Details

Subject(s)

• Delhi (India)—History—20th century [Browse]
• India—History—Partition, 1947—Influence [Browse]
• Internally displaced persons—Housing—India—Delhi [Browse]
• Internally displaced persons—India—Delhi—Social conditions [Browse]
• Internally displaced persons—India—Delhi—Economic conditions [Browse]
• Internally displaced persons—Government policy—India [Browse]
• Forced migration—India—Delhi—History—20th century [Browse]

Series

Routledge archaeologies of the contemporary world

Summary note

"This book explores the archaeology of the 1947 Partition, the largest mass migration in human history, and the resulting resettlement of half a million refugees in Delhi, India's capital city. Interweaving material analysis with oral history collection and archival sources, this book considers how Delhi's Partition refugees have interacted with the city's built landscapes through time. It demonstrates how government-built refugee colonies, influenced by both socialist and capitalist design philosophies, provided an effective and adaptable setting for resettlement. In contrast, it illustrates how Delhi's pre-Partition landscapes- including 'evacuee properties' vacated by out-migrating Muslims and sections of the planned, colonial capital- have proven more problematic venues for rehousing. In these contexts, refugee families navigated life within homes shaped by past occupants and colonial-era wealth disparities. The book highlights that despite such difficulties and the unprecedented scale of Partition's impact on Delhi, refugees have obtained an impressive degree of material success and social acceptance in the city. This example challenges assumptions about the aiddependency of refugee communities, the potential effectiveness of public housing, and the mutability of national belonging. This interdisciplinary case study will be of interest to scholars in varied fields of study including archaeology, architectural history, cultural anthropology, human geography, and South Asian studies. Erin"-- Provided by publisher.

Bibliographic references

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

• List of figures
• Acknowledgements
• A city of refugees
• The reuse of a colonial capital as refugee resource
• The government refugee colony and dreams of egalitarianism-cum enterprise
• Refugees and evacuee properties: mitigating memories and meanings in reused out-migrant homes
• Refugees and government colonies: exercising autonomy in allotted space
• Those who build nations: belonging as lived and malleable
• Bibliography
• Index

Show 7 more Contents items

ISBN

• 9781032161167 (hardcover)
• 1032161167 (hardcover)
• 9781032161242 (paperback)
• 1032161248 (paperback)

LCCN

2023047603

OCLC

1400971992

Statement on responsible collection description

Princeton University Library aims to describe library materials in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections we manage. Read more...