The Indus and its Provinces by W. P. Andrew

210 Pages·2014·2.95 MB·English

THE
INDUS AND ITS PROVINCES.
THEIR
POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL
IMPORTANCE
CONSIDERED IN CONNEXION
WITH
IMPROVED MEANS OF COMMUNICATION.
ILLUSTRATED BY STATISTICAL TABLES
BY W. P. ANDREW,
CHAIRMAN OF THESCINDEAND PUNJAUBRAILWAYS,AND INDUS
STEAMFLOTILLA.
Author of“IndianRailwaysasconnected withthe Power andStability ofthe
BritishEmpire inthe East,”
&c.&c.&c.
“Itisasolecismofpowertothinktocommandtheendandyetnottoendurethemeans.”—
Bacon’sEssaysofEmpire.
LONDON:Wm.H.ALLEN& Co.,7,LEADENHALLSTREET.
1857
ReproducedBy:
SaniH.Panhwar
2014:LosAngeles
From the “LAHORE CHRONICLE, August, 1857.
RAILWAYS FOR INDIA.—
Now is the time to impress upon the Government the vital importance of
establishing anet work ofRailwaysinthiscountry (India.)
The absolute necessity of establishing rapid communications has been amply
proved by the present crisis. Even with forced marches, troops take 24 days to
get overthe distance they wouldbe carriedby railin12or 18hours!!
On economical grounds alone, the Railway ought to be extended and ramified
without delay and regardless of the immediate outlay. This may seem a paradox,
but we will explain. Ten thousand men with a rail to travel by are fully equal in
this country to thirty thousand with the existing means of conveyance, and the
cost of the difference, viz., 20,000 European troops is a matter of pounds,
shillings,andpence, that we leave for financiersto calculate.
What a glorious thing it would have been, had the Euphrates Valley Railway and
the Scinde and Punjaub Railway been accomplished facts at the time of the
present insurrection. How it would have “astonished the Natives” to have seen a
gallant British Army landed at Lahore, within a month of the outbreak taking
place! and yet such a thing would have been possible, supposing the Electric
Telegraph to have been also Completed so as to establish an electric messenger
betweenthe Indusand the Thames.
But we are a people of slow perception in spite of all that may be said of our
superiority. It is only when we are severely punished that we awaken from our
lethargy.
The British Lion, terrible when once aroused, requires a good shaking before he
can be awakened, but once up, his vigour is as great as ever. At present, however,
monthsmust elapse ere the punishment can be dealt out.
Prompt chastisement carriesterror andfear withit,and unhingesthe plans ofthe
conspirators, whereas, delay in punishing the guilty, gives them confidence and
addsto their strength.
Let us hope that one of the good things to result out of this great evil may be
RAILWAY ANDSTEAM COMMUNICATIONONA LIBERALSCALE.
LONDON:
CONTENTS.
CHAPTERI.
INTRODUCTORY.
The return of commerce to its ancient routes — The Indus route to Central Asia
and Europe used in the seventh century—Sir A. Burnes on the Indus route—
Opinion of Sir Charles Napier—The Indus Valley peculiarly suited to the
combinedsystemofrailwaysandsteamboats. .. .. .. Page 2
CHAPTERII.
THEINDUSVALLEY ASA MILITARY HIGHWAY.
The Indus as a barrier against invasion—M. Ferrier on the practicable routes
from the Caspian to the Indus—The movements of Russia—Prince Bariatinski—
Projected Russsian railways—Mr. Bartle Frere on the Indus as a defence—Sir
Justin Sheil on the invasion of India by Russia—Lord Dalhousie on improved
transit by the Indus. .. .. .. .. .. .. Page 10
CHAPTERIII.
KURRACHEE.
Harbour and port of Kurrachee—Opinions of Commodores Young and Rennie
and Captain Balfour, I. N.—Depth of water on bar—Tonnage of ships—General
John Jacob’s Trade Report—Value of sea-borne trade of Scinde—Kurrachee, the
European port of India—The gate of Central Asia—Opinions of Mr. J. Walker—
Captain C. D. Campbell, I. N.—Colonel Turner—Lieutenant Leeds—Mr. Frere—
General Parr—Kurrachee, chief seat of telegraphic communication between
Europe andIndia. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Page 27
CHAPTERIV.
KURRACHEE
In connection with improved means of internal communication—Opinion of Sir
Henry Pottinger—Of deputy-collector of port—Of Mr. Frere—Traffic between
port andtown—Trade ofKurrachee for 1856-57. .. .. Page 37
CHAPTERV.
SCINDERAILWAY.
