6. Colonialism and the City:
Q1. State whether true or false:
(a) In the Western world, modern cities grew with industrialisation.
(b) Surat and Machlipatnam developed in the nineteenth century.
(c) In the twentieth century, the majority of Indians lived in cities.
(d) After 1857 no worship was allowed in the Jaman Masjid for five years.
(e) More money was spent on cleaning Old Delhi than New Delhi
Ans:-
(a) True
(b) False
(c) False
(d) True
(e)False
Q2. Fill in the blanks:
(a) The first structure to successfully use the dome was called the _____________.
(b) The two architects who designed New Delhi and Shahjahanabad were _____________ and _____________.
(c) The British saw overcrowded spaces as _____________.
(d) In 1888 an extension scheme called the _____________ was devised.
Ans:-
(a) Central dome
(b) Edward Lutyens; Herber baker
(c) Unhygienic
(d)Lahore Gate Improvement Schemeifty
Q3. New Delhi Identify three differences in the city design of and Shahjahanabad.
Ans:- Three differences were as follows;
1. Shahjahanabad was crowded with mohallas, and several dozen bazaars. But New Delhi was not crowded nor were there mazes of narrow bylanes.
2. Shahjahanabad was not established in a planned manner while New Delhi was beautifully planned.
3. There was chaos everywhere in Shahjahanabad. But new Delhi represented a sense of low and order.
Q4. Who lived in the “white” areas in cities such as Madras?
Ans:- The British lived in white areas in cities such as madras.
Q5. What is meant by de-urbanization?
Ans:- De-uranisation is a process by which more and more and more people began to live in villages or rural areas.
In the late 18th century, Calcutta, Bombay and Madras emerged as presidency cities. They became the centers of British power in different regions of India. At the same time, several smaller cities declined. Old trading centers and ports could not the flow of tread shifted to new centers. Similarly, earlier centers of regional power collapsed with the defeat of local rules by the British and new centers of administration grew. This process is described as de-urbanization.
Q6. Why did the British choose to hold a grand Durbar in Delhi although it was not the capital?
Ans:- During the Revolt of 1857, the British had realized that the Mughal emperor was still important to the people and they saw him as their leader. It was therefore important to celebrate British power with pomp and Shaw in Delhi- the city the Mughal emperors had ruled earlier. The British thought that by doing this they would acknowledge people about their power and authority.
Q7. How did the Old City of Delhi change under British rule?
Ans:- The British changed the Old City of Delhi entirely. They wanted Delhi to forget its Mughal past hence, the area around the fort was completely cleared of gardens, pavilions and mosques they either destroyed the mosques or put to other uses. For example, the Zinat-al-masjid was converted into a bakery. No worship was allowed in the jama masjid for five year.
One third of the city was demolished and its canals were filled up.
In the 1870s, the western walls of Shahjahanabad were broken to establish the railway and to allow the city to expand beyond the walls. The British began living in the sprawling civil lines area that come up in the north, away from the Indians in the Walled city. The Delhi college was turned into the school and shut down in 1877.
Q8. How did the Partition affect life in Delhi?
Ans:- India got partitioned in 1957 and this led to a massive transfer of populations on both sides of the new border. As a result, the population of Delhi increased all the sudden. The job of the people changed and the culture of the city become different. Most of these migrants were from Punjab. They stayed in camp school etc. while some got the opportunity to occupy residences that had been vacated by muslims. Yet other were housed in refugee colonies. New colonies like Lajpat Nagar and Tilak Nagar and Tilak Nagar grew at this time. Shops and stall were set up to cater the needs of the migrants, school and colleges were opened. The migrants coming to Delhi were rural landlords, lawyers, teacher’s traders and small shopkeeper. Partition changed their livis and occupations. They had take up new jobs like hawkers, vendors, carpenters, and ironsmiths.
