Urbanism in ancient India: A sociological inquiry

In India, urban centres have existed since the time of the Indus Valley Civilisation, and towns and cities have continued to exist in history since then. But despite this historical evidence, traditionally, sociological studies on Indian society focused mainly on the village as the unit. Sociologists in India have concentrated much more on the study of villages than on that of urban centres. While it is true that India is predominantly rural, the commanding nature of urban centres cannot escape the attention of sociologists. It is also significant that the urban and the rural are not insulated segments. They influence each other. This article draws attention to historical urbanism in India. It presents an overview of the ancient city in terms of its typology, ecological aspects and social organisation. Based on historical facts about urbanisation, particularly regarding the presence of groups that were originally urban, this paper argues that urbanisation in India is not merely the result of industrialisation and that there is a strong case for a renewal of interest in the study of traditional urbanism.