Urbanization In Colonial Times: Art & Culture with Devdutt Pattanaik EP12 (Part 1) | UPSC Essentials
Summary
TLDRThis video script discusses the evolution of urbanization in India, focusing on the colonial era's impact. It highlights how British colonization transformed cities, introducing elements like railway stations, courthouses, clock towers, and universities. The script uses Delhi as a case study, tracing its development from ancient settlements to modern urban structures, emphasizing the importance of understanding historical urbanization patterns for contemporary relevance in exams and policy-making.
Takeaways
- 🏛 Urbanization took a distinct turn during the colonial era, marked by the establishment of European-influenced cities, especially along the coast of India.
- 🛕 The Portuguese were the first colonizers to significantly impact urbanization in India, with the establishment of Goa and changes in the landscape including the building of churches.
- 🏙 Major Indian cities like Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata originated as British forts or warehouses, indicating the beginning of new urban centers.
- 🚂 The advent of industrialization and mechanization led to the establishment of railways in India, which facilitated the transportation of raw materials to Europe and spurred a new form of urbanization.
- 🚉 A hallmark of colonial cities was the presence of a railway station, which was essential for the economic exploitation of India's resources.
- 🏢 Colonial cities also featured courthouses, reflecting the British control over the legal system and the establishment of a new penal code.
- 🕰 The introduction of clock towers symbolized the shift to a bureaucratic, time-bound society, contrasting with the traditional Indian model where daily life was governed by natural cycles.
- 🏫 Educational institutions like universities and schools were established by the British to produce clerks for their bureaucratic system, reflecting a departure from the traditional caste-based bureaucracy.
- 📚 The British favored communities like the Parsis, who were more amenable to their ways and did not adhere to the caste system prevalent in India.
- 🌐 The script provides a detailed historical account of urbanization in India, from ancient to colonial times, offering a rich context for understanding the evolution of cities.
- 📝 The discussion on urbanization is framed within a 'time and space' context, emphasizing the importance of understanding historical progression and geographical distribution of urban centers.
Q & A
How did urbanization take a different turn with the advent of the colonial era in India?
-Urbanization during the colonial era was characterized by the establishment of cities as centers for trade and administration. The British, following the Portuguese, began to colonize coastal regions, leading to the emergence of new cities like Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata, which started as forts or warehouses. The introduction of railways for efficient raw material transportation to Europe and the establishment of institutions like courthouses and clock towers marked a shift towards a more mechanized and bureaucratic urban landscape.
What role did the Portuguese play in the early stages of colonial urbanization in India?
-The Portuguese were the first to establish sea routes to India, arriving around the 16th century. They colonized the coastal parts of India, particularly the Konkan and Coromandel coasts, and built churches, introducing a new form of urbanization with European influence.
What were the key features of a colonial city in India?
-The hallmark of a colonial city included the presence of a railway station for efficient transportation of raw materials, a courthouse to establish and control the legal system, and clock towers to enforce bureaucratic timekeeping. These elements were central to the functioning and control of the cities during the colonial period.
How did industrialization and mechanization impact urbanization in colonial India?
-Industrialization and mechanization led to the establishment of modern industries in India, which in turn necessitated the development of infrastructure like railways for transporting raw materials to Europe. This resulted in a new form of urbanization characterized by the growth of cities around these industrial and transportation hubs.
What was the British policy on education and bureaucracy in colonial India?
-The British rejected the caste-based system prevalent in India and aimed to hire talent educated in their own systems. They established schools and colleges to create a workforce of clerks and bureaucrats who were more aligned with British administrative and cultural norms.
How did the British attitude towards the caste system influence the Parsi community's role in colonial India?
-The British found the Parsi community, who had migrated to India to escape persecution in Iran, to be more amenable due to their flexibility in social customs and their ability to function effectively in a bureaucracy modeled after British systems. This led to the Parsis playing a significant role in the colonial administration.
Can you provide an example of how urbanization evolved in a specific Indian city during the colonial era?
