By Diya Sharma
In Ecosystemic’s interview with Kristy Drutman, Kristy mentioned the role that colonization that has played in creating the current ecological crisis we are facing.
The cultivation of indigo during 18th and 19th century in India is a textbook example of how imperialism leads to the destruction of the environment and people’s lives. The system of indigo cultivation was inherently exploitative. Greed led to the colonization of India, the death of farmers, and the destruction of the environment on an unprecedented scale.
Indigo was the only natural dye that could stain clothes blue before the Industrial revolution. The plant was native to India and had been used for extracting color for centuries. There is evidence of its trade as far back as the Egyptian empire. During Medieval times once trade routes were established between India and Europe the demand for Indigo skyrocketed. Indigo gave far superior results than local dye produced from Woad, a European plant. In the 17th and 18th century, Indigo became comparable to gold hosting a huge demand and short supply. European merchants saw an opportunity to make large profits from this trade in addition to the spice industry. As a result, European empires started invading India. This led to the colonization of India with the motive of imperialism. After many wars, the English East India Company (EIC) took almost complete control of India.
The company gave a large amount of land to indigo planters in the state of Bengal. A law was passed that forced the small peasants to reserve a certain amount of land only to produce Indigo (Tinkathia law). The EIC and indigo planters forced peasants in the state of Bengal to cultivate Indigo as a cash crop instead of essential food crops such as rice. The uneducated ignorant farmers were given loans at high-interest rates without discussing risks. They could not repay the loans, and they were forced to work for the company and produce Indigo cash crops. This brought a novel way of exploitation called ‘indentured labor’. The same principle was later used to force peasants to produce indigo and then sugar in the caribbean.
This practice led to massive revenues for the planters and merchants but poor farmers became bonded to labor. Without any rice crops, starvation became rampant. Later, in 1859, thousands of peasants refused to grow Indigo. Tensions rose and this became a violent uprising. It was a show of rage and undying resolve that became one of the most remarkable peasant movements in history. The revolt was crushed brutally with the help of mercenaries.
Furthermore, indigo also had harmful effects on the environment. The cultivation of indigo required a large amount of water which made the water scarce for other crops and general use. It contributed to repeated famines in Bengal over decades.
The intensive cultivation of indigo plants has depletes the soil of nutrients and makes it unsuitable for other crops. The dye itself decomposes slowly. It accumulates in river water and its dark color prevents marine life from receiving enough sunlight. In essence, Indigo has harmed the environment both directly and indirectly.
In summary, indigo plantation was a disaster for peasants in the British Colony of Bengal. It led to the destruction of lives, livelihood, and the environment for centuries but the sole reason it continued was to fill the coffers of imperial merchants. The indigo Cultivation in India shows how colonialism, imperialism, genocide, and environmental destruction are different facets of greed.
References
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