1. State whether true or false:
(a) In the Western world, modern cities grew with industrialization.
(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 Jama Masjid for five years.
(e) More money was spent on cleaning old Delhi than New Delhi.
Answer:
(a) True (b) False (c) False (d) True (e) False.
2. 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.
Answers :
(a) Minor/ tomb .
(b) Edward Lutyens and Henry Baker.
(c) Black areas .
(d) Lahore Gate Improvement Scheme.
3. Identify three differences in the city design of New Delhi and Shahjahanabad.
Ans:
1) Shahjahanabad was constructed as a fort palace complex with city adjoining it. On the other hand, New Delhi was built by the British in the Twentieth Century on a modern planning and pattern.
2) The main centre point of Shahjahanabad was the Lal Qila or the Red Fort, made of red sand stone, contained in the palace complex. The modern city as we know New Delhi today developed only after 1911 when Delhi became the capital of British India.
3) To the west of Lal Qila lay the walled city with 14 gates. On the other hand before 1857, developments in Delhi were somewhat different from those in other colonial cities, the living spaces of Indians and the British were sharply separated. Indians lived in the “black areas”, whereas the British lived in well laid out “white areas”.
4) After the Grand Darbar of 1911, New Delhi was constructed as a 10 square mile city on Raisina Hill, south of the existing city. Two architects, Edward Lutyens and Herbert Baker, were called on to design New Delhi and its buildings.
5) The government complex in New Delhi consisted of a two-mile avenue Kingsway, which led to the Viceroy’s Palace now as Rashtrapati Bhawan, with the Secretariat buildings on either sides of the avenue.
6) The features of New Delhi’s government buildings were borrowed from different periods of India’s imperial history, but the overall look was Classical Greece. For example, the central dome of the Viceroy’s Palace was copied from the Buddhist Stupa at Sanchi and the red sandstone and carved screens of Jalis were borrowed from Mughal architecture.
4. Who lived in the “white” areas in cities such as Madras?
Ans: The British and European lived in the “white” areas in cities such as Madras, Bombay and Calcutta also.
5. What is meant by de-urbanisation?
Ans: Old trading centres and ports could not survive when the flow of trade moved to new centres. The earlier centres of regional power collapsed when local rulers were defeated by the British and new centres of administrative emerged.
6. Why did the British chose to hold a grand Darbar in Delhi although it was not the capital?
Ans:
1) The British were fully aware about the symbolic importance of Delhi. After the Revolt of 1857, many spectacular events were held there. In 1877, Viceroy Lytton organized a Darbar to acknowledge Queen Victoria as the Empress of India. Calcutta was still the capital of British India, but the grand Darbar was held in Delhi. During the Revolt, the British had realized that the Mughal emperor was still important to the people and they saw him as their leader. 2) In 1911, when king George V was crowned in England a Durbar was held in Delhi to celebrate the occasion.
7. How did the old city of Delhi change under British rule?
Ans: The process of change of Old Delhi under the British rule:
1) In 1803, the British gained control of Delhi after defeating the Marathas. Before 1857, developments in Old Delhi were somewhat different from those in other colonial cities.In Madras, Bombay or Calcutta, the living spaces of Indians and the British were sharply separated.
2) The British learned to enjoy Urdu /Persian culture and poetry and participated in local festivals. The establishment of the Delhi College in 1792 led to a great intellectual flowering in the sciences as well as the humanities, largely in the Urdu language.
3) All this changed after 1857.During the revolt that year, the rebels gathered in the city and persuaded Bahadur Shah to become the leader of the uprising. Delhi remained under the control of the rebels for four months.
4) When the British regained the city, they embarked on a campaign of revenue and plunder. The famous poet Ghalib witnessed the events of the time. This is how he described the ransacking of Delhi in 1857. “When the angry lions (the British) entered the town they killed the helpless.
5) In the 1870’s the western walls of Shahjahanabad were broken to establish the railway and to allow the city to expand beyond the walls. The British now began living in the sprawling civil lines area that came up in the north away from the Indians in the Walled city. The Delhi College was turned into a school and shut down in 1877.
8. How did the Partition affect life in Delhi?
Ans:
1. Riots and killings of the people: Days after independence and partition, fierce rioting began. Thousands of people in Delhi were killed and their homes looted and burned.
