A History of Agriculture in India v1.c2: Foreword
A History of Agriculture in India v1.c2
- Language
- English
Foreword
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THE history of agriculture is inextricably interwoven with the progress of civilization because it was the taking up of agriculture that made it possible for primitive man to live in selected spots, forming a society, and growing a significant portion of his food nearby. In developing crop and animal husbandry, man learned to supplement his own physical capability with that of domesticated animals. This enabled human beings to find a certain amount of leisure to create the initial ingredients of what is known as civilization. A thorough investigation of the history of agriculture is therefore a most important though difficult task to execute. While in some other parts of the world this has been attempted, no such endeavour has previously been made in respect of agriculture in the Indian subcontinent, the home of one of the greatest ancient civilizations. It is therefore gratifying that this has at last been done by Dr M. S. Randhawa with the support of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. There could have been no better choice for the assignment.
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Scientist, educationist, litterateur, art connoisseur, historian, administrator and farmer, Dr Randhawa is a towering figure in many fields of human endeavour but he does not flaunt his remarkable talents. The distinguished American economist, Professor John Kenneth Galbraith, who came to know Dr Randhawa personally during his stay in India as the Ambassador of the United States, says: "He is, indeed, an extraordinary man. His mind has ranged over nearly the whole sphere of knowledge of science and art, from soil conservation to botany, to city management, history, religion, architecture and art. And in none of these has he been content to be an amateur. In every one he has manifested both the instinct and the diligence of the professional. I continue to be puzzled that one mild man could know accurately so much and to such good purpose."
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After taking a first class M. Sc. (Hons) degree in Botany, M. S. Randhawa joined the Indian Civil Service, but continued his botanical research on Algae, ultimately earning a Doctorate of Science from the Panjab University. The love of plants which drew him to the study of botany was perhaps the foundation on which were built up his later interests and achievements in the field of floriculture, horticulture and eventually agriculture and all aspects of farming. The scientific training stood him in good stead when dealing with a range of problems whether these were in administration or in handling materials for his outstanding studies on Indian art.
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About the latter, Krishna Chaitanya, the well-known art critic, has remarked, "To the presentation of research material on art he has brought over from a scientific background a precision of analysis and a cogency of argument that contrast sharply with the sprawling and incoherent narration that used to pass as art history in the old days. In scale and quality of illustration and in standards of production, his books have reached the highest international standards.” The noted British art critic and historian, W. G. Archer, stated that Dr Randhawa “is proving a cultural missionary of the first order”.
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As a pragmatic administrator, Dr Randhawa has rendered great service to the country. Entrusted with the work of rehabilitating refugees in Punjab in 1949 by the State Government, he realized that for these thousands of unfortunate human beings, timeliness in settling them was of the utmost urgency, and he completed this difficult task in record time. As Commissioner of the Ambala Division from 1951 to 1953 and then Development Commissioner of Punjab in 1955, his great work in the rural areas brought him a tremendous amount of popularity and renown. When accompanying Dr Randhawa and Professor Galbraith on a tour of the Kangra Valley when they were making a joint study of the centres where some of the priceless Kangra Valley paintings were done, I had occasion to see for myself the very high esteem and affection in which he was held by the people living in the rural areas. As soon as word reached them that the now legendary Dr Randhawa was going to pass through their area, they flocked in their hundreds to the little towns that we passed on the way, and swarmed around Dr Randhawa, whom they almost smothered with garlands of flowers.
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In 1945 Dr Randhawa was appointed Secretary to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and 10 years later he became the Vice-President of the Council with the status of Additional Secretary to the Government of India. He was also Special Secretary in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture of the Government of India from 1964 to 1966, being in charge of the work of intensive agriculture throughout the country. He also held the position of Adviser (Natural Resources) in the Planning Commission. His duties, especially when he was Vice-President of the ICAR, took him to many parts of India, and he seized the opportunity to study with great interest the agriculture and farming systems of each region, the information collected being used for an important series of books on Farmers of India. His tours were always all-encompassing, including in their sweep visits to botanical gardens, horticultural institutions, art galleries, libraries and museums of natural resources of all kinds.
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During his tenure of the Vice-Presidentship of the ICAR, many important events in the field of agricultural research and education took place. After Independence the Government of India was naturally anxious to improve agricultural research and education as the backbone for building up a welfare State. Dr Randhawa was the Chairman of the Second Indo-American Team, which was set up to study the organization for agricultural
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research and training in India and the USA, and to make recommendations in this regard for the advancement of Indian agriculture. It was at this time also that a rapid development of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute took place, including the setting up of its now well-known post-graduate school in 1958.
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On retiring from Government service, Dr Randhawa became the Vice-Chancellor of the Punjab Agricultural University. His service to the University climaxes his life-long service to his state and the country. He developed the Punjab Agricultural University to a position in which it could provide a firm basis for the modernization of agriculture in the state, leading to a breakthrough in agricultural production. He also has stimulated to a considerable extent the arts and crafts of Punjab, the revival of its folk songs and Punjabi literature. He played a major role in the landscaping of the city of Chandigarh and in providing it with the largest and most beautiful rose garden in Asia. But he also served the whole country in many ways and his prominent part in promoting the Green Revolution cannot be forgotten.
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I have taken a little more space than usual to write about the author because I felt it was important to indicate his special experience and background for writing a history of agriculture. I have referred only very briefly, in passing, to his remarkable achievements in the field of art, culture and literature because what is most relevant in connection with the present project, of which the history is the outcome, is his scientific training and deep interest in botany and the evolution of life, his experience in agricultural development since 1934, and his involvement with agricultural research and education since 1949. His work with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, his administration of a premier agricultural university from 1968 to 1976, and his personal experience of farming in the last few years have given him unique qualifications for the undertaking and completion of this formidable task.
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Dr Randhawa’s book is staggering in the wide sweep of its subject-matter and impressive in the depth of the detailed study which illuminates the pages. This is no ordinary history of agriculture. He himself has said that a history of agriculture “can only be properly understood in the light of the evolution of life and the material culture of man.” The book is therefore really a history of the origin and development of man in which agriculture, in its widest sense, has played a role which is inseparable from human life. The author goes back in geologic time to trace the birth of the Indian subcontinent. After giving an account of the soils, climate, vegetation and agricultural regions of India, he goes back to the Tertiary period and deals with the ancestors of man, tracing these from the great Apes, through the earliest known Hominids to the arrival of *Homo sapiens*. After dealing with the period of the hunters and the food-gatherers, the author refers to the discovery of agriculture and the domestication of animals. From then onward is presented a history of agriculture and man's civilization which go hand in hand. The author looks far and wide for his sources of information; apart from books and treatises, archaeological evidence and evidences from rock paintings, carvings, inscriptions, etc., are all used to build up the history of agriculture. Throughout the book, though reference is made to the world position, the emphasis is on the Indian subcontinent and India in particular.
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The later volumes would refer to the development of agriculture during the more recent period, finally presenting the picture of modern sophisticated agriculture based on the many advances which science and technology have made possible. The book will be of interest to a wide variety of persons including all those interested in agriculture, in history, in the early forms of art, the origins of civilization and in the evolution of life. It will, of course, be of special interest to those who wish to understand Indian agriculture. The book, containing an astonishing amount of detailed information, will be a valuable work of reference to scholars and students as well as to the common man who wishes to know more about the beginnings of life and culture in the Indian subcontinent. Dr Randhawa is to be congratulated on having completed a monumental task.
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New Delhi B. P. PAL