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The Process of Urbanization in Ancient
India: A Historical Analysis
Abstract
The term „Urbanization‟ is most useful on the respect for studying
economic history in India as well as ancient India, area of my discussion
here. „Economy‟ and „Urbanization‟ performed an intermingle role for
developing a civilization in ancient India. Generally, the historians,
Scholars admitted that the „first urban society‟ in India as Indus Valley
Civilization which had been originated and developed during B.C. 3000 to
B.C. 1700 probably. Indus Valley Civilization which was first urban based
civilization in India, technically growth and maintained more urban
characteristics. Therefore, I trace on the process of „Second
Urbanization‟, 6th century B.C. onwards which had been started from later
Vedic period. After that the process of Urbanization in ancient India had
been continuously developed by various ruling dynasties like Maurya,
Sunga, Kusana etc. Then I try to clarify the process of Urbanization in
India during „early medieval period‟. The process of Urbanization in
ancient India was dynamic not only dynamic but also it followed a
character of ups and downs.
Thus this paper the author intends to analyze the urban system
during various period in ancient India, basically the „First Urbanization‟,
„Second Urbanization‟, also various ruling dynasties up to „Early Medieval
Period‟ in India.
Keywords: Urbanization, First Urbanization, Second Urbanization, Early
Medieval Period in India, Urbanization in India during Early
Medieval Period.
Introduction
In modern times the history of Urbanization is a vital issue among
Sri Kaliprasanna Nai the Scholars. In early times two factors were more significant for
Research Scholar, constructing an urban society, such as exploration of population in a limited
Deptt.of Ancient Indian History, space and surplus of production from agriculture. In 1936 Gordon Childe
first formulated his idea about „Urban Revolution‟ and point out the
Culture and Archaeology,
essential criteria and the basic norms to be observed in the scientific
Visva Bharati, method needed for extracting history from archaeological data. Also Childe
Santiniketan emphasized on the use of concept of typology is one of the most important
features of archaeological study. Childe focused on technology as the
moving force behind the Urban Revolution.
A. Ghosh said that however in early historical periods, there was
no large scale drift to the city. The vast population continued to be rural,
and rural element was quite strong even within the city. The more
purposeful academic attempts to understand the nature of urbanization in
India were based mainly on the archaeological excavations supported by
number literary evidences. This change was initiated by many Scholars,
such A. Ghosh (1973), Vijay Kumar Thakur (1981), and Dilip K.
Chakravorty (1988). M. Lal tried to examine the role of iron and the growth
of cities in Gangetic Valley. R.S. Sharma in his „Urban Decay in India’
(1987) tried to argue that the early historic cities of India declined along
with the decline of trade economy which reached its water –mark during
the Kusana Period.
Several books, Literature studies were either written or organized
by many authors, scholar & historians in the different issues regarding
Urbanization in Ancient India. Resma Sawant and Gurudas Shete (2016) in
their ‘A Review of Early Historic Urbanization in India’ elaborately
discuss on archaeology related to the process of Urbanization in Early
Historic Period at regional level. They point out that Archaeological
excavations have revealed early urban settlements in upper Ganges-
Yamuna doab region began in the Harappan period; in middle Ganges
Basin, urbanism began at the beginning of second millennium BCE
approximately. They also mention that some interesting insights on Early
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Historic urbanisms have also come from the state of agricultural surplus, the making of bronze tools,
Orissa, on the eastern coast of India. Rasid Faridi various other crafts and widespread trade and
(2017) in his „First Urbanization in India: Indus Valley commerce. The main features of the
Civilization‟ give an idea about Urban characters of Harappan cities were the rise in the destiny
Indus Valley Civilization and various urban centers in of population, close integration of economic and social
this Civilization. R.P. Misra (1998) in his „Urbanization process, careful planning for urban expansion,
in India: Challenges and Opportunities‟ discuss on the flourishing of several crafts, growth of trade and
successive stages and evolution of Urbanization in commerce, scope for artisans and craftsmen. Some
India from early times. V.N. Misra (2001) in his article, Scholars described the rise of Harappan Civilization
entitled „Prehistoric Human Colonization of India‟ as an urban revolution that was possibly based on
emphasis on Prehistoric Human Colonization in India. centralized political authority, economic organization
He divided Prehistoric Period into Stone, Bronze and and also socio-cultural unity.
