12_chapter 5.pdf - Shodhganga

24 Pages·2011·3.06 MB·English

Chapter - 5
Conclusive opinions
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Conclusive opinions
While discussing about this subjects with many researchers colleagues,
and with the architects who are also teachers in colleges of architecture,
surprisingly it was found that they all were under the impression that there was
no independent system of city planning that can be called as Maratha city
planning. In their opinion, Maratha didn't know anything about the town
planning. It was done haphazardly, without implementation of any system.
Then it became much necessary to wipe out the wrong conception carried
in the minds of these scholars and also of the common people that Maratha rulers
and town planners did not aware of their own town planning style and also they
were never lacking in developing the good systems of city planning.
It can be surely said that, by reading this research, such misunderstandings
will definitely vanished.
The town planning of Maratha province was mainly based on the status
wise development of any village.
During 17th century, and even up to middle of 18th century, Maratha
province had to face many political uncertainties and hence, the style adopted
initially by Maratha town planners, which the scholars called as 'haphazard', was
mainly and deliberately implemented as a defensive style of town planning.
During 18th century, Maratha province started enjoying peace and
prosperity in real sense. That reflected in the changing and enhancing the
mercantile statuses of many villages.
During this period many small Kasba villages were developed in to small
but prospered towns and accordingly Maratha planners made convenient changes
the town planning system.
During late 18th century, perfect rectangular grid pattern was adopted as
an experimental attempt in the developments of few towns like Wai and also in
Pune city.
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A question may be asked why Maratha rulers and planners left back the
traditional town planning systems and adopted this new rectangular grid concept.
Main reasons behind this change may be anticipated as follows.
1. Till the time the fear of having the safety and security from the enemy
army or looters attacks was completely vanished from the minds of the
people, because towns and cities like Pune were well governed and
protected by the Peshwa under the strict rule of Kotwal.
2. Also during late 18th century, no serious political uncertainty remained
because no other enemy ruler was remained so powerful that could
threat Maratha Empire by looting important cities. Therefore no need
remained of deliberately implementation of former defensive planning
pattern.
3. The system of establishing any new Peth in Pune was clearly
formulated. It was not alike the other Peth, which grew in the course of
time. These Peth were established like a totally new cluster in a
complete form.
4. Especially, in Pune the basic concept of establishing any new Peth was
to encourage trades and occupation but unless there were buyers, no
sellers would make successful trading. Along with these mercantile
enhancements there was also a genuine need to establish a good buyers
potential. Therefore the rulers also started establishing many
residential settlements.
5. During late 18th century, in Pune, a well mercantile trade center was
already established by the addition of Peth Bhavani. Therefore, while
establishments of any new Peth the rulers were in a position to decide
the exact intensions behind such new establishments.
6. By that time they were also in a position to take few liberties for doing
new experiments in traditional town planning systems.
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7. Peth Shivapuri and Peth Sadashiv were totally established as the
residential Peth but Peth Hanumant was specifically established for the
wholesale trades. Still without making any adjustments in the
planning, Maratha planners could successfully arrange their layouts for
both the purposes considering the requirements and the areas allotted
for these Peth. But it should be noted that this concept was initially
adopted for the establishments of residential colony and then used for
establishing commercial or mercantile Peth.
But unfortunately it has been observed that this concept was not
implemented in the developments of other Maratha towns and cities. Even the
developments of big cities like Satara and Kolhapur, no such reformations or
conceptual change in town planning has been observed during 19th century
RoadmapofKolhapur–BasedonoriginalsurvemapmadeinA.D.1862
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Again another question may also be asked that whether this conceptual
reformation was based on any influential factor or it was entire new finding of
Maratha town planners.
It is difficult to answer this question. But many facts may be considered
for finding the probable possibilities.
Looking to the contemporary town planning systems, the probable
interventions would have been possible by either Islamic town planning or by the
European town planning systems.
There are three possibilities.
1. Whether this concept was borrowed from any contemporary Indian or
Islamic town planning systems.
2. Whether this concept, now popularly used in the modern town and city
planning, was a gift of contemporary foreign town planning systems
adopted in European countries and would have been implemented with
the help of British town planners because in those days, only British
were successfully ruling over entire Indian territory. .
3. Whether it was derived from the systems formulated by the ancient
Indian town planning principles that were reflected in the old books
like Manasara and Mayamata and Kautilya arthashastra.
Let these possibilities be checked on the grounds of available information.
1. This type of perfect grid planning was also neither implemented by
Mughal planners. No plan of any Mughal city resembles to this
concept. Even the city nearest to Pune that Aurangabad was planned
and developed by Mughal planners during 17th century. But its
planning did not show any resemblance to the grid pattern.
The Bijapur, former capital of Adilshahi kingdom, also did not
planned accordingly. Even no other city of Deccan developed under
Islamic rule also did show any resemblance to the grid pattern.
