How does the state govern a territory which has rapidly grown to become one of the most densely populated regions of the province? How does the state account for the governance of a place which has only recently transitioned from a rural or a semi-rural tract to a town? Most importantly, how does the state govern a region where the main source of power resides with the proprietors of private enterprises? These were some of the questions the colonial state had to deal with when it was faced with the prospect of administering some of the most rapidly ‘urbanizing’ or expanding regions of Bengal. This included the industrial belt—the riparian municipalities of the districts of 24 Parganas and Hooghly—and the mining and railway junctions of Ranigunj and Asansol, which developed from the last quarter of the nineteenth century. How did their administration differ, if at all, from other mofussil municipalities which also had a semi-rural character? This article will examine these questions and try to understand how, through the process of municipalization, the colonial state was trying to control newer territories. It shall also analyse how local communities reacted to these attempts. This paper will argue that any attempt at improvement in these mofussil municipalities was hindered by a lack of understanding, on the part of the provincial government, of the local socio-economic conditions and the ineffectiveness of the local self-government in these towns.

国家如何管理一个迅速发展成为该省人口最稠密地区之一的领土？国家如何解释最近才从农村或半农村地区转变为城镇的地方的治理？最重要的是，国家如何治理一个主要权力来源在私营企业主的地区？这些是殖民国家在面临管理孟加拉一些最快速“城市化”或扩张地区的前景时必须处理的一些问题。这包括工业带——24 Parganas 和 Hooghly 地区的河岸城市——以及从 19 世纪下半叶发展起来的 Ranigunj 和 Asansol 的采矿和铁路枢纽。如果有的话，他们的行政管理与其他同样具有半农村特征的 mofussil 城市有何不同？本文将研究这些问题，并试图了解殖民国家如何通过城市化过程试图控制新的领土。它还应分析当地社区对这些尝试的反应。本文将争辩说，由于省政府对当地社会经济状况缺乏了解，以及这些城镇的地方自治效率低下，这些城市的任何改善尝试都受到了阻碍。殖民国家试图控制新的领土。它还应分析当地社区对这些尝试的反应。本文将争辩说，由于省政府对当地社会经济状况缺乏了解，以及这些城镇的地方自治效率低下，这些城市的任何改善尝试都受到了阻碍。殖民国家试图控制新的领土。它还应分析当地社区对这些尝试的反应。本文将争辩说，由于省政府对当地社会经济状况缺乏了解，以及这些城镇的地方自治效率低下，这些城市的任何改善尝试都受到了阻碍。