ABSTRACT
The academic literature on urban development in India has become quite diverse and has grown into a mature subdiscipline within the social sciences. This chapter discusses the broad historical background of the urban development process on the Indian subcontinent. It looks at Indian urbanisation policies and urban planning concepts since Independence. With the arrival of the Muslims, from the 9th century onwards, urban development in North India was revitalised, and by the time that the Muslim rule was firmly established with the foundation of the Mughal dynasty in the 16th century, the urban pattern in the north was transformed. In general, urban development in the pre-colonial era, spanning a period of roughly 3,500 years, rarely generated towns or cities with a population exceeding 100,000 people. In most cities where large urban investment programmes have been implemented, urban development authorities have been set up, formed on the model of the Delhi Development Authority in New Delhi.
