Question

Which Indian city was divided into 'White Town' and 'Black Town'? What does this kind of segregation suggest?

Accepted Answer

Madras, which was one of the presidencies under British rule, was the city divided into 'White Town' and 'Black Town'. This segregation was part of the racial discrimination by the British in India. The British brought urban planning concepts, which were mostly based on growing European values of health and sanitation: improved roadways, cleanliness, order, and beautification.

They put these ideas into practice most fully in the sections of the city where they lived and ruled, known as 'White Town'. They executed less and less cheaply in places inhabited by Indians, mainly poor Indians, or 'Black Town', with minimal taxation and cost. In Madras, Fort St. George was the 'White Town', while the neighbourhood known as Georgetown was the 'Black Town'.

Which Indian city was divided into 'White Town' and 'Black Town'? What does this kind of segregation suggest?

Important Questions on Colonialism and Urban Change

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