KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY| DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING| ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM|URBAN PLANNING

PRASAMSA POKHAREL

COLONIAL TOWNS
From early 17’s to mid 20th centuries, colonial cities arose in societies that fell under the
domination of Europe and North America in the early expansion of the capitalist world
system. Their major cultural role was to house the agencies of this unequal relationship:
the colonial political institutions—bureaucracies, police, and the military—by which the
core ruled the colony, and the economic structure—banks, merchants, and
moneylenders—through which wealth drained from colony to core.

Much of the land-based empires are replaced by sea-based empires and formed colonies
in particular areas. Most of the colonised countries are india, america, mexico and other
african countries were accessible through ship. New colonial towns were formed in the
area that were viable for their colonial administration & political power. Since most of
the major access for trading would be done through sea, areas near seaport became the
major focal capital for the settlement with developments of docks and ghats. Like in
India, Madras, Bombay & Calcutta rapidly emerged as new economical capitals.

Traditional routes were replaced by railways that formed railway towns.Railway station
became a collection depot for raw materials & distribution point for imported goods. In
India, Jamalpur Waltair, Bareilly were some towns developed as trading centers.
Due to the rivalry with the competing empires ( British , portuguese, spanish) the cities
had to be fortified for protection. Hence, the colonised cities can be distinguished having
a fortified wall. In Calcutta, there's Fort william. In Madras, there’s a fort st. george.
These marked out colonial british settlements in India. Forts usually had a large open
space in between in order to gather and provide enough space for targeting during the
war.

In India, forts also determined the separate quarters of racial residential segregation
between european and indians which came to label contemporary writings as the ‘white
towns’ and ‘black towns’. ‘White towns’ were for colonists that were comparatively
hygienic, less population density , facilitated and luxurious while black towns were for
colonised people consisting of ‘chwals’ with high density populations with unhygienic
living standards.
For the settlement of militaries and their families, small towns were developed near the
fort called cantonment. These towns were meant to protect the european soldiers from
contact with indegenous high density society and included basic facilities like school,
market and other required facilities.
KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY| DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING| ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM|URBAN PLANNING
PRASAMSA POKHAREL

Besides that, colonial towns had other distinguished components like ;

● Land rights allocated in a combination of town, suburban & country lots.

● Wide streets laid out in geometric, usually grid-iron form, usually on an area of
one square mile
● Public squares, Standard size rectangular plots, spacious in comparison with those
in british towns of the time.
● Some plots reserved for public purpose
● A physical distinction between town & country, usually by common land or
encircling green belt.

Hill stations were another distinctive feature of colonised cities, Each of those cities had
formed new towns in the nearby hills that were initially connected with the needs of
british army. Hill stations became strategic places for billeting troops, guarding frontiers
& launching campaigns against enemy rulers due to the temperate & cool climate
benefits. Some of the distinguished hill stations in india by british colonizations were
darjeeling , simla.

The colonization had a distinguished effect on built structures. The urban forms and
fabric were influenced by western models with vast open space. The towns had
influences of european architectural styles with cathedrals , lighthouses near seaports
being the prominent ones. In Calcutta, the major architectural styles were
‘Indo-saracenic’ & ‘Neo-Gothic’ style (The one with a high pitched roof). One can
certainly distinguish the form and fabric of the settlement and building typology of the
colonised era in those cities.

Colonisation followed a series of changes through factors of trade routes, Security,

military camps, luxury lodging for european authorities, churches and other
administrations. One can figure out if the town is colonised by looking at the architectural
influences of those places. Hence, the Architecture reflects the time and sense of that era.