Evolution of a Hinterland: the Case of Uran in North Konkan
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Trans.Inst.Indian Geographers ISSN 0970-9851 Evolution of a Hinterland: The Case of Uran in North Konkan Rekha Mammen, Mumbai Abstract This article undertakes a phase-wise historical analysis of transformations in a peri-urban region of Mumbai before India’s Independence. Relationships between local communities, traders, religious establishments and rulers through ancient, medieval, and colonial times are traced. The evolution of different forms of land use, patterns of exchange and settlements that developed in the region as a result of people-environment interaction is outlined. Introduction Sahyadri ranges, known as the Western Uran taluka presently constitutes a part of the Ghats, which runs parallel to the coast. The peri-urban region of the Mumbai Metropolis. region had an active maritime economy from Different forms of land use, patterns of the first millennium BCE despite the sharp exchange and related human settlements rise of mountains near the coast with limited evolved in the region through centuries of access (Figure 1) to the interior through difficult densely forested mountain passes people-environment interactions. Here the such as the Bor, Devasthali, Kumbharli and events and processes that shaped the region Sevtya (Campbell, 2006). The high rainfall, through ancient, medieval and colonial times tropical climate and fertile soil made the are traced in an attempt to understand the coast a considerably productive area. While needs, potential and regional development the coastal strip produced rice, salt, fish/ requirements that had emerged by the dried fish, sea shells, betel nut, coconuts, time of Independence. This would create coconut fibre and fruit, these in themselves the base upon which one could assess were inadequate to sustain trade. Timber, the contemporary landscape as imagined including teak, from the dense ghat forests through the development planning process constituted another important item for trade. and the landscape that has evolved through The various openings in the Sahyadris spaces of lived interactions. Today, Uran provided access to parts of the Deccan from taluka is an actively transforming site with where sugarcane, cotton, onions, garlic, large scale corporate investment. turmeric, tobacco and pulses were sourced North Konkan Landscapes in Ancient (Naravane, 2001). Times North Konkan emerged as a significant The North Konkan, where Uran taluka trading region (Karmarkar, 1996) in its is located, is characterised by a long narrow own right with the rise of trading centres strip of coastal plain bound on the west like Kalyan, Thane and Chaul under the by the Arabian Sea and on the east by the Andhrabhrityas (200 BCE – 400 AD). of village artisans evolved to serve village needs that crystallised into a group of twelve artisans called the bara balutedar (Kosambi, 1965), thereby reducing the need for a cash economy and making the village a fairly insular entity. Regional variations of this system naturally emerged as a consequence of the peculiarities of the differing local resource conditions. This is seen in the instance of Uran taluka where the service castes served groups of low-lying villages from their location in upland villages such as Uran, Jasai and Chirner where water, fuel wood, and other material resources needed for their respective trades were available in adequate supply. At the beginning of the early medieval period (Karmarkar, 2005) there was large-scale migration of Brahmins and craftsmen from declining urban centres to the countryside where production of crafts and agriculture picked up (Sharma, 1987). This could be the origin of the compulsion reported in Uran taluka for every low-lying village to ensure a place for at least one Brahmin and one Nhavi (barber) family. Since the predominant source of revenue for rulers was either agriculture or/and trade, much of the conflict between them was Western India, however, started facing a to gain control over fertile tracts of land decline especially after the 3rd century AD and coastal areas along with their inland (Sharma, 1987) that persisted even in the networks (Thapar, 2002). The expansion of Gupta era. Trade with Romans, Chinese political power in the Konkan was largely and Parthians declined considerably, leading based on increased revenue from the to revenue losses to the state, merchants, introduction of agriculture in new areas, and artisans and others. Failure to improve was often achieved by land or village grants agricultural production in the hinterland of to Brahmins and to temples. The process also the erstwhile historical towns such as Sopara involved the conversion of local societies and Panvel led to a social crisis that affected to peasant cultivators in areas where such a wide range of people, from the peasants cultivators had not existed before, and the right up to the city dwellers and brought Brahmins brought them into the caste system in