The Setting:

After the city was recaptured by the British, the key-stone of imperial urban policy was laid. The objective of the new urban planning was clear, it was to create a rebellion-proof environment that would restore the confidence of the ruling class and make the capital a solid base from which the rest of the province could easily be governed and the revenue collected. Colonel Robert Napier of the Bengal Engineers, the Chief Engineer for reconstruction, proposed the following changes which aimed at improving the defense in the city:

• Establishing several military posts in prominent buildings of the city.

• Clearing the habitation and construction around these posts and along their lines of communication with the countryside.

• Opening broad streets through the city and practicable roads through and around the suburbs to ensure efficient and quick movement of troops to the danger spot.