CBSE Class 8 Answered

In the 19^th century, as Calcutta, Bombay and Madras rose to prominence as Presidency cities, many smaller cities declined and fell to ruin. Manufacturing towns declined due to a major drop in the demand for the specialized goods that they produced. Old trading towns and ports declined when the flow of trade moved to new centres. Similarly, earlier seats of regional power collapsed when local rulers were defeated by the British and new centres of administration were built by the new rulers. Cities such as Delhi, Surat, Machlipatnam and Seringapatam reduced in importance and actually became obscure provincial towns. This process was known as the de-urbanisation of India.