Q. The introduction of the Railways in India, saw emergence of new cities on one hand and decline in traditional urban centres on the other. Which one among the following cities witnessed a decline?
Explanation:
The railroads were introduced in India in 1853. They were intended to serve the strategic and commercial interests of the United Kingdom. At the same time, the raw materials producing areas in the interior were linked to ports for export and the imported British goods were transported to different parts of the country.
This process saw the emergence of new cities as export centers such as Bombay and Madras at the same time as some railway cities such as Jamalpur, Waltair and Bareilly developed.However,the economic activities gradually shifted away from traditional towns which were on the roads and rivers to the new towns which were connected by trains. Which in turn led to a decline in old urban centres and rise of new urban centres. For example, Mirzapur on the Ganges, specializing in the collection of cotton and cotton goods from the Deccan, declined when a rail link was made to Bombay.