Spatio-Demographic Structure of Patna in Its Ecological Setting 281
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L. R. Singh and R. D. Singh: Spatio-demographic structure of Patna in its ecological setting 281 SPATIO-DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE OF PATNA IN ITS ECOLOGICAL SETTING With 3 figures and 3 tables L. R. Singh and R. D. Singh Zusammenfassung: Raumlich-demographische Struktur ecologically along lines similar to the cities of theWest, Patnas in ihrem okologischen Zusammenhang whereas other areas exhibit characteristics more nearly eine indische ist wahrend mehrerer Patna, Hauptstadt, typical of pre-industrial cities of the East. der Jahrhunderte Brennpunkt politischer, wirtschaftlicher, The of structure of Patna is und und analysis demographic gesellschaftlicher religioser Bewegungen gewesen based on the Census 1971 which war als solche unterschiedlichen Wachstumsmustern unter primarily provides data for each 37 worfen, die eine komplexe demographische Struktur erga Municipal wards, Patliputra colony and Phulwarisharif urban areas on sex ben. In dieser Abhandlung bemiihen sich die Autoren, diese population Struktur im Lichte der theoretischen Forderungen westlicher structure, literacy, working force and occupational zu Gelehrter analysieren. structure. In order to examine the spatial variations of Die Stadt Patna weist eine bestimmte okologische Ord these demographic characteristics within the city, nung Attribute auf. Die innerstadtische demographischer circles at 0.8 km. apart from the city centre have been dem der Dichteabnahme Bevolkerungsdichte folgt Prinzip drawn. Demographic variables for each ward falling mit der Distanz: mit der Zone hochster Dichte um den Ge in respective zone and its area have been computed. schaftskern und relativ weniger dicht besiedelten Zonen an As far as the determination of the city centre is con der Peripherie. Die Stadtrandzonen erfahren jedoch hohere there is a in it Bevolkerungszuwachsraten als die inneren Gebiete mit cerned, practical difficulty selecting in a linear of like Patna because aufierordentlich dicht belegten und baufalligen Hausern. especially pattern city Wegen des akuten Mangels an Wohnhausern im Stadtzen of complex internalmorphological structure.Although trum iibersteigt die Zahl der mannlichen Einwohner die der the original nucleus lieswithin the fortwalls in Patna doch in den weiblichen, Stadtrandzonen ist dieses Verhaltnis City, the city centre has been placed in the principal der Geschlechter Die raumliche Struktur der entgegengesetzt. commercial area (Muradpur) of the city where about dafi der Stadtkern im Bevolkerung zeigt weiterhin, Vergleich streets all principal roads and intersect and maximum mit den Randzonen sowohl von einer Elite als hochrangigen traffic-flow is observed the business hour auch von Geschaftsleuten charakterisiert wird. In Anbetracht during Land values are also found to be maximum dieser Beobachtungen kann man sagen, dafi (Fig. 1). - allgemein Patna wie den - there. For the data on area and meisten indischen Stadten die gesellschaft analysing components of to liche Mobilitat und wirtschaftliche Lebenskraft fehlt, die die population according distance increments, the modernen westlichen Stadte bestimmen. following linear regression equation has been adopted: = log y a + bx Introduction where y is the as of Most of the studies in urban population density expressed log geography by Indian acre as persons per and is treated dependent variable. geographers deal largely with a few demographic The independent variable x is the distance like trends expressed components growth, and migration of pop a in kms. whereas is constant and b stands for a para ulation as to individual towns and there pertaining meter, both of which are derived from the data is a lamentable in studies on density gap intra-urban spatial on a given formula: structure of as Brush population conceptualised by - (1977) and other western scholars. It is, therefore, N 2 x y S x 2 y b = log log desirable that we should examine the con - critically N2x2 (2 x)2 cepts and models advanced by western geographers a = - x and apply them with caution in the Indian context. (log y) b In view of this situation, the present study of spatio structure of Patna has been undertaken demographic Evolution and spatial growth of Patna having itsmajor objective to determine how this city, compared with other cities of theWest has grown on Although pre-industrial cities from the point of view of have the time-scale and how its intra-city demographic population size, been in general small. Patna falls into that structure is related to itsvaried and varying ecological category of pre-industrial city of setting. about 500,000 population which enjoys the cultural heritage of more than 2,500 years of existence as an urban centre. The in the historic was Methodology city early period more little than a simple village (Patligram) (Master For out carrying the study's objective the assump Plan, 1962, p. 16), situated at the confluence of the tion is that Patna like other colonial cities of theworld Ganga and the Son. The city so founded at such a has a dual of experienced pattern growth. Certain commanding and defensive site, attained the dignity of the have parts city developed demographically and of an imperial capital of eastern India. The great 282 Erdkunde Band 34/1980 -municipal boundary 0 old citycentre (Patna City) .municipal ward boundary # new cjtycentre (Muradpur) otherurban areas ^%s^_-? PaHiputra \nn thearea r-T r~T*?