Remarks on the Husbandry and Internal Commerce of Bengal: Kameshwar Singh Bihar Heritage Series-11

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A is a matter of great pleasure for us to bring out Remarks on the Husbandry and Internal Conference of Bengal under Kameshwar Singh Bihar Heritage Series. This book was written by Henry Thomas Colebrooke, a very eminent Indologist of the early years of the rule of East India Company in Bengal. It was first printed in 1794 for private circulation. In 1803, it was reprinted. In 1884, a new edition of this work was brought out in Kolkata by the efforts of its editor R. Knight of "Statesman and Friend of India Office".

The book deals with different aspects of agriculture, peasantry and commerce of Bengal and Bihar. The data regarding agricultural production, commerce, etc. were meticulously collected by the author. It may be mentioned that such data of the last decade of the eighteenth century Bihar and Bengal were collected and recorded by Colebrooke alone.

The value of this treatise lies in the fact that, according to its last editor, "It contains, so far as we know, the sole picture we possess of what "Bengal (and Bihar) and its Agriculture were, at the time of the (Permanent) Settlement"." Colebrooke spent thirty-three years of his life in India. For three years, he was Assistant Collector in Tirhut and, then, in 1789, he was transferred to Purnia. For his Remarks, he also conducted surveys in Bihar and one learns a lot regarding the eighteenth century conditions of Bihar agricultural life from it.

We have have great pleasure and satisfaction in offering to our readers this work of Henry Thomas Colebrooke. This work was printed in 1794 for private circulation, and remained unpublished for several reasons. In 1804 a reprint of an amended edition containing only the portion written by Colebrooke was published in London under the title of Remarks on the Husbandry and Internal Commerce of Bengal In December 1884 an edition of this work together with a Note by the editor R.Knight of "statesman and Friends of India Office" was published in Calcutta.

This work deals with a number of subjects like agriculture, population, husbandry, land tenure, the revenue system as well as the internal commerce of Bengal. All these topics are important for historians, academicians, and for the leaders for an understanding of the economic conditions prevailing in Bengal two centuries ago. Since then several change have occurred in the economic life of the region but some features of the past still continue. The illuminating discussion of the various aspects in this work may help us in identifying the genesis of some of the problems, plaguing our economy even today.

A decade and a half after Colebrooke, Francis Buchanan surveyed many district of Bengal' covering in detail a much wider field including topics like agriculture and commerce In comparison the present treatise of Colebrooke is much smaller, terse and concise.

Touching upon the physical, geographical and climatic conditions in Bengal during his time he describes the great importance of river Ganges flowing through the champaign country. Principal streams of the river in course fo their jouney to the sea inundate the tracts through which they flow and render the region as the most valuable for its produce and manufacture. He describes the climate differences within the suba. Periodic winds, different seasons in the year as well as the parching winds from westward prevailing in Bihar during the large portion of the hot season have all been described. Heavy and continual rains and the resultant swelling of rivers as well as the sultriness during the rainy seasons have all been taken note of fogs, dew and frost were a common feature during the winter season then as they are even today. Copious dew in Bengal during the winter season was helpful for agriculture as they assisted vegetation. Dews afforded 'nearly as much moisture as corn repuires in the soil so loose'. He also describes the different kinds of soil found in Bengal.