Page 48 - JCAU-6-1

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism A study on the spatial characteristics of gara

colonizers entering colonial cities profoundly influenced from Rander and Gujarat to Surat. The city was mainly
local culture, diversifying the storefronts of shophouses inhabited by Hindus, Jainists, Muslims, and Parsi
with architectural elements from China and Europe. merchants in the central area known as the “inner city.” In
(iii) The third period (1927–1963): Shophouse expanded the second stage (1688 – 1910), particularly in the latter
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beyond the Straits Settlements. Influenced by the half of the 18 century, Surat underwent a major political
Western modern architectural movement, artistic transformation that empowered both the British and the
decorative styles and early modern styles emerged Nawab (deputy ruler under the Mughal rule of India) to
(Han & Beisi, 2015), leading to the diversification and jointly manage the city. Given the increasing authority,
simplification of shophouse façades. the British established public and private buildings
Shophouses are mostly single-room or double-room prominently along the river, while the Nawab built their
residences (Zhao et al., 2015), designed to cater to both palace in the southern low-lying areas near the inner
the commercial and residential needs of merchants (Lin, wall river, leading to the emergence of the “outer city.” In
2002). Their spatial layout typically comprises shops in the third stage (1911 – 1950), these areas were primarily
the front and storage rooms and kitchens in the back, developed by nobles such as governors, Parsis, or Hindu
with a narrow width and long depth. An external corridor merchants but were mainly inhabited by the artisan class
in front of the building provides shade and shelter to and lower-caste groups. The acceptance of low-lying
pedestrians in tropical rainforest climates. The central areas as habitable areas by the upper-caste group was low,
courtyard connecting the front and back of the entire reflecting the social order of the time. The construction of
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building is mainly used for natural light, ventilation, and the city wall began in the second half of the 17 century,
rainwater treatment purposes. Due to their unique spatial connecting the gates of the inner wall with the riverbanks
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and structural characteristics, shophouses are suitable for around the fortress. In the early 18 century, a double-
tropical and subtropical cities. walled city consisting of inner and outer walls was formed,
and the regional scope of Surat continued to expand. Thus,
2.3. Gara the urban development of Surat was affected at different
times by various factors, including natural conditions,
Gara is a unique traditional residential area located in political changes, and social and commercial orders
Rander and Surat. Constructed with wooden structural
bricks and tiles, it features a narrow surface width ranging (Kinariwala, 2012).
from 3 m to 5 m. Typically, gara buildings consist of 3 or 4 Rander (the old city of Surat) and Surat (the new city
floors, adhering to set standards during construction. The of Surat) belong to the historical state of Gujarat. During
primary planning characteristic of gara is the adjacency of the middle ages, Rander and Surat served as important
buildings sharing walls, where the façade width is narrow trade centers in India. In the early 16 century, Sudanese
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and the depth is extended, forming a distinctive “comb- rulers began building the walls of Surat and included
like” arrangement. Notably, gara has yet to be discovered Rander within their jurisdiction. After being ruled by the
in other cities in India. Portuguese, Dutch, and British, Surat and Rand gradually
became major cities in India after gaining independence.
3. The history of urban formation in Surat By the 20 century, Rander was once again incorporated
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Before the 15 century, Rander was India’s main port. into the jurisdiction of Surat. This article covers the new
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However, following the Portuguese’s attacks in the town located in the southeast of Surat (Figure 5).
16 century, Rander declined and the ports of Surat 4. Urban spatial structure of Surat
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began to flourish gradually. In the early 17 century, the
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Dutch and British successively entered the region for trade 4.1. The double walls of Surat
exchanges with Surat, officially establishing it as one of the Surat, surrounded by the Tapi river, has a semi-circular
few port cities of the Mughal dynasty. Toward the end of outline that distinguishes it by the presence of two
the 18 century, the development of Surat was hindered concentric layers of inner and outer city walls (Figure 5).
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by severe natural disasters such as major storms, fires, and The construction of the inner-city wall began after the
floods. In 1852, the British established the City Hall in Shivaji attack in 1664, aiming to protect the city’s economic
Surat, planning it according to Victorian ideology, resulting and political center. This area is also the oldest part of
in well-defined grid-shaped blocks (Gokhale, 1978). Surat. The inner city’s heightened density gave rise to the
As shown in Figure 4, the urban development of development of the outer city, a modern urban area in Surat
Surat occurred in three stages. The first stage, spanning built in the early 16 century to fortify against potential
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from 1494 to 1687, witnessed the migration of Jainists invasions by foreign colonizers.

Volume 6 Issue 1 (2024) 4 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.1797