Unexplored Flip Side of Colonial period: Demographic change
through social engineering in the Punjab
Whenever one read literature, travel notes, diaries, books and
memoires written before colonial time, even written by Britishers, one observes
a massive change of demography in the Punjab after 29th March 1849. One major
example is our River Channel Trade (RCT) which was linked not only with Land
Trade Routes (LTRs) but also had links via Lhori Bandar (near Thatta towards
sea) with Sea Trade Routes (STRs). Recently when i read Alexander Barnes, Travels into Bukhara, he mentioned
presence of crocodiles in the river Jhelum, Punjab. He acknowledged presence of
crocodiles in Punjabi rivers but he told that in Jhelum their presence was much
more in 1831. He mentioned Arrian, Greek historian who centuries back recorded
presence of boat industry in this area. They usually use cedar wood in ancient
times. But now even crocodiles are not there in rivers? Where they gone? Was it
a side effect of great canal system installed by Britishers in 2nd half of 19th
century? Like crocodiles, our river channel trade is also not there. In South
Asia, we are habitual to study history either in pro-British or anti- colonial
modes so we still fails to map effects of social engineering done by masters
regarding demographic change.
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