-Delhi serves as an excellent example of urbanization during the colonial era. It evolved from ancient settlements during the Vedic period to various stages of urban development under different rulers, including the Rajputs, the Mamluk dynasty, and the Mughals. The British established New Delhi with landmarks like the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Parliament, marking a new phase of urbanization influenced by colonial power.
What is the significance of the Qutub Minar in the context of urbanization during the Delhi Sultanate period?
-The Qutub Minar, built during the Delhi Sultanate period, marked the establishment of the Mamluk dynasty's rule in India. It was part of a pair, with the other being the Minar of Jam in Afghanistan, symbolizing the control of the Delhi Sultanate over a vast territory stretching from India to Afghanistan.
How did the Mongol invasions of the 13th century impact urbanization in India?
-The Mongol invasions led to a mass migration of people into India, as they destroyed cities and trading routes in Central Asia and the Middle East. This influx of refugees necessitated the construction of fortified cities like the City Fort in Delhi to provide safety and shelter.
What is the 'point to ponder' suggested by Devdat Patnaik for students studying urbanization?
-The 'point to ponder' encourages students to think about the impact of historical urbanization phases, from the Harappan civilization to the colonial era, on post-independence urbanization in India. It asks students to consider the connections between the past and present, and how historical urbanization patterns have continued or changed in modern times.
How can the study of urbanization be useful for UPSC examination preparation?
-Studying urbanization can help UPSC aspirants answer questions on society, social issues, and history. It provides a framework for understanding the evolution of cities and their administrative, economic, and cultural aspects, which can be applied to various sections of the examination, including essays and interviews.
Outlines
🏛 Colonial Era Urbanization
This paragraph delves into the transformation of urbanization during the colonial era in India. It begins by referencing the Portuguese and British colonial influence, which introduced new forms of cities and urban structures, such as churches and forts that served as warehouses. The discussion then shifts to the impact of industrialization and mechanization post-1757, which led to the establishment of railways for efficient raw material transportation to Europe. The hallmarks of colonial cities are identified as having railway stations, courthouses, and clock towers, symbolizing economic exploitation, political control, and the imposition of bureaucratic timekeeping, respectively. The paragraph also touches on the British preference for a merit-based bureaucracy over the traditional caste system, leading to the construction of educational institutions and the rise of certain communities like the Parsis who were more aligned with British sensibilities.
🏫 Education and Bureaucracy in Colonial India
The second paragraph focuses on the British influence on education and bureaucracy in colonial India. It contrasts the traditional Indian model, where bureaucracy was often hereditary and caste-based, with the British system that sought to educate and employ individuals based on merit. The paragraph discusses the establishment of schools and colleges to produce clerks for the British administration. It also highlights the Macaulay's minute on Indian education, which aimed to create a class of Indians who were western-educated and could serve the colonial government. The discussion includes the British preference for communities like the Parsis, who were more amenable to British ways and did not adhere to the strict caste rules of Hindus or Muslims. The paragraph concludes with the emergence of new cities marked by colonial indicators such as railway stations, high courts, universities, and clock towers.
🏙️ Urbanization in Delhi: A Historical Perspective
This paragraph provides a historical overview of urbanization in Delhi, starting from the Vedic period with the Indraprastha settlement and the establishment of the Kala Bhairav Temple. It then moves through the Rajput period, the Turko-Mughal era, and the establishment of various dynasties, each building new cities and structures like the Qutub Minar. The paragraph details the successive waves of urban development, including the building of the City Fort during the Khilji period to accommodate refugees and the construction of the Red Fort by Shah Jahan. It concludes with the British establishment of New Delhi, marked by government institutions and the current parliament, illustrating the continuous evolution of the city through different historical periods.
🤔 Post-Independence Urbanization: A Point to Ponder
The fourth paragraph presents a point to ponder for the audience, inviting them to consider the impact of historical urbanization patterns on post-independence India. It encourages the audience to reflect on how the urbanization processes from the Harappa civilization, through the temple cities and Islamic cities, to the colonial cities, have influenced urban development after India gained independence. The paragraph suggests considering the rapid population growth, the establishment of new capital cities, industrial cities, and government policies like the National Smart Cities Mission. It emphasizes the importance of drawing connections between the past and the present to understand the ongoing changes and continuities in urbanization.
