question_answer 13)

How does the existence of a large urban population affect each of the following? Illustrate with historical examples,     (a) A private landlord.   (b) A Police Superintendent in charge of law and order.   (c) A leader of a political party.  

Answer:

(a) The existence of a large urban population meant that there would be many people requiring a place to stay. The increased demand for places to stay was profitable for private landlords who could rent out rooms at high rates. In nineteenth century London, individual landlords profited by this trend of migration in search of jobs by people from the countryside.   (b) The existence of a large urban population will cause more crimes, social conflict and rebellion. Police are responsible for maintaining law and order. Hence, a Police Superintendent would definitely have increased work on his/her hands. In nineteenth century London, policemen had a tough time controlling crime during the migrant influx. In the 1870s, there were 20,000 criminals living in London. The job of a policeman was made more complex in hunting down pick-pockets, thieves, cheats and tricksters, as their numbers kept on increasing.   (c) The existence of a large urban population causes many social problems, such as problems of housing, food, water, etc. These issues become political issues when they are taken up by political parties. A political party and its leaders can mobilize the masses to support them in these political causes. This was the case in 19th century London also and so the politicians became very active.