Towns in Mithila (1871 to 1971)

The term 'town' reflects the stylish, good mannered, spacious and lavish human settlements. At least a town must have tar-topped wide and systematic roads with lanes and by lanes, number of schools, colleges and hospitals to provide better education and health facilities. The town must have some systematic architectural monuments, some to reflect the history and glory of the concerned zone and some to represent the administrative and economic status of the town. The nights of the town must be brighter than the days of the rural hinter land. A town must be rich in good transport facilities, surface sewer age-drainage, protected water and proper power supply, big and attractive market places and shopping centers. There must be industries to serve the needs of thousands of men and women. A town must be ready for use, for enjoyment and for service. As such town is the matrix of the rural areas. Here the 'civilization' gives birth to 'culture'.

A study of the different aspects of 'town' is 'urban-study'. In order to engage trade, production and artistic creativity, and to develop an organic and vibrant urban culture, people need to live in an atmosphere of political security and religious tolerance. Towns like people, have to breathe in air of freedom; freedom of activities, creativity and economic dominance. India has a rich urban heritage dating back to the towns of the Indus Valley Civilization, and towns, big or small, always remained a part of the history of India. The present study is about the towns of modern times. But two of the towns studied in this work emerged in the medieval period. The emergence and growth of towns in Mithila, the subject matter of this study followed different patterns. The towns of Mithila are not like Agra, Delhi and Lahore or Allahabad, Banaras and Patna, but definitely these towns like them played a massive role in the socio-economic development of their respective areas.

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