📚 Understanding Urbanization for Exam Preparation
The final paragraph emphasizes the importance of understanding urbanization for exam preparation, particularly for the UPSC examination. It highlights the interdisciplinary nature of exams and how studying urbanization can aid in answering questions on society, social issues, and essays. The paragraph also underscores the importance of definitions, historical context, geographical examples, and connecting the past with the present. It concludes with an invitation for the audience to suggest topics for future episodes and to engage with the expert, Devdat Patnaik, for further questions and insights.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Urbanization
💡Colonial Era
💡Industrialization
💡Railway Stations
💡Courthouses
💡Clock Towers
💡Education System
💡Caste System
💡Parsi Community
💡Post-Independence Urbanization
💡Smart Cities Mission
Highlights
Urbanization took a different turn with the onset of the colonial era, marked by European influence and the establishment of new forms of cities.
The Portuguese were the first to colonize parts of India, particularly coastal regions like the Konkan and Coromandel coasts, leading to the emergence of new urban landscapes.
British colonization introduced industrialization and mechanization, which transformed the way cities functioned and developed.
The establishment of railway stations, courthouses, and clock towers became hallmarks of colonial cities, reflecting the economic and political control exerted by the colonizers.
The British aimed to supplant the traditional Indian model of bureaucracy with a system educated in their own ways, leading to the creation of schools and colleges.
The caste-based system was challenged by the British, who sought to hire talent irrespective of caste, leading to significant social changes.
The Parsi community became favored by the British due to their adaptability and compatibility with British administrative practices.
The evolution of Delhi as a city showcases various stages of urbanization, from ancient settlements to colonial influence and modern development.
Delhi's urbanization history includes the establishment of cities by different rulers, each with their own distinct architectural and cultural contributions.
The discussion of Delhi's urbanization serves as a case study for understanding the broader trends and impacts of urbanization in India.
Post-independence urbanization is characterized by rapid population growth, the rise of new capital cities, and government policies aimed at smart city development.
The National Smart Cities Mission is an example of post-independence efforts to modernize and improve urban living conditions.
The importance of understanding the historical context of urbanization and its connection to present-day issues and policies is emphasized.
The lecture series uses a 'time and space' framework to explore urbanization, providing a comprehensive understanding of its progression.
The study of urbanization is interdisciplinary, with implications for understanding social issues, preparing for interviews, and answering examination questions.
The lecture concludes with a call to action for students to engage with the material, contextualize it in the present, and prepare for future discussions.
Transcripts
foreign
[Music]
ization took a different turn with the
coming up of colonial era
that's the question for today which we
are going to ask from devdat patnayak in
art and culture with David patnaik
[Applause]
[Music]
hello everyone I am Manas srivastava and
you are watching Indian expresses upsc
Essentials and we are in conversation
with devdatpatnayak where we study a lot
of things about art and culture and in
the process we also touch upon things
related to History Society you get a lot
of takeaways for your essays and for
your GS papers not forgetting
information related to prelims
examination
so as you all know that we've been
covering we've been talking about
urbanization we started really from the
definitions and then uh We've covered
the ancient period we talked about the
medieval period and today is the time
when we are going to talk about the
modern period or the colonial era but
before going ahead I would request you
all to go back to our previous episodes
brush up your knowledge about this topic
we have really covered it in detail uh
Dave that talked about all
nitty-gritties uh about this topic to
various interesting examples which can
act as a rich father for your
examination
so please stay tuned till the end of
this episode because this is probably
the last episode on urbanization we will
take up another Topic in our next
episode so I'll just sum up a little bit
about what we have done so far related
to the topic of urbanization okay so now
let's begin uh with the first question
okay the first question which is related
to colonial era and urbanization Dave
that if you can simply tell our students
that how urbanization took a different
turn with the coming up of colonial era
what are the important things which
students should keep in mind
so about 400 years ago for 500 years ago
the British uh come into India British
government in the 1600 A.D but 100 years
before that the Portuguese who come they