%r a \ \j surveyed c! Pa/no \ r?ir-HX^^pdra " ) 1Administrative { Npgar l.t /,-..Patnai"-J.Cfc^ City...>n .i.Xon^ex'J r.7 / } J \ 1 H-'* N V -30?N-/--J^Jp^^=^ Km PhulwarP Ai/o_2 U? J fVSnor/d _ H T \ / BIHARy41? ('fi r" Fig. 7: Base map { Patna 1971 ^^^^^_Lj^-Calcut^iJP^y opment along the river's bank as far as Bankipore. "The inside of the old town is disagreeable and - disgust Km and theview of it froma distance ismean. at =\|^ZT 0_500 ing Indeed, Mis -EEftIP7 0_250 a little distance south of the town, it is not discernible ^QdrQS (Buchanan, 1811-12, p. 61). Sjoberg also pointed out ^^^^QjO^ "Typically almost all the pre-industrial cities are girdled by walls inside of which various sections of the city sealed off from one another by wall and precincts congestion is the order of the day" (Sjoberg, 1960, p. 127). The changing political fortunes made an idelible on Indian emperors like Ajatsatru, Chandragupta imprint the townscape and caused a shift in its Maurya, Ashoka and Sher Sah who acceded to the growth axis from east to west. This axial pattern of throne successively in Patliputra, are said to have growth of the city (Fig. 2) was quite natural as the completely transformed it from a tiny village to a adjacent lowland in the southwas vulnerable to flood. a garrison and fortified city. The historic fragments of As result of the impact of western culture and tradi the gigantic stone pillars at Kumhrar built by Ashoka tion, city dwellers were attracted to thisnew sitewhich and Pachhim and Purab Darwaja's of themagnificent later became the focus of concentration of population fortress in Patna city built by Sher Sah remind us of and economic activities. Under the British rule, from its past glory. "Few indeed are the remains of the themiddle of the 18th century to (the)World War II, splendid buildings of Askoka's capital. The cloud certain aspects of Patna's physical structure and capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, the solemn tem pattern of growth have virtually parallelled to those ples, have indeed desolved the left not a rack behind" of pre-industrial cities of theWest. Because of over (Houston, 1949, p. 17). From this brief historical whelming representation of native population over the account, it is apparent that Patna like other medieval years and reluctance of the Britishers to introduce European walled cities started growing rapidly out of western innovations which would have placed Patna the ancient nucleus of fort and fortresswhich were on the way to becoming industrial society, the city later replaced and modified in response to immediate retained many characteristics comparable with those growing requirements. "Thus the city passed through of pre-industrial cities. many vicissitudes but has shown a remarkable capa The most spectacular growth and development of city for survival and regrowth (Dayal, 1968, p. 18). Patna took place in the post-independence period Patna experienced themost remarkable development which brought about significant changes in the mor during colonial administration in India where the phological and demographic character of the city. was English merchants first came to Patna in 1620 and by Until the late sixties' Patna's southern expansion 1657 established a Saltpetre factory. "During the early almost restricted to the old bypass road, and the city British period Patna enjoyed considerable economic appeared to be a typical crescent shaped linear form. prosperity and it rose to worldwide importance as a With the construction of the protection embankment source of production and supply of sugar and salt (new bypass), an extensive urban sprawl to the south petre" (Dayal and Thakur, 1976, p. 168). Under the and south-west has emerged on the townscape which influence and power of the British East India Com has not only modified the linear character of the city pany, the traditional and dilapidated parts of Patna but also created opportunities for over hundreds of city were displaced and the city extended far beyond thousand urban dwellers to seek residence in the devel areas. the fortifiedwalls resulting in large sub-urban devel oped sub-urban L. R. Singh and R. D. Singh: Spatio-demographic structure of Patna in its ecological setting 283 Table I: Composition of population ' ' and Census Pop- % Decade Male Female Sex ratio }'. '.^rejUrban7Nucleus Year ulation variation female/ 100 males 1901 134785 - 67038 67747 101 1911 136153 1.01 70841 65312 92 1921 119976 -11.88 65777 54199 82 old citycentre and q administrativecentre ^?^3\ySj itssuburb and itssuburb 1931 159690 33.10 92238 67452 73 Esq presentcity centre ?axial growthpattern 1941 196415 23.00 112048 84367 75 and itssuburb 1951 283479 44.33 155623 127856 82 1961 364594 28.61 206050 158544 77 1971 491217 34.45 273717 217500 79 Source: Census of India, General Pop.