Diamonds and Opium - Ocean of Churn - Sanjeev Sanyal

We provide a summary of Chapter 10 (Pages 197 - 225) of the book "Ocean of Churn" by Sanjeev Sanyal.

End of Dutch Spice Monopoly

• Multiple European powers tried to grow expensive Asian spices outside their places of origin
• Pepper, originally from south India, spread to Sumatra
• Example: French adventurer Provost managed to smuggle 400 rooted nutmeg trees and 70 rooted clove trees from Spice islands to Mauritius
• Within few decades, there were spice plantations in Madagascar, Zanzibar and Carribean
• Dutch spice monopoly was shattered. VOC was dissolved in 1799.
• Indian textile technology was stolen and copied by Europeans. Indian cottons, esp. wood-block prints called “Chintz” were extremely popular in Europe
• French missionary Coerdoux converted some Indian weavers to Christianity and obtained secrets of Chintz wood-print technique. Further details were sent back to W Europe by French EIC agents. By 1760s, French and English factories were churning out Chintz on an industrial scale. In present times, this is equivalent to violation of intellectual property rights.

Free port of Singapore

• Due to corruption by EIC agents, its India operations were not profitable. Moreover, its trade gap with China kept growing. China insisted on being paid in silver coins for tea and porcelain.
• As Chinese demand for opium boomed, British used their control over India to grow poppies
• Shrewd Britishers put triangular trade in place. (1) Sell cheap mill-made textiles to Indians and buy opium at very low prices (2) Sell the opium to Chinese in exchange for goods that were in high demand in Europe (bypass payment in silver)
• Unfortunately, cheap textiles made on industrial scale in British mills destroyed the older artisan-made textile industry in India
• In EIC controlled areas, farmers were forced to grow opium and indigo instead of food crops. As a result, small changes in weather conditions lead to devastating famines.
• British officer Thomas Raffles, a Freemason (pagan) was impressed by the ancient Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms of Java. After extensive survey, he identified Singapore as a good place to set up outpost for permanent British control over sea-route passage.
• In 1819, Raffles gained control over Singapore island and declared that it would be a free port for trade and commerce. 1000s of Malays and Chinese shifted from Malacca to Singapore. It was a bubbling mix of cultures, incl. Tamilians and Indian Muslims.

Kandy for the British

• Kandy was ruled by Nayak dynasty from S India in 1730s. Later, it was ruled by a dynasty with lineage from Madurai.
• These rulers encouraged Buddhist revival to cement their position with the locals
• Between 1803 and 1815, British tried to conquer Kandy. Initially, they were decimated by Sinhalese guerrilla attack.
• In later years, Britishers conquered Kandy. Thus, entire Sri Lanka became part of British empire.

Haze of Opium

• Many European merchants began selling opium in China in 1830s, leading to a sharp fall in its price. Opium addiction became widespread in China.
• Forced to take action, Chinese government destroyed 20,000 chests of opium in 1839
• This led to first Opium war between British and Chinese. Using modern rifles, steam powered warship (from Industrial Revolution) and 7000 Indian soldiers, the British easily defeated the Chinese.
• Manchu emperor accepted Treaty of Nanjing. Several ports were opened for foreign trade. Huge compensation was given for war reparation. Also, Hong Kong began being controlled by British.
• In 1841, Zorawar Singh conquered Ladakh and marched Dogra army into Tibet. He even crossed Mansarovar lake but could not sustain supply lines. Tibetans with Chinese reinforcements pushed his army back to Ladakh. There, the Tibetan-Chinese army was defeated. This stretch of border between India and China remains disputed till today.
• Even in Second Opium war of 1860, Indian troops formed bulk of British forces. Same for Boxer Revolt in 1900.

Tycoons of Bombay 

• In 1858, EIC colonies were taken over by British crown.
• In late 18th century, many Parsis migrated to Bombay. They prospered as suppliers, victualers (restaurant owners) and shipbuilders.
• For opium, Parsi agents became an important part of supply chain all the way to Hong Kong
• Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy was the most successful Parsi merchant of Bombay. He partnered with Jardine and acquired a large fleet of ships. In later life, he gave a large part of his fortune to charity. E.g. JJ School of Art, JJ Hospital
• Another successful merchant was David Sasoon, a Baghdadi Jew who made his fortune from cotton trade. He is remembered by Sasoon docks, Sasoon library.
• Premchaad Roychand is the 3rd most successful merchant of Mumbai, who made his money in real estate and financial markets. E.g. Backbay reclamation company. Rajabhai clock tower was funded by him.
• These merchants, and many others, gave Bombay the risk-taking ability that remains alive to this day.

Oman to Zanzibar

• Sultan Said ruled Oman from 1804 - 1856 (golden age of Oman). His success was based on naval power, esp. shipbuilding yards and European designed ships built in Bombay. Omani economy was powered by wolves grown in Zanzibar and African slaves.
• Under pressure from Britishers and Royal Navy, the Omanis stopped trading in slaves around 1833.
• Oman ruled Zanzibar till 1964

Steam Ships and Fishing Fleets

• In mid 19th century, coal powered railways and steam ships drastically reduced the time taken to move goods and people over land and sea.
• Suez Canal was opened in 1869 under Egyptian and French control. Due to financial difficulties, the Egyptians sold their stake to the British. This radically changes the dynamics of Atlantic-Indian Ocean trade, since ships no longer had to make the long journey around Africa. Aden emerged as a major hub.
• After abolishment of slavery in 1833, many Indian indentured (contract) workers were transported by British and French to Mauritius, Fiji, Carribean etc.
• Tamil Chettiar merchants spread across SE Asia
• Gujarati traders and moneylenders established themselves along the coast from S Africa to Oman
• In Durban, South Africa, Indians were competing with Europeans as accountants, lawyers, clerks etc. This led to apartheid laws protecting the interests of the whites.
• Mohandas Gandhi arrived in Durban in 1893. He became part of a movement to oppose anti-Indian laws. In 1894, Natal Indian Congress was established with Gandhi as its secretary.

Scramble for Africa

• India was the only source of diamonds in the world till 18th century (recall Kohinoor) ! Later, new deposits were found in Brazil.
• Quality and quantity of South African diamonds was at a high level (recall “Blood Diamond” movie). There was a mad rush between 1867 and 1874, esp. at Kimberly. In 1888, the entire operation was brought under De Beers Consolidated Mines Ltd.
• Friction between British and Dutchmen in Africa (aka Boers) led to 2nd Anglo-Boer war during 1899-1902. Indian soldiers helped British during the war, where more than 100,000 people died.
• Africa’s interiors were seen as a source of raw material to feed industrial economies and of easily conquerable territories to feed imperial egos.
• Ethiopia was the only African country that successfully defended itself against colonial onslaught

Note:

Denying a people’s history and culture is an obvious way for a colonising power to present everything preceding their arrival as the age of darkness and ignorance.

End of Pretence

• At the end of the 20th century, almost all shores of Indian Ocean were under European control.
• In 1906, the Dutch landed at Bali island with a large force armed with rifles and machine guns. Both sides knew that Balinese did not stand a chance
• When the Dutch army reached the royal palace, the Balinese performed the Hindu rite of Puputal (Last Stand)
• In a ceremonial procession, the king, queen, children, priests, servants and retainers emerged from the main gate. They wore funerary garments and finest jewellery. The priest stabbed the king with a kris (dagger) in full view. The Balinese then pulled out their krises and charged towards the Dutch. They were shot down in minutes. Waves of men, women and children kept coming out of the palace and were shot down.
• Similar events occurred in other Bali kingdoms (islands), even after few years.