Factors in the Highland Clearings of Sri Lanka

In Tropical Pioneers ,James Webb documents the clearing of highland forests in Ceylon, in turn making it possible for the British to occupy the land, utilizing it for their economic benefit. The primary material and ideological transformations that transpired allowing the clearing of the forests and introduction of agriculture were the scientific method, various economic intiatives such as currency change, tax policy and farming expansion, along with the integration of coolie Tamil workers into the work force which ended up benefiting the British substantially. The scientific method was the desire among the British to understand different species and deal logically with problems such as animal interference in the agriculture along with the launching of such initiatives such as the botanical gardens. The influential economic initiatives administered by the British were also a major factor in the changes the took place. Such intiatives such as currency change generated new opportunities for new Kandyan farmers by finally being compensated for their work which inspired workers from various fields to polish their crafts. The integration of the coolie workers into the work force was an essential aspect of the transformation in that the poor economic status of the workers rendered them reliable to work during the seasons when most needed, and made them the main source of labor. These three factors were the primary factors in the transformation to clear the highlands and introduction of agriculture and were interrelated in many respects.

The first central cause of the transformation was the new scientific method of thought orchestrated by the British to handle the difficulties they faced in their endeavors. Launched by Sir Joseph Banks and chief gardener William Kerr the Royal Botanic garden provided new vegetables that were rarely ever seen prior to this innovation. It says “all European thrive in the highest perfection, and in such abundance throughout the whole year, that green peas, potatoes, cabbages, turnips, carrotsâÂ?¦ are sent daily to Columbo, where such seen before, and never in the market” (Webb,56). This statement demonstrates the vast impact the gardens had in advancing the production of new fruits and vegetables to better accommodate the British dietary needs.

This also brought the introduction of big game hunting with the idea of limiting any potential threat animal populations might have on farming. The British brought a new way of thinking in that they not only claimed it okay to tame the animals, mainly elephants they declared it okay to kill the animals at will to keep the agriculture thriving. “In 1831, the colonial governor Sir William Horton, gave permission for and even encouragement to the destruction of elephants. No longer were wild herds to be driven into logged stockades and tamed” (Webb, 99). This statement exhibits how the British were ushering in a new train of though, that was somewhat cruel simply to benefit their economic goals. This was greatly taken to by Sinhalese farmers who with newly brought in rifles willed a pleathera of elephants and wild animals, vastly improving their economic needs. “Writing in 1840, Major J. Forbes was certain that the destruction of the elephant herds was an important element in what he perceived to be an increased prosperity among the Sinhalese farmers” (Webb, 99).

The next key manner in which the transformations took place was through far reaching economic initiatives. One such initiative was the implementation was the change of currency to money paper which gave Kandyan workers more power in currency that used to be in the hands of South Indian and Sri Lankan merchant bankers. “Credit and currencies that facilitated this engagement of Kandyan farmers were in the hands of merchant bankers from South India, and the Sri Lankan market was just one small part of their larger Pan Asian operations” (Webb, 74). Referring to the new engagement of Kandyan farmers in the wake of spurring economic opportunities, this statement symbolizes how the wealth was really in the hands of a significant few people pushing their own agendas and with the new initiatives the Kandyans would now have wages to work with and wealth would not just be hoarded.

Another key economic inititative that must be emphasized is the abolition of the tax on coffee grown from Sri Lanka. This had many effects in allowing the transformations to take place, and was such as a rapid incentive for Sinhalese farmers to produce more coffee which led to dramatic increases in export. “In 1824, Barnes exempted coffee lands from a land tax of one tenth of the produce. These decisions reverberated throughout the Kandyan highlands, and Sinhalese farmers increased their production of coffee for export more than 100 percent between 1820-24, and then nearly doubled their exports again from 1826 to 1833” (Webb, 69). This statement keys in on the ripple effect that the tax had on the increase in production of coffee, a commodity which was of increasing demand in Britain. Although their was no more tax the unbelievable increase in production turned out to be a great economic profit for the British. This along with the lifting of restrictions of Sri Lankans duties to the British in this field revolutionized the coffee production process in the highlands. The introduction of Coolie workers was a noteworthy topic because it transformed the workforce following the abolition of slavery by the British. Comparable to the modern day immigration of Mexicans to the United States seeking work, Tamil laborers were poverty stricken people looking willing to travel to work. The reason this plays a role in the transformation and introduction of agriculture is due to the fact that it filled a void left by the lack of slavery. Tamil laborers would come in the thousands seasonally to endure hard labor. “These migrant workers know as coolies(Tamil) , became the primary labor force for the highland export economyâÂ?¦ Tamil laborers from South India arrived on the island in considerable numbers, increasing from few thousand per year in the early 1840’s to tens of thousands per year by the late 1840’s and continuing to increase throughout the coffee period” (Webb, 90). This displays truly how powerful a force the Tamil workers had become in being the backbone of labor during the coffee period. Between 1840-49 the number of Tamil workers arriving from South India to Sri Lanka was 35,490. By 1870-79 this number dramatically shot up to 104,474(Webb, 90). Their undeniable impact is clearly seen in the numbers showing the increased utilization of the Tamil workers who ended up comprising most of the workforce.

In the end a combination of innovative thought, economic policies mixed with increased labor forces allowed the British to transform the highlands and introduce new agriculture. The British took on the mindset that it was best to do what would benefit them long term, and it was not all about constantly dominating the ruled party. Although not necessarily taking into considerations the will being of the native people many of their policies which benefited the native peoples also benefited their own agendas. The new tax policy is a great example, where both the British benefited from the increased production and the Sinhalese benefited from not having to pay the tax. This in turn allowed the British to meet the increasing demand for coffee and later tea which was being consumed at the never before seen amounts by the close of the 1800’s. The British very strategically advanced their agenda helping and hurting some along the way, however their intelligence and awareness in dealing with the problems that faced them in achieving their goals can not be denied.