have the Portuguese are the people who
have discovered the sea routes they come
to uh Kerala and they start colonizing
the coastal part of India especially the
konkan coast and parts of the coromandel
coast and they are the ones Goa is
established and a new form of city
starts to emerge which ensures European
influence so churches start being built
and the landscape changes again in a new
form of urbanization starts the
colonizations remember when the British
come to India the Portuguese are coming
to trade so when they use the word forts
they are really talking about warehouses
and they the big cities of India today
that is Mumbai Chennai Kolkata are
really began as forts or warehouses of
the British the French the Dutch the
Portuguese they all sort of building
these little things around the coast and
that is the beginning of these cities
but they really change remarkably when
the British start taking over the
country after 1757 after the battle of
Plassey and something changes in the
world new things emerge we have
something called industrialization
happening and mechanization starting and
therefore Industries start being stabbed
the modern Industries India becomes a
land from where raw material will go to
the factories in Europe in order to get
these raw materials taken there what is
the easiest way to do it it is through
Railways and Railway starts to appear in
India and that creates a new form of
urbanization what we call the colonial
cities and what is the Hallmark of a
colonial City there will be a railway
station never forget that railway
station is one thing which they bring in
second is the courthouse the courthouse
the British said these people don't have
a proper legal system I will control the
legal system the law system that's why
they created the penal code
based on the Sharia based on common law
and they said let's create a courthouse
so a city a colonial City had a railway
station for plundering India's wealth
through the trains
um then you have a courthouse which
establishes the legal system through
which you control
um you know power is control so there's
an economic part to the city the
railways represent the economic Parts
the courthouse represents the political
part and then something very interesting
they start building clock towers clock
towers are built to tell you the times
everybody has to follow a bureaucratic
time the office will start on time and
this new military way of thinking
becomes part of life very different from
the old model where sunrise and sunset
decide to the day and night now you have
the clock tower telling you what the
time should be when should you go to
office what time is the meetings so time
now everything becomes mechanistic
everything is being measurement plays a
very important role that's what the
British do and then of course
universities start to people schools
start being built colleges start being
built because they need clerks to work
for them in the bureau that's the famous
Macaulay statement that we cannot follow
the traditional Indian model they're
that I'm sorry to just interrupt there I
really want you to explain our students
this when you say a traditional Indian
model what do you mean by that and with
the coming of britishers and you know
the colonial era what actually changed
there the traditional Indian model meant
that you have to belong to a particular
caste to be part of the bureaucracy the
chias the brahmins got a privileged
position in court and it was hereditary
a king would call brahmins or Caius to
work in his court when the Muslims came
they would get the Persians they would
get ah to work in accordance the Turkish
people to come in their court but um
when that Supply became difficult after
the Mongol invasion of the 13th century
um they started hiring local talent the
giant courtiers Gujarati courtiers
um and the British said no this doesn't
work for us this caste-based system
doesn't work for us we want we want to
hire Talent we wanted people to be
educated in our systems so they created
schools so people went to schools and
then of course they saw these caste
issues that you know Giants will eat in
a particular way uh they will not eat
with Muslims Muslims won't read
halal food all this created a lot of
irritation in the British and they said
you know let's get people who are like
us and that is really the time when the
Parsi Community uh will which lived in
the coastal part of India they had come
to India around the 8th 19th century to
escape persecution from Iran from the
Muslims they lived in sanjayan Gujarat
area and they became very very popular
uh with the British because they they
ate all kinds of food they did not have
they did have their own cast rules but
they were far more amenable and that's
uh the British suddenly realized that
the cleric the the bureaucracy they
benefit a lot by working with these uh
zoroastrians who like them did not like
the Muslims and who like them were not
comfortable with the Hindus either but
seemed to understand the Hindu way of
functioning and for good businessmen so
new cities start to emerge and if you
see cities like Mumbai
um which Calcutta Calcutta was the
original capital before it shifted after
1857 to Delhi
um
I am you know in the early 20th century
