Urbanization has become a world-wide phenomenon in the 20th century. In modern India urbanization was greatly facilitated by the British government. The East India Company selected sites which had both strategic and commercial importance. Since in the beginning, their trade was mainly sea-borne, and water-transport was the main means of conveyance, they chose those sites which were close to the sea. In this book is analysed the process the process of urbanization of Assam in a historical setting taking Dibrugarh town as the focus of attention. After establishing their suzerainty over the hill tribes with Dibrugarh town as the headquarter of the British military and para-military forces, the rulers set out to fulfill their ultimate objective of commercial exploitation of the rich natural resources. Tea-plantation yielded good returns to the British capital invested. Discovery of coal and oil in the nearby places further increased the importance of this town in the eyes of the colonial rulers. If became the most commercially advanced and materially developed town in the entire north-east. The newly emerging Industrial activities. Necessitated importation of people from other ports of India. As a result the demographic composition of the town underwent great changes. But the material progress of this town has been marred of present by the floods and erosion of the mighty Brahmoputra. It is the constant threat of this river which led to a half of Investment in the town. But despite this industrial stagnation, the town continues to be an important center of education and health due to the establishment of the Dibrugarh University and the Assam Medical College. While narrating the different aspects of urbanization, attempt has also been made to focus the contribution made by the people of this area towards the growth and development of culture and civilization in the north-east.
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