Manish Kumar
Introduction:
Process of urbanization in India had been going since ancient time, however, this process was neither uniform nor continuous in all periods. The Mughal period witnessed a continuous and high-level growth of urbanization with much greatness than the earlier period. In this period, several new towns came up and several existing town expanded up. Mughal India had a large urban population. The towns and cities of the area performed varied and overlapping roles. 1
Political
stability and economic prosperity during Mughal period helped in the process of urbanization. The period was of
political peace and cultural grace which
led to sustained urbanisation. To maintain and govern a strong political
empire, several urban centres emerged in
different parts of the Mughal empire. Growth of
several existing cities and emergence of several new cities were a characteristic phenomenon of urbanization process during
Mughal period.
There
were several factors which helped in the process of urbanization. These factors were growth in agricultural and
non-agricultural output, development of
several agri-based industries in initial phase and other industries in
later phase, increasing trade activities
which is supported by well-developed transportation. Urbanization also depends upon the
socio-economic condition of the region and in
turn affects the socio-economic order of the society. Urban centres grow
and develop in response to societal needs.
It results into improved standard of living, changing in the occupational structure, changing in the
social relation etc.
Urban centres performed their multifunctional role, showed interdependence on rural economy and finally the contribution in the development of the economy of the region2. These centres performed their role in political, social and economic life of people.
Aims
and Objectives:
- To assess the influence of geographical factors which supported the Urbanization process during the Mughal Empire in north Gangetic plain. What were the conditions that supported and accelerated the urbanization process in Gangetic belt?
- To assess the role of political stability and political support in the Urbanization process in medieval Indian history.
- To assess that how increase in trading activities helped in the development of Urbanization in Mughal Era.
- To know the importance of urbanization in North India during Mughal period. To know the impact of urbanization on the life of people.
Hypothesis
The
following hypotheses are framed:
- Process of Urbanization is evolutionary in nature.
- Urban areas are dynamic and they undergo rapid changes in physical, social and economic aspects.
- There is a change in the quality of life in positive direction in social and economic aspects in urban areas.
Methodology
Urbanization is the process where an increasing percentage of a population lives in cities and towns. There are various factors which led to these changes. In this paper, main emphasis is given to these factors. Several primary and secondary sources provide a lot of information about urbanization in Mughal India. Therefore, both these sources are analysed. The observations made and inferences derived after analysis of the sources are included in the paper.
Historiography
Review
of the Primary Sources
Main
emphasis in this record is given to primary records. First type of primary record is account of some of the foreign
travellers. Several foreign travellers visited
India in the Mughal period especially in sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries. They gave various description
about urban centres in North India. Father Stephen, Ralph Fitch and John Milden hall visited the northern
India during the 16th century. They had
given the account of Mughal Empire to some extent. Some missions were also sent to Akbar's court starting in 1580.
Father Monserrate had pictured a good account
at some of the cities during medieval times.
Almost every aspect of socio-economic life of
cities and towns of Mughal period were
taken by these foreign travellers. Some of the most valuable information of this period can be found in the account of
Ralph Fitch, Pelsaert, William Finch,
Peter Mundy, Tavernier, Francois Bernier, Manucci, Thevnot, Fryer. These
travellers depicted the socio-economic
life of people with considerable objectivity. Ralph Fitch was the first English traveller in the real
sense to travel across India. Ralph Fitch
travelled to the Eastern provinces and described about some of the
cities like Allahabad, Banaras, Patna,
and Hugli.
French
traveller, Francois Bernier, said about role of factories in the urbanization process. Bernier says, “Within
the fortress large halls were seen in many
places, called 'karkhanas' or workshops for the artisans.” He has given
description of the working of various
karkhanas.
Second
type of primary record comprises Persian records. In this type of records we have Akbarnama, The Jahangirnama.
Memoirs of Jahangir, Emperor of
India,
The Shah Jahan Nama of Inayat Khan etc. These records in many places
differ from the information provided by
the foreign travellers in their accounts. Comparison of these two types of sources provides a
complex picture of urbanization process of
those times.
Review
of the Secondary Sources
There
are several scholarly studies are available which deals the socio economic life
of the people, urbanization process in Mughal period under the review. There are several works like Moosvi Shireen,
"The Economy of the Mughal Empire",
A Statistica Study, K.N. Chaudhuri, “ Some Reflection on the Town and
Country in Mughal India”, Tapan
Raychaudhuri and Irfan Habib, "The Cambridge Economic History of India", are some of the
important works which shed the lights on
urbanization process in Mughal India. The Atlas of Mughal India by Irfan
Habib is very important source in
tracing the various trading routes.
Chapterisation
In
Chapter I the subject has been introduced and various sources have been surveyed, such as foreign traveller’s
accounts, accounts of Indian writers. About the
urbanization in India under the Mughals, we have a detailed data from
the large number of European visitors
who came to India. Several indigenous sources also provide much information about
urbanization.
