Question

what was the process of urbanization and de-urbanization of towns before the arrival of the british?

Answer 1

Dear Student,
Urbanization of towns had taken place in India long before the coming of the British since the time of the Indus Valley civilization and later during the time of the Mughals too. Later on, many other towns developed in pre-British India like Surat, Ahmedabad, Bombay, etc. These towns were the centres of trade in India where the export and import of many valuable goods took place. But after the coming of the British there was a de-urbanization of these towns and they faced a steady decline due to various reasons like decline in the demand of Indian goods, displacement of native rules, shifting of trade to other places, etc. However, as the old towns declined, there was an emergence of new towns during the British era which were known as 'urban centres'. These towns were being planned by the British for fulfilling their own needs and purposes.
Regards