2. Muslims went to Pakistan: Refugees roamed the streets of Shahjahanabad searching for empty homes to occupy. At times they forced almost 44,000 Muslims to abandon their homes.
3. City of refugees and camps: At the same time, Delhi became a city of refugees. Nearly 5,00,000 people were added to Delhi’s population(which had a little over 8,00,000 people in 1951).Most of these migrants were from Punjab.
4. Setting up of houses and construction of new towns: some got the opportunity to occupy residences that had been vacated others were housed in refugee colonies. New colonies such as Lajpat Nagar and Tilak Nagar came up at this time.
5. Shops, stalls and schools and colleges were opened: Shops and stalls were set up to cater to the demands of the migrants. Schools and colleges were also opened.
9. Find out the history of the town you live in or of any town nearby. Check when and how it grew, and how it has changed over the years. You could look at the history of the bazaars, the buildings, cultural institutions, and settlements.
Ans:
i) Libia Lobo Sardesai, lawyer says :
-After India got independence in 1947, I joined the Goan Youth League. I always had a fire for Goa’s freedom in me. After 1955, due to the economic blockade, Goans had no access to any outside news or information. It became imperative to expose Portuguese propaganda through a clandestine method which took the shape of an underground radio programme.
Vaman Sardesai [who she later married] and I started the station, broadcasting every morning and evening in Portuguese and Konkani [the local language]. The Voice of Freedom station was run from forests bordering Goa between November 1955 and December 1961. It boosted the morale of Goan people.
ii) Damodar Mauzo :
-Damodar Mauzo remembers watching Indian troops liberate Goa He said .” When I was 12, I had to perform a religious ceremony at my home. We had photos of national leaders – Mahatma Gandhi, India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, independence leader Subhash Chandra Bose. There was also a photo each of Buddha and Jesus Christ.
My father invited Portuguese officials stationed in my village. He was advised by his friends to remove the photos of Indian leaders because he might be suspected of being a nationalist. At the time, most Hindus were considered nationalists, although there were many Christians fighting for Goa’s freedom.
My father said: “I have committed no crime. I don’t think they will object.” They came and they noted the photos. They seemed happy that they could identify the leaders. I think they saw the photo of Christ and thought how secular this family is. But our family and friends were apprehensive.
I used to cycle to the nearby town of Margao during the “liberation days” as that was the most happening place in southern Goa.
I was excited to see the Indian army marching through Margao’s streets. I was exhilarated to be an eyewitness to the historic event.
I have seen how, during the colonial days, the Portuguese had made a mockery of democracy and elections. Today, we see things have undergone a huge transformation.
But frankly, all is not well. The indiscriminate use of land in the name of development has impoverished the state. Mining has damaged it. Today, we see growing communal disharmony.”
10. Make a list of at least ten occupations in the city, town, or village to which you belong, and find out how long they have existed. What does this tell you about the changes within this area?
Ans:
1. Agriculture: The Farmers of today are using tractors and agricultural machines, in place of bull- pulled wooden plough and small traditional old fashioned tools or agricultural implements. The farmers are using tube- wells in place of traditional ordinary wells or charas or leather made buckets.
2. Carpentary Work: The carpenters are using latest tools, implements and machines useful in this occupation. New types of articles, furnitures and decorational things are being produced and sold in local as well as outside markets.
3. Blacksmith: The blacksmith have increased their production. They are using the latest technology. All types of grills, windows, doors, iron- rods, and so on are being made according to the needs and demands of the customers.
4. Jewellery Making: Jewellers and artisans are manufacturing and making different types of ornaments for local people, the outside market within the country as well as for international markets. The jewelers are very particular about the purity of gold, silver, diamonds, and so on.
5. Teaching: Teachers of our area are using latest books, CD’s, TV’s, use of internet. They are teaching new subjects such as computing to the students. Latest methods and techniques of imparting education are being utilized.
11. Imagine that you are a young man living in Shahjahanabad in 1700. Based on the description of the area in this chapter, write an account of your activities during one day of your life.
Ans:
1) Aurangzeb is our Emperor. Shahjahanabad is the capital town of The Mughal Empire. It is also a trade centre.
2) I got to the Jama Masjid daily to offer my prayer to Allah, at least twice a day. Only men can enter the colorful world of poetry and dance alone. I had to avoid celebrations and processions because generally theses led to serious conflicts.