This volume presents a comprehensive study of the urbanization of Bengal from ancient to postcolonial times. It analyses the notion of urban space, examines the institutions which constitute the ‘urban’, and explores the crises brought about by the Partition. The book highlights the key features of urbanization in colonial Bengal––the print culture, institutions of Western education and Western medicine, and the census as a ‘modern form of knowledge’. It also looks at the refugee movement and discusses the contribution of Partition refugees in urbanizing Bengal. Rich in archival sources, this book will be indispensable for scholars and researchers of urban history, urban studies, Indian history, colonial history, postcolonial studies, partition studies, and South Asian history, particularly those interested in Bengal.

This book comprises a set of interrelated essays on some of the key issues which continue to excite historians and scholars of early India. It shows the profound impact of colonialism on the study of India's early past, the new methods and premises introduced into India by colonial studies, and the variety of departures from traditional, pre-colonial modes of history-writing. It goes on to show that post-Independence historiography has brought a fresh set of problems to the fore: such as the integration of archaeology with narratives of early Indian history; of the trajectories of social change and social formation; of the historical position of ideology and its shifts; and of the ways of communicating knowledge of a past which is now increasingly under non-academic fundamentalist onslaughts. With its diverse parts connected by strong threads of interest in the changing nature of history-writing on early India, this new book on the methodological changes that confront the historian of pre-colonial India will consolidate Professor Chattopadhyaya's reputation as one of the foremost thinkers in his area of ancient and early medieval history.

This volume discusses the patterns and trends of urbanization in West Bengal - one of the most urbanized states of India in the early part of the 20th Century. It focuses on the emerging urban landscapes of the state and neighbouring areas on building sustainable urban units and sustainable communities. The book explores the changing urban geographies of the emerging towns of the state and discusses how proper governance can help them to change into sustainable urban units. It presents the historical context of urbanization of West Bengal and traces the factors responsible for the urban primacy of the state. It discusses topics such as the development of the spatial patterns and urbanization, spatial trends of urban growth using remote sensing and GIS techniques, well-being and resilience in the urban society, impact of urbanization on the health status of its citizens, and decentralized governance for inclusive and sustainable development of cities. It also focuses on urban growth, land-use change and its impact on the urban environment. Based on empirical research, this book will be useful for students, teachers and researchers of geography, urban geography, urban studies, urban development and planning, regional planning urban sociology, politics, and urban economics. It will also be of interest to geographers, urban planners, community of geographers, professionals engaged in the discipline, and those interested in the urban geography of West Bengal and eastern India.

Generally, textbooks on urban geography and urban planning are based on ideas laid out in the west and are unable to explicitly connect those ideas to the way Indians experience their cities. This gap is addressed in this book by reconceptualising Indian urban studies. The reconceptualisation is done by dissecting western theories, concepts, paradigms, and principles and practices, and placing them alongside how Indians experience their urban landscapes. Such a comparative analysis allows readers to break from their past understandings of the structure and dynamics of Indian cities as well as enable researchers to make exploratory hypotheses. The book will empower students to craft and implement new approaches, unconstrained by orthodox theories and biases. Primarily intended for the students of Geography and Urban Planning, the book covers the evolution of urban structures and dynamics of settlements in India, largely after India's Independence. There are seven chapters in the book. First three chapters describe and explain the evolution of Indian settlements up to the present. The next four chapters focus on regions, urban planning, urban governance and the social landscape of Indian cities. Each chapter ends with a set of short and long answer questions. KEY FEATURES Large coverage of the syllabi prescribed in Indian academic institutions Strategically organised text of each chapter for the ease of learning Abundant case studies in each chapter Chapter-end short-answer, long-answer and fill-in the blank type exercise problems Target Audience B.Arch BA/B.Sc (Geography) MA/M.Sc (Geography)

Extended methods of analysis for urbanisation processes illustrated in eight world regions. Urbanisation processes are unfolding far beyond the realm of agglomerations, profoundly transforming agrarian areas, rain forests, deserts and oceans. Inextricably bound to the earth’s ecologies, these developments are causing manifold planetary crises which require urgent scrutiny and call for new conceptions and cartographies of the urban beyond-the-city. Through detailed analysis and fieldwork captured in text, photographs and hand-drawn maps, the book portrays the effects of extended urbanisation in eight world regions. It offers a redefinition of the very notions of the “city”, “urban” and “urbanisation” and outlines new urban agendas developed to address planetary challenges. This book decenters the perspective on the urban, foregrounds urban struggle, and transcends rural-urban and north-south divides. Fundamental book for urbanism studies Redefinition of the terms “city”, “urban” and “urbanisation” Analysis of urbanisation processes in eight world regions

This book is the result of an international conference organized by the Commission on Urban Anthropology, the Commission on Human Rights of the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (IUAES) and the Department of Anthropology of West Bengal State University, in collaboration with the Anthropological Survey of India, the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, the Indian Council of Social Science Research, the Indian Council of Medical Research, the Indian Museum, ...

This volume explores the dynamics of urbanisation in Northeast India. It discusses the impact of the process of urbanisation on the environment, infrastructure and socio-economic conditions of the region. The chapters in the book: Examine various challenges and opportunities of urbanisation, such as frontier urbanism, urban congestion, smart cities, vernacular architecture, urban water and waste management, cross-border migration and ethnicity. Draw attention to critical issues that have massively disturbed the urban landscape including deterioration of water quality, seismic activity and air pollution. Give alternatives that could present possible solutions to the problems afflicting this region. Drawing on case studies rooted in extensive fieldwork, this book will be indispensable to researchers and students of urban studies, human geography, development economics, cultural studies and South Asian studies. It will also be of interest to policy-makers, government representatives and town planners.