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British built 4,000 km hedge across India to enforce salt tax
London book conservator Roy Moxham discovered records of a 4,000 km living hedge built by the British to enforce the salt tax. The barrier, known as the Great Hedge of India, stretched…
The Story in Brief
London book conservator Roy Moxham discovered records of a 4,000 km living hedge built by the British to enforce the salt tax. The barrier, known as the Great Hedge of India, stretched from Multan to Orissa and was maintained by 12,000 personnel. The hedge, up to 12 feet high and 14 feet thick, aimed to prevent smuggling of untaxed salt.
Moxham's 2001 book revived this story of colonial revenue extraction. The salt tax disproportionately burdened the poor, as salt was a dietary necessity. The Inland Customs Line collected Rs 12.5 million in salt tax in 1869-70.
The Indian Opinion
The Great Hedge is often cited as a symbol of colonial oppression, and the salt tax indeed hit the poor hardest. Yet focusing solely on British cruelty risks missing the broader lesson: the hedge was a massive tax enforcement project that failed in the long run due to maintenance costs and evasion. The real test is whether modern India can tax essentials without such draconian measures. Watch for how future salt tax debates reference this history.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
