Cash Crops in Garhwal and Kumaon in Gurkha/Gorkha Period

History analysis of   Cash Crops in Garhwal and Kumaon in Gurkha/Gorkha Period  

Gurkha/Gorkha Ignoring Commerce Development in Garhwal and Kumaon -2

History Discussion on Gurkha/Gorkha Administration in Garhwal - 45

History of Gorkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) -108    

   History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -629

                          By: Bhishma Kukreti (A History Student)

               Kumaoni and Garhwali farmers needed cash crops for various purposes especially for salt, Gud, clothing, wage payment and tax payment. However, neither Garhwali King nor Gurkha paid attention on smooth trade facilities that cash crop is sold or exported.

    Poppy was grown in Bhagirathi Valley of Tehri –Uttarkashi Garhwal. Farmers used to produce Opium by poppy seeds. The Opium of Bhatwadi region was called the Best Opium. Farmers also eat opium raw seeds and used as spice too.

           Hemp was another cash crop that British Factory of Kahsipur used to buy and the hemp clothing was also bought by Sadhis in Pilgrim Raods.

 Cotton was grown in Bhagirathi Valley and Salan Region. Cotton was used for local demand only. Cotton was always imported in Garhwal and Kumaon.

Forest produces was also sold for export but mainly wood.

   Turmeric, Ginger was farmed for export or cash crop too.

              Dr Dabral mentions that Red Chilies were also produced for cash crop.  Vasco da-Gama is called who brought Red Chilly in India in 1598. No historical details are available how Chilies reached to Garhwal, Kumaon and when Chilies became household products. British did experimentations on growing such crops of American Origins as Amaranths, Groundnuts, Potato and Chilies etc.

*** This chapter References –

Moorcroft, Travels in Hindustan Atkinson

 Trail, Sketches of Kumaon 

John Premble, Invasion of Nepal: John Company at war

English Pre Mutiny Records, Kumaon 1816

Garhwal Settlement Reports

** Most of references and details were taken from Dr Dabral

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti Mumbai, India, bckukreti@gmail.com4/5//2015

History of Garhwal – Kumaon-Haridwar (Uttarakhand, India) to be continued… Part -630

*** History of Gorkha/Gurkha /Nepal Rule over Kumaun, Garhwal and Himachal (1790-1815) to be continued in next chapter 

(The History of Garhwal, Kumaon, Haridwar write up is aimed for general readers)

XX

                    Reference

Atkinson E.T., 1884, 1886 , Gazetteer of  Himalayan Districts …

Hamilton F.B. 1819, An Account of Kingdom of Nepal and the territories

Colnol Kirkpatrik 1811, An Account of Kingdom of Nepal

Dr S.P Dabral, Uttarakhand ka Itihas part 5, Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda

Bandana Rai, 2009 Gorkhas,: The Warrior Race

Krishna Rai Aryal, 1975, Monarchy in Making Nepal, Shanti Sadan, Giridhara, Nepal

I.R.Aryan and T.P. Dhungyal, 1975, A New History of Nepal , Voice of Nepal

L.K Pradhan, Thapa Politics:

Gorkhavansavali, Kashi, Bikram Samvat 2021 

Derek J. Waller, The Pundits: British Exploration of Tibet and Central Asia page 172-173

B. D. Pande, Kumaon ka Itihas

Sharma , Nepal ko Aitihasik Rup Rekha

Chaudhari , Anglo  –Nepalese Relations

Pande, Vasudha , Compares Histriographical Traditions of Gorkha Rule in Nepal and Kumaon

Pradhan , Kumar, 1991, The Gorkha Conquests , Oxford University  Press

Minyan Govrdhan Singh , History of Himachal Pradesh

A.P Coleman, 1999, A Special Corps

Captain Thomas Smith, 1852,Narrative of a Five Years Residence at Nepal Vol.1

Maula Ram/Mola Ram  , Ranbahadurchandrika and Garhrajvanshkavya

J B Fraser , Asiatic Research

Shyam Ganguli, Doon Rediscovered

Minyan Prem Singh, Guldast Tabarikh Koh Tihri Garhwal

Patiram Garhwal , Ancient and Modern

Tara Datt Gairola, Parvtiy Sanskriti

XXX

History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Garhwal, Kumaon, Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Pauri Garhwal, Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon, Sirmour Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Chamoli Garhwal, Nainital Kumaon, Kangara Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Rudraprayag Garhwal, Almora Kumaon, Baghat Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Tehri Garhwal, Champawat Kumaon, Punar Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Uttarkashi Garhwal, Bageshwar Kumaon, Nahan Himachal; History Gurkha /Gorkha Rule over Dehradun Garhwal, Pithoragarh Kumaon, History Himachal; 

Nepal Itihas, Garhwal Itihas, Kumaon Itihas, Himachal Itihas; Gurkha/Gorkha ka Kumaon par  Adhikar Itihas , Gurkha/Gorkha Garhwal par Shasan Itihas;  Gurkha/Gorkha Rule in Kumaon, Garhwal Uttarakhand; History Gurkha/Gorkha  Rule in Himachal,

Xx

History Crossing Rivers in Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon and Pauri Garhwal in Gurkha Period; History Crossing Rivers in Nainital Kumaon and Chamoli Garhwal in Gurkha Period; History Crossing Rivers in Almora Kumaon and Rudraprayag Garhwal in Gurkha Period; History Crossing Rivers in Champawat Kumaon and Tehri Garhwal in Gurkha Period; History Crossing Rivers in Bageshwar Kumaon and Uttarkashi Garhwal in Gurkha Period; History Crossing Rivers in Pithoragarh Kumaon and Dehradun Garhwal in Gurkha Period;

Xx

Cash Crops in Dehradun Garhwal and Udham Singh Nagar Kumaon in Gurkha/Gorkha Period; Cash Crops in Pauri Garhwal and Nainital Kumaon in Gurkha/Gorkha Period; Cash Crops in Chamoli Garhwal and Almora Kumaon in Gurkha/Gorkha Period; Cash Crops in Rudraprayag Garhwal and Champawat Kumaon in Gurkha/Gorkha Period; Cash Crops in Tehri Garhwal and Bageshwar Kumaon in Gurkha/Gorkha Period; Cash Crops in Uttarkashi Garhwal and Pithoragarh Kumaon in Gurkha/Gorkha Period;