Bhavnagar - a study of its Colonial institutions

 Bhavnagar is tucked away in the southern corner of Gujarat. Earlier a stronghold of the Gohilvad Rajputs it was the first state to surrender its sovereignty to the Indian Union in 1947.Governed by a dynasty of benevolent Kings Bhavnagar prospered as a port and a thrived as an important commercial centre.

Alfred High School

My romance with the city began with a small trip to visit a cousin who was married to the great grand son of Sir Prabhashankar Pattani. Fondly remembered as Sir P.P. even today, people revere his contribution to the city. Staying in a huge palatial bungalow built about a century ago aroused a lot of interest in the local architecture. Being a small town one could easily cycle around the city and see the monuments of a bygone era. Schools, Colleges, Libraries, Places of Administration and Justice - they are all there standing as silent witnesses to the winds of change that are sweeping over the city. A desire to know more about the city and its history prompted me to take up the city as a subject for my dissertation for my final year.

Three buildings in three important locations attracted my attention. The first was the Darbargadh - The seat of power. An extension designed by the same architect who had designed the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta was too important to ignore. The second was a small library which came up after a existing gateway was demolished. A new institution designed to propel the populace towards modernity. The third was a hospital designed by William Emerson who designed Darbargadh and the Victoria Memorial.

Muir College, Punjab

A brief study of the old city became imperative to understand the position of these institutions and how they adapted themselves to the form of the city.

INTRODUCTION

Located on the Western sea coast of Gujarat, adjacent to the Gulf of Cambay Bhavnagar is nearly the geographical centre of Gujarat.

Bhavnagar was the capital city of the former state of Bhav¬nagar. After the independence of India in 1947 it became a part of the Saurashtra state. During the time of the British rule (1757-1947) it was a part of the Gohilwad district.

ESTABLISHMENT OF BHAVNAGAR.

Bhavnagar was established in 1723 by Bhavsinhji I (1703-1764). After realizing the vulnerability of Sihore in repulsing attacks, he sought a more secure place for his capital. He accidentally found a favourable site near the village of Vadwa when he was on his visit to the temple of Ruvapari. The new capital city would be in the open country in comparision to Sihore which was in hilly terrain and hemmed in from all sides. Bhavsinhji-I had intended his new capital to be a well protected haven, secure from attacks and also make it economically prosperous by establishing a port.

VADWA

Conjectural reconstruction of Bhavnagar, fort wall and Vadva village

The old settlement of Vadwa had the benefit of various village tanks such as Gam (Gangajalia) talao, Prabhudas talao, Brahman talao and other smaller tanks. Most of these tanks have now been absorbed but their names persist. The religious places which were on these tanks have survived and have played an
important role in structuring the city of Bhavnagar established in 1723 near the old settlement of Vadwa.

URBAN STRUCTURE OF BHAVNAGAR.

The main roads of the new capital city of Bhavnagar were oriented to face the cardinal points of the compass. These roads were bounded by gateways. A wall with a moat surrounded the city. The Darbargadh or the palace is located centrally and the hierarchy of institutions and street layout was established in reference to this important institution. The city was divided in four major precints. Each precints had "sheris" or streets which belonged to a particular caste of people.

After the demolition of the fort wall and Diwanpara

Within each sector or precint various religious institutions were located. These were not always located on street nodes or community spaces within the precint. The architecture was not very elaborate. These religious institutions normally belonged to a particular caste or religion. These institutions served as gathering places for the people of the caste. marriages and other important events took place in these institutions. Education was also imparted in some of them. Many such temples predate the establishment of Bhavnagar. The Nilkanth Mahadev was a temple on the Bhagga talao outside the original Vadwa village. This tank was reclaimed when the city of Bhavnagar was founded. The surviving temple has played an important role in structuring the precinct.

Character: these institutions were characterized by an enclosure around an open space. In a closely packed residential district the institution played the role of an open, community space.

During the period of about hundred years following the establishment of Bhavnagar the various kings were mainly concerned with the consolidation of territories and the security of the people.

After the entry of the British in Kathiawad in 1820 sweeping reforms were made in the administrative setups of most states in Kathiawad. In Bhavnagar the judiciary was formally established and for the maintainance of law and order a police force was created.Between the years 1870-78 Bhavnagar was under a joint adminstration. This period produced some notable reforms. The two important people who were responsible for these reforms were Mr. E. H. Percival and Sri Gaurishanker Oza of Bhavnagar.

These reforms were inthe areas of administration, revenue collection and judiciaries. Post and telegraph services along with railways were introduced and augmented. The port was also modernised and a new economic policy was introduced.

These reforms and changes in the system caused John Houston to say ""Bhavnagar is the most important and the most advanced of the native states of Kathiawar. From a very early date it became friendly with the British authorities.It was the pioneer of civilization and adminstrative activity in the peninsula and has ever set an example to neighbouring chiefs in the spread of education, in the prosecution of public works, in the development of commerce and in adoption of measures generally conducive to the welfare of its subjects."

