What do the terms “White” and “Black” Town signify?
The British had white skin as they were often described ‘white’ and they considered themselves as superior to others. On the other hand, the blacks had brown or black skin. So they were known as the ‘black’. The White signified their superiority over the black due to the colour of their skin. The British symbolised the Black areas full of chaos and anarchy, filth and disease and on the other hand, the white areas stood for cleanliness and hygiene. In Black areas, epidemics like cholera and plague often broke out. So the British took stringent measures to ensure sanitation and public health to prevent diseases of the Black areas. They ensured underground piped water supply and introduced sewerage and drainage system in White areas. Thus, we can say, the White Towns were those parts of the colonial towns where the White people lived. These towns had wide roads, barracks, churches, paradeground, big bungalows and gardens, symbolised settled city life, whereas the Indian lived in Black Towns, were said to be unorganised and a source of filth and disease.
What are the problems of using official sources in writing about the history of peasants?
How did the Paharias respond to the coming of outsiders?
Why was the jotedar a powerful figure in many areas of rural Bengal?
What were the concerns that influenced town planning in the nineteenth century?
Why was the charkha chosen as a symbol of nationalism?
What do visual representations tell us about the revolt of 1857? How do historians analyse these representations?
How did the American Civil War affect the lives of ryots in India?
How did women experience Partition?
In what way was the livelihood of the Paharias different from that of the Santhals?
Why was the revolt particularly widespread in Awadh? What prompted the peasants, taluqdars and zamindars to join the revolt?
How did the Constituent Assembly seek to resolve the language controversy?
Examine the strengths and limitations of oral history. How have oral-history techniques furthered our understanding of Partition?
What did the rebels want? To what extent did the vision of different social groups differ?
On an outline map of the subcontinent, mark out the areas described in this chapter. Find out whether there were other areas where the Permanent Settlement and the ryotwari system were prevalent and plot these on the map as well.
Why is Partition viewed as an extremely significant marker in South Asian history?
Why were many zamindaris auctioned after the Permanent Settlement?
What are the different colonial architectural styles which can be seen in Bombay city?
What historical forces shaped the vision of the Constitution?
Why was the charkha chosen as a symbol of nationalism?
In what way did Mahatma Gandhi transform the nature of the national movement?