Nathaniel Wallich: Global Botany in Nineteenth Century India

Nathaniel Wallich, a young Danish surgeon, became one of the most prominent nineteenth-century botanists in India. He spent most of his adulthood in India and conducted research trips to Nepal, South East Asia, and Assam, where he is considered one of the founding fathers of tea production. This book is based on his extensive correspondence preserved in libraries across Europe and aims to approach his career marked by biographical ruptures and contradictions while explaining the tight links between botanical studies and British colonial power in India.

Format: Hardback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 06 October 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

In the early spring of 1807, a youthful Danish surgeon named Nathaniel Wallich embarked on a journey from his hometown of Copenhagen to India. The backdrop of the turbulent Napoleonic Wars rendered it impossible to predict that he would eventually rise to prominence as one of the most influential botanists of the nineteenth century.

Wallich's adult years were predominantly spent in India, where he served as the long-term superintendent of the renowned Calcutta Botanic Garden. Through his extensive tenure in this role, he acquired profound knowledge and expertise in the diverse flora of India. From the vantage point of his desk overlooking the River Hooghly, Wallich established a remarkable global communication network, connecting with esteemed specialists and amateur researchers who have since been forgotten in the annals of time. His research expeditions took him to Nepal, as well as to South East Asia, and he can be regarded as one of the pioneering figures in the cultivation of tea in Assam.

The foundation of this book rests upon the extensive correspondence of Wallich, which has been meticulously preserved in libraries located across Calcutta, London, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Munich, and numerous other locations. Its objective is to explore a career characterized by biographical disruptions and paradoxes, yet simultaneously marked by a sense of continuity. Furthermore, the book delves into the intricate connections between what were purportedly neutral botanical studies and the emergence of British colonial power in India.

Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032377117