Abstract

South Asia has had a rich history or urbanization, spanning many centuries and the Indian sub-continent has been a site of some of the most varied and intriguing examples of urban formations. However not much attention has been paid to the question of form and typologies of Indian cities. The book “History of Urban Form” which is published by Oxford University Press, covers 42 case studies in great depth across the Indian sub-continent including the Himalayas.

The Indian sub-continent makes for a compelling case for studies of urban formation as correlated with the larger conceptual ideas around the role of geography, religious political authority, mercantile guilds, royal bureaucratic structures and expression of colonial intent. The underlying theme of the book deals with the larger question of fractured and elusive nature of the public sphere in historical Indian cities. The author argues that how these historical patterns of public space making, continue to influence the present. The other consistent theme across the various section of the book is the patterns of modification of nature, both within the city and in the surrounding landscape. The talk will shine a spotlight on these themes by using few examples of from the book. The talk will also highlight the late 19th century experiments at social and cultural reforms in many parts of the sub-continent, and its impact on city structures that best exemplify the idea of an indigenous form of modernity.