Immediate objects—Contract with East India Company—Profitable character of
line—Local authorities’ opinion of—Public advantages of—Traffic returns—
Branchesto BolanPass andDeesa. .. .. .. .. Page 49
CHAPTERVI.
THEINDUSSTEAMFLOTILLA.
The Indus, its trade—Its boats and its steamers—Railways in connection with
river steamers—Opinions of local authorities—Official correspondence—
Commissionappointed—Punjaubreport—River navigation. .. Page 53
CHAPTERVII
THEPUNJAUB RAILWAY.
Report of Punjaub Government—Report of Mr. W. Brunton, Superintending
Engineer—Road census—Traffic on bridge of boats, river Ravee, at Lahore—
Table of gradients—Official correspondence—Opinion of Sir John Lawrence—
Constructionofline sanctioned. .. .. .. .. .. Page 68
CHAPTERVIII.
PROVINCESOF INDUS.
Identity of interests of Punjaub and N. W. provinces with Scinde—Area—
Population—Official Census, December, 1854—Comparative density of
populationindifferent partsofIndia. .. .. .. .. Page 95
CHAPTERIX.
PROVINCESOF INDUS.
Major Hamilton’s estimate of imports and exports via Mooltan —Traffic on the
Indus at Mithunkote—amount of military force—supply of European goods for
troops. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Page 99
CHAPTERX.
INDIA ANDCENTRALASIA.
Transit of European goods to Central Asia—CashmereThibet — Persia —
Turkestan — Balkh — Khiva — Bokhara—Caspian Sea—Russia—Volga—
Persian Gulf—The Levant—Balfrush—Bustum—Lohanee merchants —Merv—
Imports and exports—Trade of India with Central Asia—Dhera Ismael Khan—
Caravans—Cost of transit—Imports and exports—Direct Communication
between England and Kurrachee—Value of Indian trade—Transit duties
abolishedonIndusanditseffluents. .. .. .. .. Page 104
CHAPTERXI.
PRODUCTIONS OF VALLEY OF INDUS.
Coal. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Page 113
CHAPTERXII.
PRODUCTIONS OF VALLEY OF INDUS.
Timber for building and railway purposes in Punjaub and neighbouring territory.
.. .. .. .. .. .. Page 116
CHAPTERXIII.
PRODUCTIONS OF VALLEY OF INDUS.
Fibroussubstances— Cotton—Wool—Silk—LinseedandFlax. Page 119
CHAPTERXIV.
PRODUCTIONS OF VALLEY OF INDUS.
Wheat. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Page 128
CHAPTERXV.
PRODUCTIONS OF VALLEY OF INDUS.
Salt. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. Page 133
CHAPTERXVI.
COLONIZATIONIN INDIA ANDAUSTRALIA COMPARED.
Himalayan and inter-Himalayan regions—Offspring of Europeans—East
Indians—Productions and capabilities—Tea cultivation — Australian
immigration, advantages and disadvantages of — Indian immigration,
advantages and disadvantages of — Simla — Kangra—Indian and colonial
immigrationcontrasted—Military coloniesinIndia. .. .. Page 139
APPENDIX A.
Memorandaonthe externaltradeofScinde for 1856-57. .. Page 152
APPENDIX B.
Trade withScinde and CentralAsia. .. .. .. .. Page 163
APPENDIX C.
Sonmeeanee—asit was,—andis. .. .. .. .. .. Page 170
APPENDIX D.
Grantsofland—conditionsof—for tea cultivation. .. .. Page 174
APPENDIX E.
Fighting strengthoffrontier clans. .. .. .. .. Page 176
APPENDIX F.
Fourthreport ofdirectorsofScinde Railway Company. .. Page 179
APPENDIX G.
EuphratesandIndusRoute to CentralAsia. .. .. .. Page 200
MAPOF
Comparative distancesbetween
KURACHEEANDADEN
AND
BOMBAY ANDADEN
IndusanditsProvinces;Copyrightwww.panhwar.com 1
THE INDUS AND ITS PROVINCES.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.
THE RETURN OF COMMERCE TO ITS ANCIENT ROUTES.-THE
INDUS ROUTE TO CENTRAL ASIA AND EUROPE USED IN
THE SEVENTH CENTURY. - SIR A. BURNES ON THE INDUS
ROUTE. - OPINION OF SIR CHARLES NAPIER.-THE INDUS
VALLEY PECULIARLY SUITED TO THE COMBINED SYSTEM
OF RAILWAYS AND STEAMBOATS.
