- Bangalore Cantonment
The Bangalore Cantonment (IPA2|kæn'təʊnmɛnt) (1806-1881) was a military
cantonment of theBritish Raj based in theIndia n city ofBangalore . The cantonment covered an area of 13square mile s, extending from the Residency on the west to Binnamangala on the east and from the Tanneries in the north toAgram in the south. By area, it was the largest British military cantonment inSouth India . The Britishgarrison stationed in the cantonment included three artillery batteries, and regiments of thecavalry ,infantry ,sapper s, miners,mounted infantry , supply and transport corps and the "Bangalore Rifle Volunteers". The Bangalore Cantonment was directly under the administration of the British Raj, while Bangalore City itself was under thejurisdiction of theDurbar of theKingdom of Mysore [http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-05172004-231956/unrestricted/4.pdf Public Spaces in Bangalore: Present and Future Projections] ] .History and Layout
Prior to the arrival of the British, Bangalore had been the stronghold of several
Hindu dynasties including theGangas ,Cholas ,Hoysalas and theVijayanagara Empire . In the 18th century, the dominion of Bangalore passed on toHaider Ali . In 1706, Haider Ali constructed theLal Bagh botanical garden s by importing plants fromDelhi andLahore . After a series of successive wars known as theAnglo-Mysore Wars with Haider Ali's son,Tipu Sultan , the British captured the city and all of theKingdom of Mysore in 1799. The British found Bangalore to be a pleasant and appropriate place to station theirgarrison and therefore moved their garrison to Bangalore fromSeringapatam . The origin of the word "cantonment" comes from the French word "canton", meaning "corner" or "district". Each cantonment was essentially a well defined and clearly demarcated unit of territory set apart for the quartering and administering of troops The Story of a City, East West Books (Madras) Pvt. Ltd., Jayapal Maya] . The heart of the Bangalore Cantonment was the Parade Ground. The Civil and Military Station (CMS) grew around the Parade Ground. The installation of the Bangalore Cantonment attracted large number of migrant workers fromTamil Nadu and other neighboring states of the Kingdom of Mysore [http://cinequestonline.org/2005/theater/d_view.php?m=537 Destination: Bangalore] . Dir. Jim Kerns. 2005] . Bangalore rapidly became the largest city in theKingdom of Mysore . In 1831, the capital of the Kingdom of Mysore was moved from Mysore city to Bangalore. The Bangalore Cantonment grew independent of its twin-city, referred to as Bangalore "pete" (IPA2|peɪteɪ). The "pete" was typically congested with a traditionalKannadiga population, while the Bangalore Cantonment, with more "lung space" had a colonial design with a population that consisted of residents from other parts of India and Britain. In the 19th century, the Bangalore Cantonment had clubs, churches,bungalow s, shops and cinemas. The Bangalore Cantonment had a strongEurope an influence with public residence and life centered around the South Parade, now referred to asMG Road . The area around the South Parade was famous for its bars and restaurants with the area known as "Blackpally" becoming a one-stop shopping area [http://www.children-of-bangalore.com/john.htm St. John's Church, Bangalore, India] ] The Cubbon Park was built in the Bangalore Cantonment in 1864 on convert|120|acre|km2 of land. TheSt. Mark 'sCathedral was built on the South Parade grounds. The settlements adjacent to the South Parades was known as "Mootocherry" which was occupied by Tamil settlers from theNorth and South Arkot districts of Tamil Nadu.The names of many of the cantonment's streets were derived from military nomenclature such as "
Artillery Road", "Brigade Road", "Infantry Road" and "Cavalry Road". The city of Bangalore still retains many of the colonial names of its streets. A resident to the King of Mysore,Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV lived within the cantonment area and his quarters was called the Residency and hence the name "Residency Road". Areas around the South Parade that essentially were public living areas were named after their European residents. Amunicipal corporation was established for the Bangalore Cantonment in 1863. After Indian independence in 1947, corporation with merged with the Bangalore "pete" municipal corporation to form the Bangalore City Corporation, now known asBangalore Mahanagara Palike . Bangalore was part of theMadras Presidency , and in 1864, the city was connected toMadras by rail. Still called the Bangalore Cantonment Railway Station, is one of many railway stations servicing the city of Bangalore http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-05172004-231956/unrestricted/4.pdf PUBLIC SPACE IN BANGALORE: PRESENT AND FUTURE PROJECTIONS] . Around 1883, Richmond Town, Benson Town and Cleveland Town were added to the cantonment. The population of the Bangalore "pete" and cantonment fell dramatically in 1898 when abubonic plague epidemic broke out. Theepidemic took a huge toll and many temples were built during this time, dedicated to the goddess Mariamma. The crisis caused by this epidemic catalyzed the improvement andsanitation of Bangalore and, in turn, improvements in sanitation and health facilities helped to modernize Bangalore. Telephone lines were laid to help coordinate anti-plague operations. Regulations for building new houses with propersanitation facilities came into effect. A health officer was appointed in 1898 and the city was divided into four wards for better coordination and the Victoria Hospital was inaugurated in 1900 by Lord Curzon, the thenViceroy andGovernor-General of British India. In 1881, the British officially stopped reconginzing Bangalore as a cantonment and instead considered it to be an "assigned tract", and administered under the auspices of theMahārājah of Mysore,Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV . However, the British retained their garrison in the city until 1947. After Indian independence, Bangalore Cantonment was merged with the rest of Bangalore City under the dominion of theMysore State .See also
*
Cantonment
*British Raj
*Kingdom of Mysore
*Bangalore
*Sir Mirza Ismail References
* [http://local.currentsamachar.com/bangalore.php Latest news headlines from Bangalore Cantonment]
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