THE BRITISH IN KATHIAWAR.

Though the British had made their presence in the peninsula of Kathiawar since the early 1800's, their active involvement in the matters of the states is seen only after the 1857 revolt of independence. This revolt is the key event in the history of colonial rule in India. It marks the beginning of a major shift in the attitudes and perceptions of the British.

THE BRITISH IN BHAVNAGAR.

The Kingdom of Bhavnagar had helped the British with all possible material help and had arranged the transport of British troops from the port of Ghogha to Ahmedabad. For the valuable assistance rendered by the Raval Jashwantsinhji (1854-1870) the British Crown conferred the title of "Star of India" on the King in 1867. After his death in 1870, Bhavnagar came under the joint administration of Mr. E. H. Percival and the Diwan Sri Gaurishankar Oza for a period of eight years from 1870-78. Maharaja Takhtsinhji (1878-1896) who ascended the throne in 1878 was educated in the Rajkumar college at Rajkot. The young King was influenced by the western system and introduced more reforms, initiated complex urban renewal schemes and commissioned many public buildings. Many new institution "types" came into being. Among these were the High Court, The High school, The Hospital and The Library. These new institution "types" were a direct result of Colonialism. This period (1870- 1896) can therefore be called "an institution building epoch" of the Bhavnagar city.

THE EPOCH.

The main urban renewal schemes of the period were the reconstruction and restructuring of the area near the Darbargadh and the Demolition of the fort wall. This span (1870-1896) is therefore critical in the growth of Bhavnagar as a capital city and can be studied for its architectural success and significant contribution towards the transformation of the city as a whole.

DARBARGADH - TRANSFORMATION

The Darbargadh or the Palace is located almost centrally on the confluence of the two main roads of the city. The complex was surrounded by business houses of the day. The two main roads divided the walled city into four main precincts/sectors. The hierarchy of streets was thus established in reference to this stronghold, Darbargadh. The area adjoining to the complex had business houses as well as residences for the nobility. Between 1854-1870 major repairs and new buildings were added to the rudimentary Darbargadh. Buildings to the east and west of the Darbargadh were demolished to give light and ventilation. Offices, built in the Indo-Saracenic style designed by W. Emerson, were added to the north of Darbargadh in the year 1893. The erection of the clock-tower on the premises and the building of the Percival market to the west strengthened the position of Darbargadh in the urban structure of Bhavnagar. This series of modifications transformed the area around Darbargadh and reflected the changing values of the society at the time. During this period the residence of the King was shifted to a quieter area outside the medieval walled city. The Darbargadh now became an institution of trade and commerce with the Darbar Bank to follow in the early twentieth century. Following this change most of the street edges around the Darbargadh area began to acquire a commercial character with the residences at the rear. The road from the Ghogha gate to the Khar gate was widened to facilitate transport all the way upto the port.The Darbargadh is therefore a dominant element and acts as a nucleus of aggregation within the city.

The Darbargadh area affords a prominent example of change and transformation at the urban scale. At the same time it can be examined as a primary element in its capacity to order and structure the city of Bhavnagar.

Darbargadh from Amba Chowk

Considering the spatial aspects of Darbargadh independent of its function, it can be seen that it is identified by its sheer presence on the plan of the city.The evolution of Darbargadh has largely depended on economic and political factors. The role of the three individuals in its evolution and transformation cannot be overlooked. This phenomenon of the transformation of the Darbargadh from a palace to an institution can be understood from two different viewpoints.Firstly, it can be said that the phenomenon of persistence of an urban artifact, in this case Darbargadh, is not only due to its function. It can be reasoned that it is "the capacity of the primary element to constitute the city, its history and art, its being and memory"

Secondly, the transformation of the function of the urban element can be attributed to the political and economic forces that were active during the period (1860-1896). With the advent of colonialism, the administration and the economy became more structured and institutionalized. Moreover the port of Bhavnagar was also attracting significant volume of trade which brought in revenue. These were the factors that transformed an institution of power, during the medieval times, to an institution of the economy. This proclaims the advent of a new age of modernism. The transformation is thus the transformation of the society from a monarchy to a democracy. The economy is now given an unprecedented importance
in the city.

SIR TAKHTSINHJI HOSPITAL.

This Hospital was built during the reign of Maharaja Takhtsinhji (1869-1896) during 1879-83 by the architect William Emerson. Other buildings in Bhavnagar during this period include The Barton Library, The High court, The Alfred High school. The latter two buildings were designed by Major Mant. The extension to the Darbargadh was designed by William Emerson.

ARCHITECT'S ATTITUDES.