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1. It was not impact or influence of the British town planning system. It
is true that British deeply intervened in to Indian politics and also
started ruling over few parts of Indian territory, but no example would
be found of the implementation of such system by the British rulers
and planners in any part of India during 18th century. Even British also
established few colonies in Pune called as Pune cantonment (also
called as Camp) abutting Bhavani Peth and Hanumant (Nana) Peth
during early 19th century, immediately after possessing Maratha
Empire. But it can be observed that they also did not use this perfect
grid-planning concept in the planning of Camp area. Therefore, this
possibility may also not be considered.
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Even in the planning of the Bombay (Mumbai) city that British developed
in totality, this concept was not introduced during 18th century.
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2. But it is observed that the city of Jaipur in Rajasthan province has been
designed perfectly on the principles of grid planning. Maharaja Sawai
Jai Singh developed it around A. D. 1728.
According to the opinion expressed in a book named Ancient and medieval
town planning in India, on page 148, it was perfectly planned according to
the rules framed bythe Hindu Shilpshastra.
PlanofJaipurcity
Very truly, this grid planning definitely resembles to the ancient Indian
town planning systems. But it can be observed that apart from this city such
planning was not done for any other northern Indian city.
Secondly, Peshwa Bajirao (I) and Peshwa Nanasaheb had good cordial
relations with Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh. If Peshwa wants to introduce this
planning pattern, it would have been adopted in Maratha province quite earlier,
during middle of 18th century.
Maratha grid planning was not influenced by Jaipur planning. Therefore,
this possibility may not be considered.
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3. A possibility may not be denied that the Maratha planners directly
adopted the rectangular grid concept described by Manasara and
Mayamata in the ancient Indian Shilpshastra.
Sardar Raste and Nana Phadnis introduced this concept for planning their
respective Peth. Nana Phadnis was a brilliant diplomat who shouldered the
responsibility of Maratha Empire for 25 years as the chief administrator.
Apart from his diplomacy, he was also a versatile person. He made many
new conceptual changes in Maratha architecture. He also had studied ancient
Indian 'Shastra'. Accordingly, the possibility cannot be denied that he might
have studied the Shilpshastra and in association with Sardar Raste, planned
these new Peth.
But looking to above stated facts, in my conclusive opinion, the newly
introduced concept of rectangular grid planning was the entire find of Maratha
planners and was not influenced by any other contemporary styles of town
planning. The ancient Indian Shilpshastra might be helpful to them but it was not
the total influence.
The conceptual change in Maratha town planning system was already
started during the rules of Peshwa Madhavrao. By making experiments and also
by giving detailed thought, it was finalized around A. D. 1785.
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Possibility of adoption of these systems in today's context
Looking towards the conceptual adoption and execution of the system of
modern town and urban planning one may not think of such possibility.
Because the modular grid planning has now becoming a fundamental need
of any urban plan, now planners neither thinking about the curvilinear road
alignments nor about the diagonal junctions.
In the cities, particularly in the old Peth areas, the road widths planned in
18th and 19th centuries are now becoming insufficient for the vehicular traffic
even after possible road widening.
The highrise buildings and provision of shops and commercial offices in
almost every building in entire old city area are inviting more and more traffic
due to which, the enormous growth in the vehicular traffic and unavailability of
sufficient parking spaces are making the cities more and more congested.
Due to these problems, the old town planning systems are becoming
useless and undesirable in the cities like Pune, Satara, and Kolhapur.
But in such cases, the new developments can be made according to the old
Maratha concepts like,
1. Planning the central Bajarpeth area that would also incorporate
commercial and mercantile buildings and sufficient places for
vehicular parking.
2. Residential colonies may be placed either on one side or around these
Bajarpeth areas and no shops should be allowed there.
There are many small towns and villages exist today, which still remained
away from the concepts of modern town planning. Fortunately, the old Maratha
town planning can be easily observed in their layouts.
These villages are still following and maintaining the old Maratha
concepts like the Bajarpeth had been planned preferably on or near the main
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district roads and the residential colonies were planned little away from the
Bajarpeth.
Even today, many advantages are observed in these villages.
1. The distances between the remote ends of residential colonies and the
Bajarpeth are not more than one kilometer that are convenient walking
distances for any resident, due to which, no shops are seen in these
residential areas.
2. The existing curvilinear and zigzag roads are helping to control and
reduce the speeding of the vehicles. Only the little widening of the
narrow roads, without changing the old alignments, may also helpful
to carry additional traffic load.
3. It has been also observed that the new growth in the commercial and
mercantile activities has been done along main district road and
connecting to the existing Bajarpeth and towards the opposite
directions of the residential colonies.
4. Even the new residential colonies are developed beyond the Bajarpeth
areas and away from the existing colonies.
These villages are still conveniently following and maintaining the old
Maratha concepts but also not remained away from the new and modern
developments.
Therefore, even today, it is definitely possible to adopt the Maratha
concepts of village developments and town planning up to certain extent.
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