shifts to Delhi because Delhi is where
power really resides in India and you
find the new colonial cities marked by
Railway stations always remember the
railway station
the high court the university the clock
tower these are indicators of colonial
urbanization
okay that's very interesting and I would
also like all our aspirants and students
to note these indicators these are good
indicators that you can mention in your
examination as subheadings when uh Deva
talks about railway stations code houses
he mentions uh clock towers universities
and how these things these elements are
changing the landscape and uh affecting
even the history and culture now let's
move on to the next question and I was
just wondering if you can take an
example okay and understand uh this
whole phase of urbanization in the
colonial era through an example and what
other than telling okay so uh it's a
good way to study urbanization with an
example of Delhi and let's talk about
Delhi it's various stages of
urbanization they have that if you can
help our students with that so uh one of
the questions that people keep asking is
about Delhi you know Delhi is the center
of India is the positive of power and
for a thousand years has played a very
important role in Indian politics but
it's a good way to understand
urbanization in India
um mythologically and it is said that
you have painted grayware Pottery there
so uh that is about
3000 years ago during The Vedic period
perhaps there was a settlement here and
this was the indraprastha settlement of
the pandavs and it said that this is the
time when the kala bhairav Temple which
is currently near purana was established
by Bheem so that is the first sort of
reference to a settlement in Delhi after
which we have a settlement During the
rajput period before the Islamic period
the tomaras and the chohans
built a settlement called the heli the
spoken language called hindavi
um and this is where uh the first city
of the turko mughals emerges you have
the mamluk dynasty establishing Mahmoud
of Ori comes and establishes his he
establishes his rule here and it is
marked by the kutub Minar now is not
like a typical minaret of a mosque this
is a part of a pair one pair of this
Minar is found in Afghanistan is called
the Minar of jam in the city of jam and
then there is the Qutub Minar over here
in Delhi they marked the two ends of the
frontier of the gurud dynasty two
brothers ruling it the elder brother in
Afghanistan the younger brother in India
now this way of controlling across the
Hindu question is not unique to this
period remember the kushan Kings also
ruled this vast stretch on either side
of the Hindu Kush because this was a
major trading route what we call the
silk route and this is the the first
city symbol
it is the the slave Dynasty or the
mamluk dynasty which takes over of
airbag and altamash they start with the
mehroli area is where the slave Dynasty
has some of their mausoleums some of
their mosques the earliest mosque built
by the sultanate as I said mosques are
part of the
um fourth phase of urbanization
um
after this you have the new Kings every
time a king would come he would build a
new city a new mosque and his own
mausoleums so if you look at the
dynasties which are emerging everyone is
creating a new city right so you have
the mehroli region where you have got
The mamluk Sultans building their
structures after the mamluk period you
have the khilji allowed in kilji who
established a City Fort this is the time
City Fort is a place where a lot of
refugees are coming because during
allowed then khilji's tires Mongol
invasions have taken place they come
right to the edge of Afghanistan lots of
people are migrating into India persons
because they destroyed the city of
Baghdad completely Baghdad is in Iraq
and there's they're burning Central Asia
they're burning parts of Afghanistan so
it's a part of Iran everything is
burning Mongols are a terrifying Force
they have no they don't really enter
India but alji the khiljis played a very
important role but lots of people are
coming and therefore they build the City
Fort the thick walls to protect the new
refugees so that's safe what is another
Fort which happens foreign
load these and then you have the morals
coming in and so you have the purana
Kila being built purana is the Red Fort
the purana was built by humayun and then
the shesha Suri was in Afghan
um he is playing a part in the purana
after which you have the uh
which was built by shahajahan which is
the Red Fort which is built after Shah
Jahan you have then the latians Delhi
being established by the British so you
have these cities emerging in Delhi one
after the other starts within the
president starts with rajput capitals
then it is the maroli region of the
um mamluk Dynasty then you have the Siri
Fort of the kiljis
firoshakotla and of the toglags then you
have lodi's city after the Lodi City you
have
which is located in Delhi but
the famous Red Fort which is built which
was a major city within the city with
lots of things which was all destroyed
in 1857 by the British and then the
British established themselves and they
became the Imperial power they
established what is called latin's Delhi
rashtrapati Bhavan the parliament
structure and now of course you have a