Iron ages. Here he explain the evolution of Human Second Urbanization
settlement in India through economic perspective and After the end of great Harappan culture, no
also discuss on „First Urbanization‟ and „Second urban development took place in any part of India, but
th
Urbanization in India‟. UK Essays (2015), the article around 6 century B.C. the „Second phase of
„Focus on Urbanization within India‟ elaborately Urbanization‟ began in India. R.S. Sharma asserted
discuss on history of Urbanization in India and that “the towns in this phase were distinguished by
different issues regarding Urbanization in India. crafts and commerce and reached their height of
nd
Gregory L Possehl (1990) in his „Revolution in the prosperity in the period between 2 century BCE and
rd
urban revolution: The Emergence of Indus 3 century. The increase in craft production, local and
Urbanization‟ discuss on record of recent long distance trade is costly goods and availability of
archaeological work on the Indus Civilization, Village agricultural produce from the hinterland boosted
farming tradition and theoretical position on the rise of urbanization in the post Maurya times.
ancient cities of the Indus. Excavations and explorations give some idea
But no one researcher conducted his or her about settlements in later Vedic times. The term
study on the process of urbanization in Ancient India „nagara’ is used in later Vedic texts we can trace only
along with the discussion of first urbanization, second the beginning of towns towards the end of the later
urbanization, urbanization in South India and also Vedic period. Hastinapura and Kausambi can be
urbanization in early medieval India. Therefore, a gap regarded as primitive towns belonging to the end of
in the area of knowledge is existed. To bridge this gap the Vedic period. Iron played a vital role in the life of
th
of knowledge and to analyze the various stages of the Aryan peoples. 6 century B.C. onwards a number of
process of urbanization in ancient India and its settlements were established in different parts of India
significance on various aspects of society such as that could help for „rapid urbanization‟ in India.
economy, culture, social life, religion, education We can divided the second phase of
system etc. urbanization in north India into three part such as post
Objectives of Study Vedic period, Mauryan period, and post Mauryan
1. To explain the process of Urbanization in Indus period. Many Scholars admitted that in Southern
Valley Civilization (B.C. 3000-B.C 1500 probably) India, “Urbanization originated and acquired to a great
which was known as first Urbanization in Ancient status during Sangam Age.” During post Vedic period
India. the centres of the Aryan homeland had shifted to
2. To study the process of second urbanization upper Yamuna and Ganga basins. In the meantime
which had been started from later Vedic Period they established small territories which led to the
th
and it may be matured B.C. 6 century onwards. emergence of Kingdoms and capital cities. The
3. To discuss the continuity of the urban process in earliest cities of this period were Hastinapur,
Early India by various ruling dynasties after the Sravasthi, Kapilavastu, Ujjain, Mahismati, Champa,
end of second Urbanization. Rajgir, Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Kausambi. During this
4. To enumerate the process of Urbanization under period the „smaller Janapadas‟ gave way to the
various regional dynasties in Early Medieval „Mahajanapadas‟ which had been rose to the
India. „Maghadhan Empire.‟ The Janapadas were Magadha,
5. To analyze the probable factors which had been Kosala, Vatsa, Avanti, Vajjis, Kasi, Malla, Panchalla,
influenced the process of Urbanization in Ancient Chedi, Kamboja, Gandhara, and Kuru. The growth of
India. these Janapadas and Empires encouraged
First Urbanization Urbanization.
Indus Valley Civilization was known as first During the Mauryan period there were
urbanization in India which had been started from evidences of different types of towns, such important
B.C. 3000 probably. The two important Cities of this categories of towns were Rajadhaniyanagar,
Civilization were Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. Each Sthaniyanagara, Kharavarta, Kheta, Putabhedana,
city was located on the bank of river such as Nigama, Patana and Dronamukha. The first four types
Mohenjo-Daro on the bank of river Indus and Harappa were administrative towns and last four types referred
on bank of river Ravi. These two cities represented to commercial Cities. According to Kautilya‟s
the climax of urban development in the first phase. Arthasastras, a capital city should have three royal
The rise of towns in the Indus zone was based on highways in the east-west direction and three in north-

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south direction, dividing the city into number of Gopagiri, witnessed a continuity of inland trade and
sectors. elements of urbanization with it (Chattopadhyay,
Most towns flourished in the „Kusana‟ period 1994). Chattopadhyay points to the epigraphic
in the first and second centuries A.D. Excavations evidence for the rise various market places in early
show that several sites in „Bihar‟ such as Chirand, medieval period. Two terms, hatta (market) and
Sonepur, and Buxar witnessed prosperous Kusana mandapika (centre where commercial cess was
phases. In Uttarpradesh Sohgaru, Bhita, Kausambi imposed and collected), are used in the inscriptions
th
and several sites in the district of Meerut and from Rajasthan dated to the second half of 9 century
Muzaffarnagar were also glorious in Kusana times. to donate centre of exchange (Chattopadhyay, 1994).