Emerson was of the opinion that intermingling of styles would always lead to an interesting blend. "Indeed are not many of the most lovely plants and flowers hybrids, and has not intermingling of different families of the human race produced some of the noblest type of men?" He asked. Very often these notions assisted in overcoming an " inherent vulgarity". But then the future President of RIBA was only following the doctrine established earlier which insisted that the buildings meant for the natives should attempt to look "Indian". This "Indianisation" was achieved by incorporating a few Indian motifs and elements that the British architects thought were enough to serve the purpose.
The Indo-Saracenic style was a favourite among the British architects. Since the arch and the dome were principal features of the "saracenic" and "the most beautiful and economical they were used with an exuberance never seen before. Rarely, lamented Emerson did "the chance of introducing domes come to a builder in England. In India, where the British built on an Imperial scale, matters were different."

THE BUILDING

The hospital building is planned in the classical manner as suggested by Durand. The building surrounds a courtyard garden.
The porch is appropriately bestowed with a dome and is approached by a curving driveway. The covered verandahs run around both sides of the periphery. The building boasts four domed corner pavilions which are above the toilet blocks. The curved staircase is adjacent to the hall and is on the axis.

THE AMALGAMATION.

The building is an architectural synthesis of two culturally different concepts. The first is the Renaissance concept of "the villa" and the second is the response of the local architecture to climate - the courtyard. Both these concepts are put together with the axis as an ordering element. To this the elements characteristic of the British buildings -some climatically necessary while others to portray the image of an "Imperial Raj" -were added. The porch and the hall are situated on the axis while the verandah surrounds all the main spaces on both peripheries.

THE "STYLE"

The typical standard bay of the building reveal both Hindu and saracenic motifs. The balusters, the weather shade, the plinth and the bracket are of an Indian origin while the arch is saracenic. The mouldings of the cornice, the parapet and the ceiling have an European origin.


THE DEMOLITION OF THE FORT WALL.

Fort wall near Ruvapri gate

The demolition of the fort wall was a major effort in the urban renewal of Bhavnagar. This large scale effort brought about the existence of Diwanpara. The stones of the moat around the city wall were used as building blocks for the newly established grain market at the northern end of the city. This effort was also
synchronous with the installation of the Bhavnagar-Surendranagar Railway line and the transformation of the area around the Darbargadh. Amongst the other important institutions to come up on the periphery of the medieval city after the demolition were The girls school, The Alfred High school, The High court, The Jaswantsinhji dispensary, Barton library etc.

Institutions after demolition of fort wall near Barton Library

With the new administrative policies of the British there came into existence a new class of people who were the educated elite of the city. This new class of people had imbibed some values of the colonial culture of the British. This new class of bureaucrats and administrators were known as the "Divans" or ministers.

These Divans usually belonged to the caste of Nagar Brahmins and resided originally in the largest and the most ideally situated precincts of the walled city.

After the walls were dismantled, a circular road which ran along the original profile of the wall came into existence. The Divans built their new residences along the edge of this new road . These new houses were much larger than the houses in the inner city. The new residences were usually planned around a rectangular courtyard and presented an elaborate and ornate facade to the new main road. There was however a lack of interactive spaces that one finds in the walled city. The concept of the "khadki" as a shared unit of interactive and secure social space was abandoned in favour of a larger and self contained unit."The shape of plots of land in a city, their formation and their evolution, represents a long history of urban property and of the classes inti mately associated with the city. The analysis of the contrasts in the form of the plots confirms the existence of a class struggle. Modifications of the real-estate structure indicate the emergence of an urban bourgeoisie and the progressive concentration of capital."Moreover on examining the peripheral road that runs around thewalled city, one finds few connections to the inner city. The primary connections are only made at the positions of the original gates of the city. The next level of connections are few and far between and are observed at points where there was originally an opening in the urban fabric. This indicates that there was no strong desire to link the old city to the newer parts. The connections were merely a convenient mode of assisting thoroughfare instead of broad and comfortable avenues which came up in the newer parts of the city. The inner old city was now successfully reduced to a relic by the "new wall". What was previously a passive defense to ward off attacks from the enemy now took on the form of an institution involved in sociological isolation.

Ruvapari gate before demolition

THE BARTON LIBRARY.

The Barton Library was constructed near the old Ruvapari gate.This building occupies an important position in the new "planned" areas of Bhavnagar. It lodges on the former position of a prominent gateway of the city. It proclaims the advent of a new age of modernism.

THE BUILDING.

The Barton Library is a small,two-storied structure compared to other structures erected during the same period. The Library was constructed in the year 1882. The building is constructed in brick masonry and is covered with sandstone with a sloping timber roof. It boasts of a modest tower which is three storied high and is square in plan. It is oriented towards the centre of the crossroads. The building thus effectively negotiates a corner site and acquires the characteristics of a land mark.The building is planned around a small rectangular courtyard. The reading rooms occupy the ground floor and are accessible through a simple but adequate entrance. The ground floor has many windows which afford a view of the outside. The upper story is occupied by the books, reading spaces and the administration. The architecture of these institutions on the periphery of the walled city can be scrutinized for its style, planning and construction techniques.

Barton Library

Note: This article was published in Indian Architect and Builder in 1995. Many of the drawings were prepared for my Final year dissertation, School of Architecture, Ahmedabad in the year 1993. Please do not copy this material without appropriate references.