nayaks of Kalahasti, who were eager to support trading activity in the region. Rivalry (1746-63) with the french East India Company led the British to fortify Madras and give their representatives increased political and administrative functions. With the defeat of the French in 1761, Madras become more secure and began to grow into an important commercial town. It was here that the superiority of the British and the subordinate position of the Indian merchants was most apparent.

C. Passage Based Question & Answers :

Read the following excerpt and answer the questions that follow: 

FOR THE REGULATION OF NUISANCES OF EVERY DESCRIPTION 

By the early nineteenth century the British felt that permanent and public rules had to be formulated for regulating all aspects of social life. Even the construction of private buildings and public roads ought to conform to standardised rules that were clearly codified. In his Minute on Calcutta (1803) Wellesley wrote : 

It is a primary duty of Government to provide for the health, safety and convenience of the inhabitants of this great town, by establishing a comprehensive system for the improvement of roads, streets, public drains, and water courses, and by fixing permanent rules for the construction and distribution of the houses and public edifices, and for the regulation of nuisances of every description. 

Questions

a) How does Wellesley define the duty of the government? 

Ans: Wellesely felt that the duty of the government was threefold in nature : 

i) The government had to provide for the health, safety and convenience of the people. 

ii) For this purpose roads, streets, public drains and water supply had to be improved. 

iii) Construction of houses and public buildings had to conform to standardised rules and regulations.

iv) In order to make Calcutta a healthier place to live in more open spaces were created. Many bazaars, ghats, burial grounds and tanneries were cleared or removed.

b) What was the work done by the lottery committee? 

Ans: The Lottery committee helped to raise funds for town improvement through public lotteries. It got a new map of Calcutta made so as to get a comprehensive picture of Calcutta. 

Its major activities included building roads in the Indian part of the city and clearing the river bank of encroachments.

c) How did the threat of epidemics give an impetus to town planning in Calcutta? 

Ans : The government believed that there was a correlation between living conditions and the spread of disease. Therefore densely built-up areas like the working people’s huts or bustos were demolished. The city’s poor- workers, hawkers, artisans were forced to move to distant parts of the city.