Town prospered in the Kusana period because they Ranavir Chakravarti, in his „Trade and Traders in
carried on thriving trade with the „Roman Empire‟. Early Indian Society‟ (2002) strongly challenged the
Urbanization in Southern India perception of declining trade in India during 600-1000
The Dravdian culture attained a very high CE and demonstrates the linkages of trade at the
level of urbanization due to large number of classical locality level during this period.
works in Tamil language i.e. known as‟ Sangam According to B.D. Chattapadhyay, urban
Literature‟. The important Tamil cities of early period centres were fully developed in some parts of India
were Maduri, Vengi, Urayur, Puhar and Korkai. These during early medieval period, South India was more
kingdoms were situated on the south of the „Krishna important regarding this statement, so many factors
River‟. were responsible for growing urban centre during
‘Satbahana’ period was also important for early medieval period, such factors are:
extending urban culture in Southern India. Tagar, 1. Emergence of Religious Centre,
Paithan, Amravati, Nagarjunakonda, Broach, Sopara, 2. The holding of fairs,
Arikamedu, Kaveripattam were prosperous towns in 3. Commercial activities centered around ports,
the „Satbahana’ period in western and southern India. 4. The bestowal of urban status on rural
Pliny mentioned that the Andhara country in the settlements,
eastern Decan included 30 walled towns, beside 5. Initiatives taken by Kings and ministers in the
numerous villages. Several towns of the second and establishment of urban centers,
third century in this area are known from this 6. The nature the interaction with settlements
inscription and excavations. At this time, South India, outside,
too, witnessed the impact of maritime trade with the 7. Nature of urban hierarchy.
Roman World. In peninsular India, this phase Summary and Conclusion
represents the first phase of urbanization. We can say on basis of above discussion
Urbanization in Early Medieval India that the process of Urbanization in ancient India had
Urbanization in the early medieval India has not been constructed in few times, it was the result of
been matter of debate among the Scholars. R.S. a long time evolution which had been started in Indus
Sharma contributed a theory regarding urbanization in Valley Civilization probably. Thereafter we have got
early medieval India i.e. the „Urban Decay in India‟. the evidences of second phase of Urbanization which
Sharma mentioned the two stage urban decay, the had been followed on long times and also discussed
nd rd th
first starting in 2 half of the 3 century on 4 century about the process of Urbanization in Southern India
th
A.D. and second after 6 century A.D. Sharma argued as well as early medieval India. Various Scholars
that urban decay should be an integral part of a new specified their views on the process of urbanization in
pattern of agrarian production and surplus ancient India and established their views behind it.
appropriation, where in state officials and revenue They mentioned about many factors which
collectors gave way to Landed Chiefs, Vassals, responsible for origin and developing the process of
Brahamanas, Temples, and Monasteries who directly Urbanization in ancient India.
extracted surplus services and goods from the This study, „The Process of Urbanization‟ in
Peasants and Artisans. Sharma‟s Indian Feudalism Ancient India‟ reflects on a percept i.e. the socio-
(1965) laid down the „Indian Feudalism Model‟ and economic factors were very much responsible behind
Urban Decay in India: C.300 – C.1000 (1987), a study the Urbanization in Ancient India. Trade was another
of 140 archaeological sites, showed that early important component for extending urban character in
medieval India witnessed economic crisis, social Ancient India. Trade was impossible without good
conflict and political disintegration, testifying to the agricultural production or surplus during that period.
process of urban decay. River and River sites were also important factors
On the other hand eminent Scholar B.D. which were desirable for good agriculture and trade
Chattopadhyay, in his „The Making of Early Medieval and industry and crafts were also important regarding
India‟ (1994) point out that though the early medieval process of Urbanization in India.
period saw the decline of some urban centre, some Religious centre and Educational institutions
other simultaneously continued to flourish and some were also significant for developing Urbanization in
new ones also emerged. In early medieval North Ancient India. Buddhist Vihara, Buddhist Study
India, some urban centre, such as Prithudaka Centre, Jain Temples, Educational Institutions in
(modern Pehoa in Karnal district of Harayana), Ancient India like Nalanda, Vikramshila, Taxila and
Tattanandapura (Ahar near Bulandshahar and many south Indian Temples and Religious Centre
situated on the west bank of Ganga), Siyodina and were much responsible to establish a City or Town in

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