Choose the options which are the distinctive features of Hill stations developed under British Rule.
(A) Hill stations became strategic places for billeting troops
(B) Hill stations were sanitariums, where places for rest were provided to the soldiers
(C) Hill stations were developed to support Indian economy
(D) Hill stations were developed to recreate settlements that were reminiscent of home
(E) Hill stations were developed for Urbanisation and tourism
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → (A), (B) and (D) only
(A) Hill stations became strategic places for billeting troops Correct. Their founding was connected with the needs of the British army; they became strategic places for billeting troops, guarding frontiers and launching campaigns.
(B) Hill stations were sanitariums, where places for rest were provided to the soldiers Correct. Their cool climate was thought to protect the army from cholera and malaria, and they were developed as sanitariums, where soldiers could be sent for rest and recovery.
(C) Hill stations were developed to support Indian economy Incorrect. They were founded for the army’s needs. Later, with tea and coffee plantations in the areas round them, they became important for the colonial economy; supporting the Indian economy was never their purpose.
(D) Hill stations were developed to recreate settlements that were reminiscent of home Correct. In the hill stations the British sought to recreate settlements that were reminiscent of home, with European-style buildings, villas and cottages set amidst gardens.
(E) Hill stations were developed for Urbanisation and tourism Incorrect. They began as army stations and sanitariums and became summer retreats for the rulers. Indians came to them only later, when the railways made them accessible.
Note: This question is taken from the chapter ‘Colonial Cities’ which was there in the pre-rationalised NCERT and has been deleted from subsequent editions of NCERT, including the NCERT book (2026-27).
NCERT (Pre-rationalised): “3.3 The first hill stations … As in the case of cantonments, hill stations were a distinctive feature of colonial urban development. The founding and settling of hill stations was initially connected with the needs of the British army. Simla (present-day Shimla) was founded during the course of the Gurkha War (1815-16); the Anglo-Maratha War of 1818 led to British interest in Mount Abu; and Darjeeling was wrested from the rulers of Sikkim in 1835. Hill stations became strategic places for billeting troops, guarding frontiers and launching campaigns against enemy rulers. 3.3 The first hill stations … The overwhelming presence of the army made these stations a new kind of cantonment in the hills. These hill stations were also developed as sanitariums, i.e., places where soldiers could be sent for rest and recovery from illnesses.… 3.3 The first hill stations … In the hill stations the British and other Europeans sought to recreate settlements that were reminiscent of home. The buildings were deliberately built in the European style.… 3.3 The first hill stations … Hill stations were important for the colonial economy. With the setting up of tea and coffee plantations in the adjoining areas, an influx of immigrant labour from the plains began.…” |