Indigo agus an t-Eilean - Pàirt a dhà.

The profit that could be made from indigo, land use practices, the Blue Rebellion and the start of the decline of the industry.

This article is in Scottish Gaelic. Read in English here.

OS-SEALLADH

Sa chiad alt san sreath seo, sgrìobh mi mu dheidhinn mar a dh’fhàs gnìomhachas an Indigo anns an 19mh linn. Cuideachd an ceangal a bh’ aig an Eilean Sgiathanach ris, gu h-àraidh ann am Bihar, sna h-Innseachan.

Anns an dàrna alt seo, bheir sinn sùil air an airgead a bha na chois, mar a dh’fhàs e agus mar a chaidh e a-mach à bith. Cuideachd, mar a chaidh fearann a roinn agus a chleachdadh anns na sgìrean far an robh indigo ga fhàs.

AN T-AIRGEAD A BH’ ANN AN INDIGO

Chan eil teagamh ann nach robh gu leòr dhe na manaidsearan-planntachaidh a’ dèanamh beag-fortan a-mach às an obair. Bhruidhinn mi ri aon neach, bha sgeulachd anns an teaghlach aca mu fhear a sgrìobh dhachaigh leis an naidheachd gun d’ fhuair e obair le tuarasdal luach £5000 sa bhliadhna. Bha sin coltach ri “obair fhaghinn mar bhancair, anns na làithean ud.”

Anns an leabhar European indigo factories in Lower Provinces of Bengal, 1831. Tha an t-ùghdar ag ràdh “the profitability of Bengal indigo was ~23 per cent on total investment”.

Tha seo àrd. Ma choimheadas sinn ri Warren Buffet (the Seer of Omaha), aon de na manaidsearan-airgid as fheàrr a bh’ ann a-riamh. Rinn esan “managed annualised gains of around ~20 percent.” Tha an S&P 500 timcheall ait ~10%, bho thòisich e ann an 1926.

Nan cleachdadh tu ‘Riaghailt 72 ‘(The Rule of 72) – 72 air a roinn le 23, tha sin a’ toirt dhut cia mheud bliadhna a dh’fheumadh tu airson d’ argead a dhùblachadh. Sin ~3 bliadhna a bheireadh e.

Bha prothaid uabhasach àrd ri fhaighinn ann an indigo.

Dh’abhraich an t-airgead a thàinig à indigo atharrachaidhean mòra cuideachd air structar sòisealta agus seilbh fearainn ann an Alba.

Eisimpleir dhen seo – reic Diùc Chataibh pàirt mhòr dhen oighreachd aige ri fear à Alexandria, faisg air Glaschu, a rinn a fhortan le dathadh indigo. Agus anns a’ chad alt, sheall sinn air an àireamh de ‘thaighean mòra’ anns an Eilean Sgiathanach a chaidh a thogail le airgead bho indigo.

Bhiodh manaidsearan cuideachd a’ cleachdadh an airgid a bha’ d a’ cosnadh airson cuibhreann a cheannachd ann an ‘concerns’ eile. Ann an indigo, ach cuideachd ann an siùcar agus teatha,.

Bha cuideachd, planntrais eile ann a bha ag obair math dhaibh – seach gun robh e a’ fàs aig àm diofraichte ri indigo agus ‘ e sin – opium.

Mar a tha fios againn, chaidh fortanan a dhèanamh a-mach à opium. Agus chaidh iomadach beatha a mhilleadh air a sgàth.

CLEACHDAIDHEAN FEARAINN ANN AM BIHAR

Bhiodh uachdaran aig an robh fearann air a Ghàidhealtachd san 19mh linn gu math eòlach air na cleachdaidhean fearainn ann am Bihar aig an àm.

“Planters in Bihar organized the cultivation of indigo on land under their direct control on what were called the zirat lands. The ownership of land was usually acquired through the purchase of leases over entire villages from the landlords. Such leases gave planters access to the traditional power of the landlords in the Bihar countryside.

So even if the planters did not “own” the land in any absolute legal sense, they had sufficiently strong rights over the land in their possession.

This system of indigo cultivation was different from the prior practice in Bengal, where the indigo was largely grown by giving out contracts to Indian peasants.”(Indigo Plantations and Science p 134)

Seo a thuirt an Lieutenant Governor (Bengal), J.P. Grant, a’ mìneachadh mar a bha na ryots (na tuathaniach) a’ call airgead le bhith a’ cur indigo:

“One-sixteenth of his whole land is a common portion which, it is insisted, an indigo ryot shall sow in indigo.

This is as though a farmer in Great Britain, farming under a long lease of 160 acres of land, at a rent of 21 an acre, were, by some sort of pressure, forced to cultivate 10 acres, say in flax, which he was compelled to sell to a certain neighbouring manufacturer at a dead loss of 140/ a year.

If one remembers that these ryots are not Carolina slaves, but the free yeomanry of this country, and, indeed, strictly speaking, the virtual owners of the greater part of the land in the old cultivated parts of Bengal, so heavy a loss as this will fully account to us for the strength of the opposition to indigo cultivation which we have just experienced. (Ray, 2011)

AN ‘T-AR A-MACH GORM’ NO ‘THE BLUE REBELLION'

‘S e an ‘Nil Vidroha’ no ‘The Blue Rebellion’ ann an 1859-60 eisemplair dhen sin. Dh’fhàs e a-mach à cho mì-chothromach ‘s a bha obair an indigo dha muinntir an àite.

Seo a thuirt C. Wood, Rùnaire Stàite aig an àm airson nan Innseachan:

“.. the evidence…is conclusive as to the fact that the cultivation was unprofitable to the ryot, who was required to furnish the plant at a price which, with the extra charges to which he was subjected, did not reimburse him for the cost of production.” (Ray, 2011)

Bha an Governor General aig an àm, Lord William Bentinck, ag argumaid gun robh obair an Indigo a’ toirt piseach air na sgìrean anns an robh e a’ gabhail àite:

“…every factory is in its degree the centre of a circle of improvement, raising the persons employed in it and the inhabitants of the immediate vicinity above the general level.” (Ray, 2011)

Ach, tha e dulich faicinn mar a bha seo fìor nuair nach robh na ryots a’ dèanamh airgead sam bith à obair a bha cho garbh cruaidh, agus gun robhas a’ feuchainn ri toirt orra indigo fhàs an àite an talamh sin a chleachdadh gus biadh fhàs dhaibh pèin.

A’ CHIAD IOMAIRT LE MAHATMA GANDHI

B’ e gnìomhachas an indigo aon de na prìomh adhbharan-còmhstri eadar Riaghaltas Bhreatainn agus a’ ghluasad airson neo-eisimeileachd anns na h-Innseachan.

‘S ann ann am Bihar, a’ toirt taic do luchd-obrach an indigo, a chuir Mahatma Gandhi air bhog a’ chiad iomairt mhòr anns an robh a an sàs airson neo-eisimeileachd nan Innseachan – iomairt “Champaran Satyagraha” ann an 1917.

Ach aig a’ cheann thall, cha b’ e seo ach aon de na rudan a thug crìoch air gnìomhachas an indigo. Oir ann an 1880, bha ceimigear anns a’ Ghearmailt, Adolf von Baeyer, ag obair air dath ùr’ gorma tron chompanaidh fhèin.

B’ e ainm na companaidh – BASF.

Anns an treas phàirt dhen sgeulachd, bheir sinn sùil air na chur às dha obair an Indigo. Eadar WW1, adhartas ann an siadheans dhathan. agus strì eadar Breatainn agus a’ Ghearmailt às dèidh a’ Chogaidh.

DEIREADH.