In
Chapter II Geographical factor which helps the urbanisation process has been discussed. Geographical conditions are
one of the most decisive factor in
determining the pattern of agricultural of any region. Mughal Empire's
territorial geography has been discussed
first and then how these factors like extensive plain, fertile soil, suitable climate helped in the
agricultural production. Some important
changes like introduction of new crops, some horticultural plants by the
foreign were also quite evident during
the period. These fertile soils, irrigation facilities increased
the
yield of crops both commercial and others which facilitated the development
of trade activities which further
accelerated the process of urbanisation. Besides natural resources, there were irrigation facilities
developed by the states were also
responsible for increase in agricultural production.
Forests
provided valuable timber which supported the urban economy by providing building material for buildings,
palaces, forts, residences. These timbers
also helped in boat and ship building which helped in the river
transport. The forest of Bengal,
Allahabad etc. supplied the required type of timbers. The forest products such as cloves, sandal, amber, camphor and
other fragrant woods and drugs were
important articles for consumption and exported to foreign
countries.
In
Chapter III role of trade, transport, communication in the urbanisation process has been discussed. Trade heavily
depends upon the transport facilities.
Facilities of road and river transport helped in the trading activities.
Therefore, study of transport in Mughal
India is an important aspect which helps in explaining the process of urbanisation.
The
most prevalent mode of transport was pack animals in Mughal India while carts were also used. Pack oxen were used for
carrying the goods of bulk in most of
the regions. In some regions asses, mules and indigenous breeds of
horses were used for carrying trade.
River
navigation played important role in carrying both the goods of bulk as well as other products of high values. The
Ganga River System were the main
navigable river system which helped much in transportation of various
goods. Most of goods was carried mainly
on Ganga River System from Bengal up to Agra. For this different types of boats were built
locally at various places.
Chapter
IV discuss about how industry developed and accelerated the growth of towns. Several towns were developed under
the direct patronage of the rulers.
Mining and use of metals, minting of royal coins contributed
significantly to rapid
urbanising
in several cases. Mass migration from rural areas in search of employment in the industries added to the further growth
of towns.
Royal
patronage to certain crafts and industries were also helping factor in the development of towns in those days. How
economic Base leads to urbanisation has
been reviewed in this chapter. Development of agricultural economy which
supported the economic and industrial
base and thus accelerated the urbanisation process. Surplus industrial production increased the
trading activities which strengthened the
older towns and helped in creation of newer towns. Industrial growth in
this period was supported by increase in
agricultural production, development of trading
activities, facilities provided by states to merchants. This industrial
growth helped in the growth and
extension of numerous towns.
In
Chapter V the political base of urbanization process. How administrative and revenue reforms by the rulers supported
the urbanization process. These reforms
by the rulers not only helped in the process of revival or development
of existing towns but also helped in the
establishment of new towns.
Several
methods of raising revenue and govern people by the Mughals were quite different from the earlier rulers.
System of administration to maintain law and
order in the towns has also been discussed in this chapter. Mughals
divided their territory for better
administration. For example subas into sarkars, sarkars into parganas. Gradually, seats of these subas,
sarkars and parganas grew up in newer
towns and strengthened the existing towns.
In
Chapter VI changes in the society during the urbanisation has been discussed. This change in society during
urbanisation does not take place only in
urban area but in rural area too. City life influences the economic,
social and cultural life of the country.
There was a strong interdependence between the urban areas and rural areas. In this interdependence both
benefitted and led to the development of
country as a whole.
During
urbanisation different new types of occupation emerges which helps the people in employing in those occupation.
Some of the new occupations are
wholesale traders, shopkeepers, money-changers-cum money lenders etc.
These occupations change the existing
social and economic structure of the society.
In
Chapter VII the typology of towns has been discussed. There were four major types of towns emerged during this
period. These are administrative, military,
commercial, industrial and religious or cultural points of view. First,
there were towns whose main function was
administrative and other functions such as
manufacturing were of secondary importance. Secondly, there were towns
which had mainly commercial and
manufacturing activities and administrative functions were of the secondary importance. Thirdly, there were
the religious centres where some
commerce and trade activities also flourished. Lastly, there were towns
which rise to prominence due to manufacturing
technique and skill of the local population.
In
Chapter VIII some selected towns of the periods were discussed in detail
as examples of urban growth specific to
the period. Here special mention was made to
roads and streets which were very significant in the process of
urbanisation.
The
morphology of cities depends upon many factors, like how these cities have emerged, how these cities have been
developed, what geographical and physical
conditions helped in this development, what types of functions performed
by these cities. All these factors
determined the morphology and structure, house type and development process of the city.
Chapter
IX covers conclusion of the study.
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Notes
1 Tapan Raychaudhuri&Irfan Habib., The Cambridge Economic History of India,Vol 1 c.1200- c,.1750.,p 434
2 H K Naqvi, Urbanisation and Urban Centres under the Great Mughals, Shimla. 1971 pp 1-7
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