For the sake of convenience of trade the British developed new centers of trade like Calcutta,
Madras and Bombay on eastern and Western coastal areas respectively. In late 18th century these
places became as Presidency cities under the British rule. These cities which were very important
right from the ancient as well as during the Mughal period gradually lost their importance.
Simultaneously many towns manufacturing specialized goods declined due to a drop in the
demand for what they produced. Old trading centers and ports could not survive when the flow
of trade moved to the new centers. Trades and exports via the earlier important ports like Surat,
Masulipatnam etc failed dramatically. At the same time, the earlier centers of regional power
collapsed when local rulers were defeated by the British and new centers of administration
emerged. As a result of all these happenings more and more people began to shift from these
places which used to be important cities in the past. This process is often described as de-
urbanization.