Empire and Ecology in the Bengal Delta

The Making of Calcutta

Specificaties
Gebonden, 254 blz. | Engels
Cambridge University Press | e druk, 2018
ISBN13: 9781108425742
Rubricering
Juridisch :
Cambridge University Press e druk, 2018 9781108425742
Onderdeel van serie Studies in Environme
Verwachte levertijd ongeveer 9 werkdagen

Samenvatting

What happens when a distant colonial power tries to tame an unfamiliar terrain in the world's largest tidal delta? This history of dramatic ecological changes in the Bengal Delta from 1760 to 1920 involves land, water and humans, tracing the stories and struggles that link them together. Pushing beyond narratives of environmental decline, Bhattacharyya argues that 'property-thinking', a governing tool critical in making land and water discrete categories of bureaucratic and legal management, was at the heart of colonial urbanization and the technologies behind the draining of Calcutta. The story of ecological change is narrated alongside emergent practices of land speculation and transformation in colonial law. Bhattacharyya demonstrates how this history continues to shape our built environments with devastating consequences, as shown in the Bay of Bengal's receding coastline.

Specificaties

ISBN13:9781108425742
Taal:Engels
Bindwijze:Gebonden
Aantal pagina's:254

Inhoudsopgave

Introduction. Almanac of a tidal basin; Part I. Environmental Consolidations: 1. Power and silt; 2. Drying a delta; Part II. Legal Maneuvers: 3. Notarizing possessions; 4. Commerce in land; Part III. Un-real Estate: 5. Speculative properties; Conclusion: disappearing coastlines.

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        Empire and Ecology in the Bengal Delta