FEW facts bear more conclusive testimony to the sagacity of the ancients, when
the limited amount of their geographical knowledge is remembered, than the
tenacity with which commerce adhered to the direction given to it by them, and
the readiness with which it returns to any of those channels when temporarily
diverted by political events or geographical discoveries. The overland route from
Europe to India, by the Isthmus of Suez and the Red Sea, is certainly as old as the
days of the early Phoenician navigators. The navigability of the Euphrates was
tested long before Trajan ever sailed on its waters, and was revisited by the
Italians in the eleventh century, and our own merchants in the days of Elizabeth
as the best way to the East;1 whilst the value of the Indus, as the shortest and
easiest route for the commerce of India, not only with Central Asia and the north
of Europe, but with the whole of the West, was fully recognised by the later
Romans in the seventh century. Necessity, in their case, was the mother of
invention. When the rapid progress of the Mohammedan arms had wrested
1 “Variouscausesconcurred inrestoringlibertyand independence to the citiesofItaly. The acquisitionof
these roused industry and gave motion and vigor to all the active powers of the human mind. Foreign
commerce revived, navigation was attended to and improved. Constantinople became the chief mart to
whichtheItaliansresorted.Theretheynotonlymetwithfavorablereception,butobtainedsuchmercantile
privileges as enabled them to carry on trade with great advantages. They were supplied both with the
precious commodities of the East, and with many curious mane- factures, the product of ancient arts and
ingenuity still subsisting among the Greeks. As the labour and expense of conveying the productions of
IndiatoConstantinople,bythatlongandindirectcoursewhichIhavedescribed(theroutebytheIndus,the
Oxus,theCaspian,andtheVolga)renderedthemextremelyrare,andofanexorbitantprice,theindustryof
the Italians discovered other methods of procuring them in greater abundance and at an easier rate. They
sometimes purchased them at Aleppo, Tripoli, and other ports on the coast of Syria, to which they were
broughtbyaroutenotunknowntotheancients.TheywereconveyedfromIndiabyseaupthePersianGulf,
andascendingtheEuphratesandTigrisasfarasBagdat,werecarriedbylandacrossthedesertofPalmyra,
andfromthencetothetownsontheMediterranean.”—Robertson’sAmerica,Book1.
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Egypt from the Byzantine power, and thus closed the overland route of Suez to
the Greek merchants,they forthwithturnedto other meansandsought out anew
channel, by which the productions of the East might be transmitted to the great
emporium of the West.The route thus discovered was that by the Indus. The rich
and easily-stowed products of India were carried up the great river as far as it
was navigable; thence transported to the Oxus, down whose stream they
proceeded as far as the Caspian Sea. There they entered the Volga, and sailing up
it, were carried by land to the Tanais (the Don), which conducted them into the
Euxine Sea, where shipsfromConstantinople waitedtheir arrival.2 The discovery
ofthe long,but easy route, by the Cape ofGoodHope, combinedwiththe deadly
feuds between the Christians of the West and the Mohammedan nations that
heldthe countriesofthe Nile andthe Euphrates,for atime divertedthe streamof
commerce from those routes. It has not been so, however, with the Indus, to the
same extent. Ifthe revival of the overland route and the impending re-opening of
the Euphrates as the highway to the East, are evidences of a return to old paths,
the continuance of a commerce with Central Asia and northern Europe, by way
of the Indus, and the two great gates of India, the Khyber and Bolan Passes, is a
pregnant proof of the tenacity with which trade adheres to its old channels, and
of the sagacity which originally selected that direction for the produce of the East.
However great may have been the changes of masters and manners in the
territories between the Indus and the Bosphorus, a portion of the tide of
commerce has flowed, and does still flow, as it did in the seventh century. When
the late Sir Alexander Burnes was in Lahore in 1831, he found English broad
cloth sold in the Bazaar that had been brought, not from Calcutta, but from
Russia; and when he penetrated further into Central Asia, met, at Bokhara, with
a merchant, “thinking of taking an investment of it to Loodhiana, in India, where
he could afford to sell it cheaper than it was to be had there, notwithstanding the
lengthofthe journey.”3
The traffic between India and Central Asia, described so fully by Sir Alexander
Burnes, as existing at the period of his visit, was carried on in a slow and moat
expensive manner either by camels or by the badly constructed boats of the
country on the Indus and the tributary streams of the Punjaub, despite
accumulated difficulties. Besides the labour of tracking, so often required to stem
the stream of the river, the rude character of the boats employed, and the
exactions of each petty prince through whose territory the goods passed, there
wasthe seriousimpediment offeredby the selfishpolicy ofthe AmeersofScinde,
who unavoidably arrested the development of trade when they carried their
devotion to field sports so far, as to think nothing of devastating a large tract of
populous and fertile land in order to secure greater quiet and more secure cover
2 Robertson’sAmerica,Book1,quotingfromRamusio,vol.i.,p.372.
3 Burnes’sTravels,vol.ii.p.432
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