feudalisation (Sharma, 1965). A system by allocating the sudra caste status to them. 82 | Transactions | Vol. 37, No. 1, 2015 Uran, then a village on Karanja Island, of Uran that is shared with the neighbouring seems to have gained importance as the Alibag and Pen talukas in Kolaba District, head of an administrative division during is the large area of salt marsh and mangrove Shilahara rule. The Shilaharas ruled over swamps reclaimed for the growth of rice 1400 North Konkan villages from 765/810 (Bombay State, 1908) and the production of to 1260 AD - more than 400 years (GOM, salt. Thus each taluka constituted a resource 2009) with a commercial hinterland for additional cultivators and labourers for extending up to Rajasthan (Thapar, 2002). rapid expansion. The nature and extent of trade during this period indicate complex trade links and associated influences that existed at that Medieval History of the North Konkan time. The important places in this period With the discovery of the sea-route around were Thane, Sanjan in Dahanu, Sopara, the African Cape in 1497, the period from Chaul, Lonad and Uran. Many villages and 1500 to 1800 AD saw a reorganisation of gardens were established on Karanja Island the economy of the region with the rise and the area appears to have experienced of strong maritime and continental power a period of prosperity (Nairne, 1896). Till groups (Gupta, 2001). When the Portuguese the 18th century the island, eight miles long arrived in the 15th century the western from north to south and four miles wide from coast was under the control of four main east to west, was cut off from the mainland powers – the Portuguese, Marathas, Angrias by the Bendkhal creek which at high tide was and Sidis – with the North Konkan region filled through its whole length. The creek to divided between two of them (Naravane, the east was earlier broken up into several 2001). The region had been considerably salt-pans. The erstwhile island consisted of neglected by its rulers in the previous two two rocky hills in between which there were centuries, thereby giving space to local grass and rice lands, wooded with mango chiefs to dominate the countryside. The trees and palms. Other than Uran, nineteen state of conflict between the petty chiefs villages were part of Karanja Island. and kings and the inadequately equipped Description of the subsequent arrival navies of these kingdoms made Portuguese from Paithan of a king called Bimba in occupation of ports such as Chaul (1507) Thane in the late thirteenth century, suggests and Dabhol (1508) fairly easy. Bassein that his reign also constituted a period of and its dependencies (Salsette, Bombay1, expansion of paddy cultivation and salt Parel, Wadala, Sion, Worli, Mazgaon, production in the region that required an Thana, Bandra, Mahim, and Karanja) influx of migrants who could undertake comprised one of the most attractive areas the work. One of the earliest references for occupation. The revenue sources of (Thakur, 2007) to reclamation, salt pans and Bassein in the 16th century included horse cultivation of such kharapat or ‘saline land’ trade, fishing, salt, timber, a stone quarry located along the banks of tidal creeks in (basalt, granite), and shipyards (Ramerini, the Konkan was found in a rock edict dated 1998). Revenues were also extracted from 1367 A.D near Alibag. A distinctive feature the surrounding agricultural area where Transactions | Vol. 37, No. 1, 2015 | 83 rice, betel, cotton, and sugar-cane were Island as Karanja (Caranja) served as an cultivated. The Portuguese soon controlled a important port and one of the main Custom stretch of about 100 km from Bassein (Vasai) Houses. Portuguese control over trade was to Daman called the Northern or Bassein accompanied by their efforts to control the Province which lasted for a period of almost local population through forced conversions 200 years (Ramerini, 1998). Their capital to Christianity. Unlike Goa, where the was established at Bassein and apart from Portuguese influence caused local converts a manor on the main island, Bombay was to sever their connections with the land by relatively uninhabited (Naravane, 2001). taking up jobs in Portuguese households New crops such as tobacco, pineapple, or the government (SSIC, 1908) in large and cashew were introduced that became numbers, in Uran the Christians took great important sources of revenue (GOI, 1882) pride in earning their living from cultivation, in the province. Although none of these fishing, and toddy-drawing. Very few took crops appear to have constituted significant up employment as clerks and shopkeepers sources of revenue in Uran taluka, cashew in Bombay, perhaps due to the presence trees are seen in some villages, e.g. Panje and of a strong regional culture rooted in their Sheva. Enterprising villagers had planted relationship with the environment. Village some of the cashew nuts gifted to them by grants were also made to headmen who had traders for their services as sailors (Patil, been converted to Christianity.