URBANIZATION POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENT

This study examines the relationship between urbanization, population and the environment in the western Himalayas in historical perspective. It challenges the assumption that urban development is solely tied to population growth, emphasizing the influence of political and economic elites.
Over two centuries, the construction of palaces by the royals and temples emerged as central to political power and wealth concentration, driving urban growth. Natural resources, like water, minerals and forests, played a crucial role in shaping habitat locations and attracting labour migration.
Empirical analysis within a historical framework reveals the development of cantonment towns, military consolidation, and legislative control over resources as foundational to urban growth. This led to population surges, economic activities, and advancements in transportation and communication.
However, the study also highlights negative consequences, such as overuse of forest resources and disruptions to the harmony between humans and nature, leading to ecological imbalance and fatalities. This volume opens new vistas of research on rivers, bio-diversity, geo-politics, socio-cultural, economic and political spheres for the national and international academia.