Urban Decay

When the signs of urbanism I.e. monumental buildings, large settlements with dense
population, craft, trade etc, are found in a diminishing form, we visualize urban
decline. Inscriptional evidence shows the decline of trade and urbanism. Toshio
Yamazaki who has examined 15 copper plate inscriptions notices certain changes in
the history of towns and trade like, the exclusion of artisans and merchants from
the administration of the city in the 6th century. Land grants by kings and chiefs
were common for religious purposes and the merchants and artisans were not
generally consulted. The non-mention of the merchants, traders and artisans in
subsequent land charters demonstrates the sharp decline of urbanism and trade.
Several archaeologists refer to the decline of the ancient towns and give their
different views on the decline. Y.D Sharma suggests that towns declined in Gupta
and post-Gupta times. C.Margabandhu, on the other hand points out that the towns
lose their importance in Gujarat, Rajasthan and M.P at the end of the Satvahana
rule broadly in c.200-400A.D. Upinder Singh on the other hand, questions the
hypothesis that there was sub continental urban decay during 300-600 A.D ,on
several grounds. Texts of the time abound in lengthy, poetic descriptions of cities
that need not be taken literally and the very production of a sophisticated range
of literature of various genres, as well as architectural and sculptural products
of this period point to an urban milieu and an urban source of patronage.
The growth of the decay of towns is linked with the history of trade. After the 3rd
and particularly after the 6th centuries, long distance trade suffered as a result
of which towns suffered. The decline of long distance trade which involved Romans,
Chinese, Parthians, Kushanas and Satvahanas was an important cause of urban decay
in the 4th century. We find that there is a sudden drop in Roman coins and goods.
Poverty of structures and antiquities in the north and south in the post-third
centuries speak of commercial decline. With the decline of the Kushanas the central
Asian ties broke. All contact with central Asia by the Guptas was completely
destroyed by the Huna invasions.
The urban decline had also been attributed to political factors- towns fall because
kingdoms fall. It was held that political chaos led to economic depression and
towns such as Nasik, Nevasa, Kolhapur lost their privileged positions. T. Blech
suggest that the collapse of the imperial line of Gupta kings caused the ruin and
desertion of Vaishali. K.C Jain considers the foreign invasions, particularly that
of the muslims to be a very important cause of decay of cities and towns
particularly in Rajasthan. But we don’t have clear evidence as to whether this is
true. According to R.N Mehta and S.N Mehta the struggle for supremacy between the
kingdoms was the cause. Excavations show that both in the north and in the Deccan ,
most towns were deserted in the 3rd century but no invasion had taken place at this
time. Another explanation for the decline is natural calamities. Fire, flood and
famine may apply in some cases but the archaeological evidence does not show
evidence of any these occurrences that might have affected several towns at the
same time. It is also argued that towns were set up, maintained and protected by
powerful polities and the moment such polities were destroyed, towns were ruined.
A new type of economy marked by urban contraction agrarian expansion now emerges.
Urban decline and stagnation resulted in agrarian expansion which was promoted by
the land grants made by chiefs and princes. The emergence of new states in the
early middle ages is a pointer to this. Each of these new states was evidently
dependant on a large agrarian base. Agrarian base was boosted by migration of
brahmanas and craftsmen who disseminated advanced of agriculture and technology.
Artisans and others were now firmly attached to the soil and their patrons. De-
urbanization was therefore a feature of the first or classical phase of feudalism.
The shrinkage of the urban sector was closely connected with the conversion of the
tax area into the rent area.