Urbanization is the process where cities grow and change. It usually happens because of things like industrial, commercial, and administrative activities, and improvements in transportation and communication. However, it does not always happen directly because of industries. In India, there is a unique situation where industries have grown, but not many people have shifted from farming to industrial jobs. Still, many people move from villages to cities, which makes cities crowded and unable to handle the growing population.
Urbanization changes the way people live, think, and behave. It brings new cultural habits, ideas, and ways of organizing life that come from the city. While cities and villages influence each other, cities have a stronger influence on rural areas. This often leads to the spread of Western ideas and culture.
Urbanization can be seen as a process of sharing and adopting cultures. Cities share their way of life with other parts of the same country or even across different countries. People in cities also borrow ideas and practices from different cultures, leading to changes in how they live.
In India, urbanization has followed four main patterns:
- New social relationships are formed between people in cities and those in villages.
- Cities rise and fall depending on political changes.
- Cities grow due to new ways of producing goods, which change their economic base.
- Cities physically expand because people from rural areas move there in search of work and a new life.
Sometimes, cities grow too fast, which leads to over-urbanization. This happens when cities become overcrowded, and they start spreading into nearby rural areas. For example, Delhi has seen this kind of growth, where surrounding villages take on city-like characteristics, such as more non-agricultural land use.
Urbanization in India has been shaped by different cultural influences over time. During the Aryan period, three types of cities emerged: capital cities ruled by Kshatriyas, commercial cities led by Vaishyas, and sacred cities influenced by religious leaders. Later, under Muslim rule, cities took on an Islamic character, with Persian culture and language dominating urban life. British rule brought Western ideas, which affected administration, education, language, clothing, and social interactions in cities.
In summary, urbanization is a long and complex process that has brought many social, cultural, and physical changes to Indian cities throughout history.
Copyright @ Sociology IGNOU.