COLONIAL CITIES-A CITY PLANNING CONCEPT

SUBMITTED BY

S. VINOTH

M.PLAN 1st YEAR

COLONIALISM

Colonialism is the establishment, exploitation, maintenance,

acquisition, and expansion of colony in one territory by a

political power from another territory.

It is a set of unequal relationships between the colonial power

and the colony and often between the colonists and

the indigenous population.

Collins English Dictionary defines colonialism as “The policy

and practice of a power in extending control over weaker

people or areas.”

The legitimacy of colonialism has been a longstanding

concern for political and moral philosophers in the Western

tradition.

HISTORY OF COLONIALISM

The historical phenomenon of colonisation is one thatstretches around the globe and across time, including suchdisparate peoples as the Hittites, the Incas and the British.

Modern state global colonialism, or imperialism, began in the15th century with the "Age of Discovery",by Portuguese and Spanish exploration of the Americas, andthe coasts of Africa, the Middle East, India, and East Asia.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, England, France andthe Dutch Republic established their own overseas empires, indirect competition with each other.

The end of the 18th and early 19th century saw the first eraof decolonization, when most of the European colonies in theAmericas gained their independence from theirrespective metropolis.

COLONIALISM EXPANSION OVER THE

CENTURIES

TYPES OF COLONIALISM

Settler colonialism involves large-scale immigration, often

motivated by religious, political, or economic reasons.

Exploitation colonialism involves fewer colonists and focuses

on access to resources for export, typically to the metropolis.

Slaves were often imported to the Americas, first by the

Portuguese Empire, and later by the Spanish, Dutch, French

and British.

Plantation colonies would be considered exploitation

colonialism; but colonizing powers would utilize either type

for different territories depending on various social and

economic factors as well as climate and geographic

conditions.

CONTD…

Surrogate colonialism involves a settlement project supported

by colonial power, in which most of the settlers do not come

from the mainstream of the ruling power.

Internal colonialism is a notion of uneven structural power

between areas of a nation state. The source of exploitation

comes from within the state.

COLONIAL CITIES IN INDIA

Colonial India is the part of the Indian subcontinent which was

under the control of European colonial powers, through trade and

conquest. The first European power to arrive in India was

the Macedonian army of Alexander the Great in 327–326 BC.

DIFFERENT COLONIAL RULES

COLONIAL RULE PERIOD

Dutch India 1605–1825

Danish India 1620–1869

French India 1769–1954

Portuguese East India Company 1628–1633

East India Company 1612–1757

Company rule in India 1757–1858

British Raj 1858–1947

British rule in Burma 1824–1948

Princely states 1721–1949

Partition of India 1947

CITIES UNDER RULE

GOA:

In 1510, the Portuguese defeated the ruling Bijapur sultanYousuf Adil Shah with the help of a local ally, Timayya.They set up a permanent settlement in Velha Goa (or OldGoa). This was the beginning of Portuguese rule in Goathat would last for four and a half centuries, until 1961.

KOCHI:

Known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, Kochi was animportant spice trading centre on the west coast of Indiafrom the 14th century. Occupied by the PortugueseEmpire in 1503, Kochi was the first of the Europeancolonies in colonial India. It remained the main seatof Portuguese India until 1530, when Goa was choseninstead.

CONTD..

DELHI:

• In 1803 British got control of Delhi but continued with Calcutta

as the capital as The Mughal emperor was living there (Bahadur

Shah Jafar).The modern city as we know it today developed

only after 1911 when Delhi became the capital of British India.

CALCUTTA:

• The city was a colonial city developed by the British East India

Company and then by the British Empire. Kolkata was the

capital of the British Indian empire until 1911 when the capital

was relocated to Delhi. Kolkata grew rapidly in the 19th

century to become the second city of the British Empire.

CONTD..

MADRAS:

• Modern Chennai had its origins as a colonial city and itsinitial growth was closely tied to its importance as an artificialharbour and trading centre.

• When the Portuguese arrived in 1522, they built a port andnamed it São Tomé, after the Christian apostle St. Thomas,who is believed to have preached there between the years1552 and 1570.

• The region then passed into the hands of the Dutch, whoestablished themselves near Pulicat just north of the city in1612.

• Both groups strived to grow their colonial populations andalthough their populations reached into 10,000 persons whenthe British arrived, they remained substantially outnumberedby the local Indian population.

CONTD..

BOMBAY:

• In 1687, the English East India Company transferred its

headquarters from Surat to Bombay. The city eventually

became the headquarters of the Bomba Presidency. Following

the transfer, Bombay was placed at the head of all the

Company's establishments in India.

