Urban Changes During the British Period — Class 8 Social Science (Samacheer Kalvi)
TN State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 8 Social Science, History — Chapter 7. How British rule reshaped India's towns and cities.
1. About this lesson
This lesson explains the rise of the Presidency cities, the causes of urbanisation in the 19th century, the structure of the colonial city, and the new types of towns that grew up.
2. The Presidency cities
- In the late 18th century, Calcutta, Bombay and Madras rose as the three Presidency cities — centres of British trade and administration.
- Older Mughal towns (like Delhi and Agra) declined as power shifted to these coastal cities.
3. Causes of 19th-century urbanisation
The new wave of urbanisation was caused by:
- the opening of the Suez Canal (1869),
- the introduction of steam navigation,
- the building of railways, canals and harbours, and
- the growth of factory industries.
4. Structure of the colonial city
- The British divided the city into a "White Town" (where Europeans lived, with wide roads, bungalows and parks) and a "Black Town" (crowded Indian quarters) — showing racial separation.
5. New types of towns
| Type | Reason | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Cantonment towns | military camps that grew into cities | Kanpur, Lahore |
| Coastal towns | trade and ports | Surat, Goa, Bombay |
| Hill stations | summer retreats for the British | Shimla, Ooty |
6. Worked examples
Example 1. Name the three Presidency cities. Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.
Example 2. Give one cause of 19th-century urbanisation. The opening of the Suez Canal (also railways, steam navigation, harbours).
Example 3. What were the two parts of a colonial city? The White Town and the Black Town.
7. Book-back questions (Samacheer Kalvi)
I. Choose the correct answer
- The three Presidency cities were — (a) Calcutta, Bombay, Madras / (b) Delhi, Agra, Lahore. Ans: (a).
- A cause of 19th-century urbanisation was the — (a) opening of the Suez Canal / (b) Battle of Plassey. Ans: (a) Suez Canal.
- Cantonment towns developed as — (a) military camps / (b) temple towns. Ans: (a) military camps.
- An example of a cantonment town is — (a) Kanpur / (b) Nalanda. Ans: (a) Kanpur.
- The European part of a colonial city was called the — (a) White Town / (b) Black Town. Ans: (a) White Town.
II. Fill in the blanks 6. The crowded Indian part of a colonial city was the Black Town. 7. The Presidency cities rose in the late 18th century. 8. Surat, Goa and Bombay were coastal towns developed by the British.
III. Answer briefly 9. State any two causes of urbanisation in the 19th century. 10. How were cantonment towns formed?
8. Common mistakes
- Mistake: Naming Delhi or Agra as a Presidency city. Fix: The Presidency cities were Calcutta, Bombay and Madras.
- Mistake: Confusing White Town and Black Town. Fix: White Town = European area; Black Town = Indian area.
- Mistake: Thinking cantonments were trading towns. Fix: Cantonment towns grew from military camps (e.g. Kanpur, Lahore).
9. Quick revision
- History Ch 7 · urban changes.
- Presidency cities (late 18th c.): Calcutta, Bombay, Madras.
- Urbanisation causes: Suez Canal (1869), steam navigation, railways, canals, harbours, factories.
- Colonial city split into White Town (Europeans) and Black Town (Indians).
- New towns: cantonment (Kanpur, Lahore), coastal (Surat, Goa, Bombay), hill stations (Shimla, Ooty).
