Cities play a key role in economic systems of the empires. Which of the following is not one of them?

To maintain the traditional values

The statement To maintain the traditional values is not directly related to the economic functions of cities in empires. While cities may play a role in preserving cultural heritage and traditions, their primary role in empires is to drive economic growth and development.

Cities had a key role in the economic system of empires. Coastal cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai were favoured. From here primary commodities could be easily exported and manufactured goods could be cheaply imported. Colonial cities were the prime link between the economic centre or core in Britain and periphery or margins in colonised India. Cities in this sense were the concrete expression of global capitalism. In British India for example Bombay was planned and re-developed so that by 1900 over three-quarters of India’s raw cotton were shipped through the city. Calcutta exported jute to Dundee while Madras sent coffee, sugar, indigo dyes and cotton to Britain.