• The encouragement of the trade of Bombay with Jeshwanth

combined with the Company's military successes in the

Deccan paved the way for the educational and economic

progress which characterized the city during the nineteenth

century leading to the city development during 1817-1885.

• By 1845, all the seven islands had been connected to form a

single island called Old Bombay having an area of

435 km2(167.95 sq mi) by the Hornby Vellard project due to

the water famine in 1824.

CASE STUDY:

CHENNAI:• Chennai formerly known as Madras, is the capital of

the state of Tamil Nadu and is India's fourth largest city.

• It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal.

With an estimated population of 8.9 million (2014), the 400-

year-old city is the 31st largest metropolitan city in the world.

• Chennai boasts of a long history from the English East India

Company, through the British Raj to its evolution in the late

20th century as a services and manufacturing hub for India.

• The modern city of "Chennai" arose from the British settlement

of Fort St. George and its subsequent expansion through merging

numerous native villages and European settlements around Fort St.

George into the city of Madras.

CONTD..

Modern Chennai had its origins as a colonial city and itsinitial growth was closely tied to its importance as anartificial harbour and trading centre.

Francis Day and his superior Andrew Cogan can beconsidered as the founders of Madras (now Chennai).

Their small fortified settlement quickly attracted otherEast Indian traders and as the Dutch position collapsedunder hostile Indian power they also slowly joined thesettlement. This area became the Fort St. Georgesettlement.

It is otherwise referred to as THE WHITE TOWN.

To differentiate these non-European and non-Christianarea from "White Town", the new settlement was termed"Black Town.” Collectively, the original Fort St. Georgesettlement, "White Town", and "Black Town" were calledMadras.

CONTD..

In the later part of the 17th century, Madras steadily

progressed during the period of the East India Company and

under many Governors. Although most of the original

Portuguese, Dutch, and British population had been genocided

during the Golkonda period, under the Mughal protection,

large numbers of British and Anglo-American settlers arrived

to replenish these losses.

As a result during the Governorship of Elihu Yale (1687–92),

the large number of British and European settlers led to the

most important political event which was the formation of the

institution of a Mayor and the Corporation for the city of

Madras.

The expansion of Chennai lead to the acquisition of other

areas nearby. This confiscation of the areas developed which

resulted the present day core area of Chennai we see today.

CONFISCATED VILLAGES..

VILLAGE YEAR

Madraspatnam 1639

Narimedu (area to the west of

Madraspatnam)1645

Triplicane 1672

Tiruvottiyur 1708

Kottivakkam 1708

Nungambakkam 1708

Egmore 1720

Purasawalkam 1720

Tondiarpet 1720

Chintadripet 1735

Vepery 1742

Mylapore 1749

Chennapatnam 1801

CONTD..

In the latter half of the 18th century, Madras became animportant British naval base and the administrative centre ofthe growing British dominions in southern India.

The British also fought four wars with the Kingdom ofMysore under Hyder Ali and later his son Tipu Sultan, whichled to their eventual domination of India's south. Madras wasthe capital of the Madras Presidency, also called MadrasProvince.

Consequently, they expanded the Chartered control of thecompany by encompassing the neighbouring villagesof Triplicane, Egmore, Purasawalkam and Chetpet to form thecity of Chennapatnam, as it was called by locals.

The development of a harbour in Madras led the city tobecome an important centre for trade between India andEurope in the 18th century.

CONTD..

Spencer's started as a small business in 1864 and went on to

become the biggest department stores in Asia at the time.

Development of Railway station, High Court, Educational

Institution and other major administrative and commercial

buildings had taken Chennai to its new heights.

In the 1900’s Chennai acquired the status of a city due to its

increased population growth and advancements in terms of

infrastructure and aminities.

The city’s major economic activity was entirely based on the

sea and other small scale industries inside the city.

On the whole, the colonial rule provoked the growth of

Chennai to a multi potential city which attracted people from

all over TamilNadu for the past 40-50 years.

CHENNAI IN 1955..

CHENNAI IN 1990..

CONCLUSION

The concept of colonialism started way back in 1492 when

Columbus went in search of India, but accidently discovered

America.

The colonial rule impacted the whole world, creating a new

settlement to the creation of a new religion to the creation of a

new country.

Colonial India had contributed to the modern India we see

today with the establishment of Modern city lifestyle and also

in the growth of Mega cities like Mumbai, Chennai etc.,

The Imperialism of the British over the entire world has

resulted the tremendous improvement in trade and commerce

which we have at present.

There wouldn’t have been a Megacity like Mumbai or

Chennai if colonial rule had not existed.