new parliament in the same region so
that's how the cities emerged slowly uh
in Delhi okay so one thing is very clear
that the modern delhi's construction has
always been in news and it's a point of
Attraction for a lot of visitors and
City dwellers
but the city is actually very ancient
and vedat in just trying to explain the
example of Delhi in case of the
urbanization has also traced the
evolution of the city so it's a very
important question and uh definitely a
very important
fodder for your Mains examination as
well when you are discussing the
evolution of a city
now let's move to devdas point to ponder
Dave does point to ponder today is a
homework for you how and why I'll
discuss it with you once devdath tells
us what is his point to ponder for the
urbanization topic
[Music]
well lots to think about urbanization
how urbanization happens but I think we
now move to the independence era and I
want you to think about you know so many
things happen well from harappa from
mahajanapadas from the temple cities
Raja mandalas
um we have now after Raja mandalas we
have got uh the turku Mughal cities or
the Islamic cities they have the
colonial cities how do they impact
urbanization post-independence that's
the point to ponder about
all right then that's a very important
point to ponder it will encapsulate
whatever you have studied and then
contextualizing it in the present time
so when you're talking about post
Independence uh that is also a part of
your syllabus if you uh remember it is
in your Mains GS paper one so when
you're talking about post Independence
uh period of urbanization you can talk
about the rapid increase in population
the coming up of capital cities like
Chandigarh gandhinagar and so and so
forth you can talk about the industrial
cities like for example
and uh
well you can talk about the government's
policies as well uh National smart
cities Mission what it is but actually
what they've done I think wants you to
do is to uh you know draw connection uh
between uh the past and the present and
what is continuing and what has changed
so it's an important interesting
question to think about
and the homework is that you may write
about it you may just go back to the
previous episodes
note down certain important takeaways
contextualize it in the present times uh
look for some post Independence uh
period of urbanization uh the major
themes around it write it and send it to
us okay you can write it you can you can
go in the comment box and post about it
it will be an interesting exercise and
your urbanization topic is over
so what we have done so far that is
important
[Music]
so dear aspirants it's important to
understand that how we covered this
topic of urbanization and how you will
find it useful for your exam and
preparation
now
again
by explaining what these terms mean
urbanization Urban centers and then he
gave you a framework he always mentions
this time and space
a time and space framework is
so he started with you know the Indus
civilization then he went to
mahajanapada's face he talked about
Temple urbanization and then today
colonial era so yeah
this is a flow in his lecture which is
with respect to time and he was talking
about a lot of places which is the space
or the geographical part
then there are
so there have been a definition there
have there there there are the
historical periods and then there have
been certain important examples so when
when we talk about examples for example
in the in the temple urbanization period
important centers there when we are
talking about the colonial era important
centers
and that is what we have done in this
urbanization uh topic of uh art and
culture series
and at times he is also connecting it to
present okay bringing you know the past
to present connection is very important
because that's how examination May
questions are being frailed
foreign and in the end what I would like
to say that
art and culture Focus the major theme of
this particular series is art and
culture but you know that the upsc or
any particular examination are
interdisciplinary so with this the
studying urbanization for example you
would be able to answer questions on
society social issues you can quote such
a such examples in essays of course in
uh you know uh other areas also
preparing yourself for interview and
intelligent questions
so always remember definition history uh
geography examples connection connecting
past with present all these things are
important and don't forget these
Frameworks which they that uses the uh
Lakshmi Durga Saraswati time and space
which will help you in understanding
these topics better
in the next episode we'll come up with
new topic you can also suggest questions
you can write to Manus dot srivastava at
indianexpress.com you can also comment
in the box below make the best use of
this opportunity our expert David is
going to answer
all your questions
um in his Unique Style in his Lucid
style and in his way uh appreciative
style of his dealing with such questions
from the perspective of definition
examples and stories
that's all from me now uh we'll come
back next week with a new topic
I am Mana shivastav signing off and
before I go think smart work hard
conquer your goal bye
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