CH2 The Mughal Empire and the Deccan

A set of flashcards reviewing key concepts from the lecture on urban modernity and colonial urbanism in India.

How did the concept of 'urban modernity' under colonialism differ from traditional Indian urbanism?

It introduced grid planning, sanitation, surveillance, and racial zoning, replacing organic spatial logic of precolonial cities.

Why were many Mughal capitals like Agra and Dhaka in decline by the late 18th century?

Fall of central imperial authority and shifting trade routes led to economic stagnation.

What was the impact of European companies establishing coastal trading posts on urban development?

Shifted urban centres from inland political capitals to port-based commercial hubs.

Which cities became nodal points of colonial urbanisation in the 19th century?

Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras.

Why did old ruling elites migrate away from declining cities like Lucknow and Delhi?

Loss of patronage and administrative functions after British annexation.

How did the British classify Indian towns administratively?

As Presidency towns, District headquarters, hill stations, and cantonments.

What role did cantonments play in colonial governance?

Military zones segregated from native cities to control troops and prevent rebellions.

How did the British reshape spatial structure within colonial cities?

Segregated them into White Towns and Black Towns with racial and functional hierarchies.

What was the significance of Fort William in colonial Calcutta's development?

Served as administrative-military base and nucleus for British expansion.

What was the 1803 turning point for Delhi's colonial reconfiguration?

British occupation of Delhi following defeat of the Marathas.

How did Delhi College act as a cultural bridge in the early 19th century?

Promoted Persian, Urdu, and Western sciences; created bilingual intellectuals.

Why did British preserve the Mughal city structure in Delhi initially?

To retain legitimacy through symbolic continuity and avoid provoking unrest.

What was the impact of 1857 Revolt on Delhi’s urban fabric?

Large-scale demolition of homes, mosques, and bazaars near Red Fort.

How was Chandni Chowk transformed post-1857?

Cleared of elite residences and redesigned for military parades and colonial visibility.

Why was Shahjahanabad's destruction post-1857 politically motivated?

To erase the symbolic heart of Mughal resistance and assert British dominance.

What made hill stations distinct in British urban planning?

Simulated English climate and lifestyle; excluded Indians except as servants or coolies.

How did railway connectivity alter urban hierarchies in colonial India?

Linked port cities and cantonments, marginalised older pilgrimage and craft towns.

What ideology drove colonial urban sanitation efforts?

Fear of ‘tropical miasma’ and racialised public health concerns.

Why was the New Delhi project initiated by British in 1911?

To symbolise imperial permanence and shift power centre from Calcutta.

What symbolism was built into the New Delhi design?

Axial planning, imperial vistas, and classical architecture to reflect authority and order.

Who were the key architects of New Delhi, and what was their vision?

Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker; vision was classical order fused with imperial grandeur.

Why was Raisina Hill selected as the site for Viceroy’s House?

Elevated terrain symbolised ruling over the city, both physically and metaphorically.

What caused friction between Lutyens and Baker during New Delhi’s construction?

Baker’s design for the Secretariat partially blocked the view of Viceroy’s House.

How did architecture in colonial India signify power hierarchy?

Neo-classical, gothic, and Indo-Saracenic styles symbolised imperial dominance and cultural appropriation.

How did New Delhi’s planning reflect racial segregation?

Civil lines and European residences were separated from Indian settlements and bazaars.

What was the role of municipal corporations in colonial cities?

Limited urban governance; controlled mostly by British officials with minimal Indian representation.

What does the term 'improvement trust' refer to in colonial urbanism?

Semi-governmental body created to redevelop congested native quarters and expand colonial control.

How were colonial city plans used as instruments of surveillance?

Straight roads, open squares, and military stations enabled easier troop movement and policing.

What legal instrument allowed land acquisition for colonial urban projects?

The Land Acquisition Act of 1894.

How did colonial urban renewal contribute to gentrification?

Displaced working-class residents for public buildings, widening inequality.

Why were Indian bazaars viewed with suspicion by British planners?

Seen as unhygienic, disorderly, and potential sites for political unrest.

What did the 1918 Montagu-Chelmsford Report reveal about urban Indian discontent?

Highlighted lack of Indian voice in urban planning and administration.

What significance did parks and gardens hold in colonial cities?

Represented European notions of leisure and control over nature.

What does the Indo-Saracenic architectural style represent?

Fusion of Indian and Islamic motifs with European construction — symbol of cultural synthesis and control.

How did the built environment reinforce colonial ideology?

Architecture projected permanence, order, and civilisational superiority.

How did urban Indian responses to colonial city planning evolve?

Emergence of nationalist discourse on heritage, indigenous architecture, and town planning.

Why did Indian elites start building new public institutions in colonial cities?

To assert cultural autonomy and modernise within indigenous frameworks.

How did colonial cities reshape caste occupations spatially?

Segregated artisan castes to city margins; created new urban hierarchies.

What was the spatial impact of plague epidemics on Bombay’s urban form?

Triggered demolition of slums and displacement of mill workers to city peripheries.

How did chawls in Bombay reflect colonial neglect and urban resilience?

Cramped housing for workers with poor sanitation, yet centres of social and political organisation.

Why was Dalhousie Square central to Calcutta’s identity?

Administrative hub surrounded by colonial buildings and commercial houses.

How did port cities reflect global economic integration under colonialism?

Became nodal points for export of raw materials and import of British goods.

What does the location of Indian Municipal offices in colonial cities reflect?

Peripheral to European quarters; symbolised political subordination.

How did nationalist leaders use colonial urban symbols for resistance?

Reclaimed public spaces, challenged imperial architecture, and built institutions like Swaraj Bhavan.

What role did urban printing presses play in anti-colonial mobilisation?

Enabled spread of vernacular newspapers and political pamphlets.

Why were street processions and festivals important in nationalist urban politics?

Reclaimed public space and challenged colonial regulations on gatherings.

How did housing segregation reinforce racial and class hierarchies?

Europeans lived in airy, sanitary zones; Indians crowded into dense, poorly maintained areas.

How did the Delhi Durbar of 1911 influence urban planning?

Led to planning of New Delhi as a permanent imperial capital symbolising British power.

What irony is embedded in Lutyens' design of New Delhi for a foreign empire?

Celebrated European classical ideals on Indian soil while denying Indian self-rule.

How did the symbolism of Rashtrapati Bhavan change after 1947?

From Viceroy’s palace of colonial dominance to democratic seat of India’s presidency.