The colonial city and the challenge of modernity : urban hegemonies and civic contestations in Bombay City, 1905-1925
This thesis is a social history of Bombay city in the first quarter of the twentieth century. It explores material changes in urban life consequent upon the impact of modernity and the varied range of contestations of the colonial order which they provoke. The first chapter outlines the specific nature of colonial modernism and shows its impact on the city's spatial forms and on its social relations. Representing a highly selective, power-driven, and essentially technological manipulation of modernity, it ensures distorted and differential outcomes within urban society. These conditions are considerably aggravated by the sudden impact of the First World War, the subject of the second chapter. The War increases material scarcities, worsens conditions of urban life, widens disparities between rich and poor, and intensifies colonial repression. At the same time, the crisis of war brings to the city the full potential of the revolution in communications which carries a modem discourse of civic rights. In the city, Homiman and sections of the bilingual urban intelligentsia rapidly vernacularize this discourse and diffuse it into new social contexts. This is perceived by the local colonial state as seriously threatening
Hazareesingh, Sandip
DS Asia
The colonial city and the challenge of modernity : urban hegemonies and civic contestations in Bombay City, 1905-1925. This thesis is a social history of Bombay city in the first quarter of the twentieth century. It explores material changes in urban life consequent upon the impact of modernity and the varied range of contestations of the colonial order which they provoke. The first chapter outlines the specific nature of colonial modernism and shows its impact on the city's spatial forms and on its social relations. Representing a highly selective, power-driven, and essentially technological manipulation of modernity, it ensures distorted and differential outcomes within urban society. These conditions are considerably aggravated by the sudden impact of the First World War, the subject of the second chapter. The War increases material scarcities, worsens conditions of urban life, widens disparities between rich and poor, and intensifies colonial repression. At the same time, the crisis of war brings to the city the full potential of the revolution in communications which carries a modem discourse of civic rights. In the city, Homiman and sections of the bilingual urban intelligentsia rapidly vernacularize this discourse and diffuse it into new social contexts. This is perceived by the local colonial state as seriously threatening
colonial city challenge modernity urban hegemony civic contestation city social_history city explore material change urban_life consequent_upon impact modernity vary range contestation colonial order provoke first_outline specific_nature colonial modernism show impact city spatial form social_relation representing highly selective power driven essentially technological manipulation modernity ensure distort differential outcome within urban_society condition considerably sudden impact first_world_war subject second chapter war increase material scarcity condition urban_life widen disparity rich poor colonial repression time_crisis war bring city full_potential revolution communication carry modem discourse civic right city section bilingual urban intelligentsia rapidly discourse diffuse new social_context perceive local colonial_state seriously threaten