Which of the following statements are True for hill stations in the colonial period?
A. The founding of hill stations was initially connected with the needs of the British army.
B. They served as sanitariums for soldiers.
C. They were important for the colonial economy.
D. The British were able to prevent Indians from settling in hill stations.
E. The buildings were deliberately built in the European style.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → A, B, C and E only
A. The founding of hill stations was initially connected with the needs of the British army. Correct. Simla was founded during the Gurkha War (1815-16), and hill stations became strategic places for billeting troops, guarding frontiers and launching campaigns.
B. They served as sanitariums for soldiers. Correct. The cool climate was seen as a protection against cholera and malaria, so hill stations were developed as sanitariums, places where soldiers were sent for rest and recovery from illnesses.
C. They were important for the colonial economy. Correct. Hill stations were important for the colonial economy: tea and coffee plantations were set up in the adjoining areas, and immigrant labour came in from the plains.
D. The British were able to prevent Indians from settling in hill stations. Incorrect. The railways made hill stations accessible to Indians too: maharajas, lawyers and merchants were drawn there to be close to the ruling British elite, and with the plantation labour the hill stations no longer remained exclusive racial enclaves for Europeans.
E. The buildings were deliberately built in the European style. Correct. The British sought to recreate settlements reminiscent of home, so the buildings were deliberately built in the European style, as detached villas and cottages set amidst gardens.
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 temperate and cool climate of the Indian hills was seen as an advantage, particularly since the British associated hot weather with epidemics. Cholera and malaria were particularly feared and attempts were made to protect the army from these diseases. 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 … The introduction of the railways made hill stations more accessible to a wide range of people including Indians. Upper-and middle-class Indians such as maharajas, lawyers and merchants were drawn to these stations because they afforded them a close proximity to the ruling British elite.… 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. This meant that hill stations no longer remained exclusive racial enclaves for Europeans in India.” |