Question

growth of towns under colonial rule

Answer 1

Before we explore the growth of cities in the colonial
period, let us look at urban centres during the centuries
preceding British rule.
1.1 What gave towns their character?
Towns were often defined in opposition to rural areas.
They came to represent specific forms of economic
activities and cultures. In the countryside people
subsisted by cultivating land, foraging in the forest, or
rearing animals. Towns by contrast were peopled
with artisans, traders, administrators and rulers. Towns
dominated over the rural population, thriving on the
surplus and taxes derived from agriculture. Towns and
cities were often fortified by walls which symbolised their
separation from the countryside.
However, the separation between town and country
was fluid. Peasants travelled long distances on
pilgrimage, passing through towns; they also flocked
to towns during times of famine. Besides, there was a
reverse flow of humans and goods from towns to villages.
When towns were attacked, people often sought shelter
in the countryside. Traders and pedlars took goods from
the towns to sell in the villages, extending markets
and creating new patterns of consumption.