The Ravaged Paradise: Environmental History of Colonial Darjeeling Himalaya

The book explores the environmental history of Darjeeling during the British colonial period, which transformed the environment through commercial control over natural resources, railway construction, tea plantation, timber market, and fuel and building material demands. It also includes ethnographic, geological, botanical, and zoological studies.

Format: Hardback
Length: 246 pages
Publication date: 28 November 2023
Publisher: Manohar Publishers and Distributors

The book delves into the environmental history of Darjeeling during the British colonial period (1835-1947), which significantly altered the region's environment through the introduction of commercial control over natural resources. Initially established as a hill station for low-income British administration in Bengal and Burma, Darjeeling transformed into a social, recreational, and commercial hub for the British authorities. The construction of railways, the establishment of tea plantations, the expansion of the timber market, and the growing demand for fuel and building materials led to the depletion of the forest cover. The less explored regions of Darjeeling attracted adventurous Britons, prompting extensive investigations into their marketable products, road conditions, and soil quality. In the nineteenth century, colonial officials initiated ethnographic, geological, botanical, and zoological studies of Darjeeling, shedding light on its diverse natural and cultural heritage.

Dimension: 240 x 160 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789394262454