Evolution of Towns in India

The story of India's towns is not a recent one — it stretches back to the prehistoric period. Even during the Indus Valley civilisation, well-planned towns like Harappa and Mohenjodaro existed. This early urbanisation was followed by a long, continuous process of town evolution, marked by periodic ups and downs, that continued until the arrival of Europeans in India in the eighteenth century.

After the Europeans came, many towns were developed primarily as administrative and military centres. A new phase began after 1850, when towns based on modern industries started to emerge. Jamshedpur is a classic example of an industrial town from this period.

The post-independence era saw a further surge in town development. A large number of new towns were created as administrative headquarters. Examples include Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar, Gandhinagar, and Dispur. Simultaneously, new industrial centres such as Durgapur, Bhilai, Sindri, and Barauni were established.

Another important trend was the growth of satellite towns around metropolitan cities. For instance, Ghaziabad, Rohtak, and Gurugram developed around Delhi. Finally, with increasing investment in rural areas, a large number of medium and small towns have sprung up all over the country. …