Colonial Cities

Abstract

Abstract The three main colonizers in the Indian sub-continent—the British, French, and Portuguese—were also prolific city builders. This chapter teases out the key difference between the colonial intents of the three European empires and how this difference manifested in the formation of their cities. British for example never had any great plan for city building during the major period of their presence in India. For them city building was a pragmatic and opportunist based on immediate problems. The lack of city building tradition back home did not allow them to form a comprehensive or centralized strategy to city building leading to cities that were more like patchwork. The French on the other hand had a tradition for centralized planning and city building while trying to use cities as a way of integrating the colonies with France. The Portuguese colonies all across the world and also in India were marked by a distinct tradition of urban municipalities that led to professional development and management of cities. The church became an important force that unified the diverse ethnic communities of the locals and foreigners into a single moral community. These attitudes reflected in the formation of the city as the church formed an important central open space in the city.