Colonial Cities Urbanisation, Planning and Architecture — History STD 12 Humanities — Question
CBSE BoardEnglish MediumSTD 12 HumanitiesHistoryColonial Cities Urbanisation, Planning and Architecture3 Marks
Question
Explain why some hill stations were developed during the colonial period in India.
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Answer
Hill stations were a distinctive feature of colonial urban development.
The founding and settling of hill stations was initially connected with the needs of the British army such as Shimla, Mount Abu, and Darjeeling.
Hill stations became strategic places for billeting troops, guarding frontiers and launching campaigns against enemy rulers.
The temperate and cool climate of the Indian hills was seen as an advantage, particularly since the British associated hot weather with epidemics. Cholera and malaria were particularly feared and attempts were made to protect the army from these diseases.
The overwhelming presence of the army made these stations a new kind of cantonment in the hills.
These hill stations were also developed as sanitariums, i.e., places where soldiers could be sent for rest and recovery from illnesses.
Hill stations became an attractive destination for the new rulers.
It became a practice for viceroys to move to hill stations during the summer months.
In the hill stations the British and other Europeans sought to recreate settlements that were reminiscent of home.
The buildings were deliberately built in the European style. Individual houses followed the pattern of detached villas and cottages set amidst gardens.
Social calls, teas, picnics, fetes, races and visits to the theatre became common among colonial officials in the hill stations.
The introduction of the railways made hill stations more accessible to a wide range of people including Indians.
Upper and middle-class Indians such as maharajas, lawyers and merchants were drawn to these stations because they afforded them a close proximity to the ruling British elite.
Hill stations were important for the colonial economy. With the setting up of tea and coffee plantations in the adjoining areas, an influx of immigrant labour from the plains began.
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