Question

Which of the following factors is NOT typically associated with the rapid growth of cities during the Industrial Revolution?

• A. Technological advancements in transportation
• B. Expansion of agricultural lands
• C. Migration from rural areas to urban centres
• D. Development of factories and industries

Hint:

\textbf{Industrial Revolution led to rapid urbanization due to:}
Growth of factories and industries in cities (pull factor).
Rural-to-urban migration (push from rural changes, pull of urban jobs).
Improved transportation (railways, canals, steamships) facilitating movement of goods and people.
Agricultural changes (e.g., Enclosure Movement, mechanization) often \textit{released} labor from rural areas, contributing to urban migration, rather than "expansion of agricultural lands" being a direct cause of city growth. Urban expansion often encroached on agricultural land.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The Industrial Revolution (roughly late 18th to mid-19th century, with ongoing effects) led to profound societal changes, including rapid urbanization (growth of cities). Factors typically associated with rapid urban growth during the Industrial Revolution:
(d) Development of factories and industries: The factory system, powered by new technologies like the steam engine, concentrated production in urban centers. This created a high demand for labor in cities.
(c) Migration from rural areas to urban centres (Rural-to-urban migration): People moved from rural agricultural areas to cities in large numbers seeking employment in the new factories and industries. This was driven by job opportunities in cities and often by changes in agriculture (e.g., Enclosure Movement in Britain) that displaced rural labor.
(a) Technological advancements in transportation:
\textit{Railways and steamships:} Facilitated the movement of raw materials to factories, finished goods to markets, and people (migrants) to cities over longer distances.
\textit{Intra-city transport (later in the period):} Development of trams, omnibuses, and eventually suburban railways allowed cities to expand outwards. Improved transportation supported the growth and functioning of larger urban agglomerations.
Agricultural changes: While not urban, changes in agriculture (e.g., mechanization, new farming techniques, enclosure) often increased agricultural productivity with less labor, contributing to the surplus rural population that migrated to cities. Now consider the options in terms of what was NOT associated with rapid urban growth:
(a) Technological advancements in transportation: This WAS associated; it enabled and supported urban growth.
(b) Expansion of agricultural lands: During the Industrial Revolution, especially in countries like Britain, there was often a trend towards \textit{consolidation} of agricultural lands (e.g., Enclosure Movement) and changes in land use (e.g., conversion of some arable land to pasture for sheep to supply wool for textile industry, or to urban/industrial uses). While overall agricultural output might have increased due to new methods, a widespread "expansion of agricultural lands" into new territories was not the primary driver of urban growth in the core industrializing nations. In fact, urbanization itself consumed agricultural land near cities. The key agricultural factor was increased productivity releasing labor, not necessarily expansion of total land area under cultivation in a way that directly competed with or detracted from urban growth. The migration was *from* rural to urban. If anything, increased urban demand could stimulate more intensive use of existing agricultural land or sourcing from further afield, but "expansion of agricultural lands" itself is not a direct cause *of* urban growth. The reverse (urban expansion consuming agricultural land) is more typical.
(c) Migration from rural areas to urban centres: This WAS a primary driver of urban growth.
(d) Development of factories and industries: This WAS the fundamental economic engine of urban growth. Therefore, "Expansion of agricultural lands" is the factor least directly associated with, or even contrary to, the process of rapid urban growth during the Industrial Revolution in the core industrializing countries. The trend was more about agricultural labor being displaced and moving to cities, and cities expanding into surrounding rural/agricultural areas. \[ \boxed{\text{Expansion of agricultural lands}} \]