A SUGAR COLONY

BECOMING A SUGAR COLONY

All these form part of the Sugar Colony:
1-Economy
2-Politics 
3-Science 
4-Society

Relationship between politics, science, society and economy in Mauritius. To understand this society which is based in the sugar economy. This is the plant which has dominated the island's agriculture. Since the early 19th century (as from the French period). We are joining other countries, for it need tropical climate also supportive of extensive sugar cane culture. We shares characteristics of these islands. Shares much in common, the Carribean and the pacific as well as the large sugar growing regions as Brazil, La Louisianne and the Natal in South South Africa. Queensland in Australia, St Domingue, Jamaica and Martinique.

When we look at the history of sugar to some historians the 'canneraie' symbolize a history of colonialism and coerced labour. As far as this topic is concerned there may be difference in where one is situated in the society. The history of producing and planting sugar cane have different basis.
-Economy
-Manpower
-Political 
-Social
-The Economy

It is the sucrose that interest us. It has played a major role in history more than coffee. There will be an increasing demand for sweeteners will encourage farmers to cultivate sugar cane. The creation of a particular method of production in order to maximize this sucrose a scientific affair. We cannot ignore that the part played by scientist in procuring and creating new kinds of canes. And to preserve cane culture and also how to preserve this society and relied on sugar plantation. The pattern of social organization more apt for a sugar economy. Overtime, people have put in effort to improve their yield. Planters and scientist have selected and altered the society always taking into consideration to political, the social and scientific objectives.

'The sugarcane plants have helped to shape the societies that tried to shape it'. Sugar Cane itself did not determine history, it was a sort of web, in which the cane was only one of the element which was propelled by and by political, society, economy and scientific and technological.

The Sugar Cane plant is a large long lasting grass of which this plant there are five species. Three of these cannot survive without cultivation, marking them dependent on human while the remaining two can grow wild.

The most common species is Saccharum Officianarum and this type originated from New Guinea. It is known as the noble cane. In the 18th and 19th century, most popular found in the European, colonial plantation because of its large size, high sucrose content and its relative ease of harvesting two other cultivated species, the S. Sinesense and the S. Barbers were found South East Asia and North India, less sucrose than 1st one grow more vigorously, suitable to more extreme climatic conditions. The two wild the S. Spontaneum and S. Robustum have never been planted commercially because of low sucrose but more vigorous of the L.S. Species the S. Spontanously more useful in hybridizing with the S. Saccharum Officianarum.

Therefore since the 1930's almost all canes in commercial cultivation have been hybrid crosses of the Noble Officianarum and Spontaneum. Hundred years ago cane cultivation and selection started in New Guinea. It was there where they grew sugarcane for chewing and ornamentation. From the observation of these people. From New Guinea people have learned how to propagate this S. Officianarrum. The cane was subjected to mutations through hybrids and change the characteristics of the Sugar cane for greater yield and that would grow faster and more. Cloning works well in the case of sugar, it consist of cutting a piece of cane planting in ground and went for it "bouture'.

It could be kept for long see voyages in good shape without being spoiled . Polynesian travelers took advantage on these cane and brought it as far as the Pacific countries. It was a hardy and flexible cane. Today this variety is known as the Creole cane it is a hybrid cross between two unknown varieties of S. Officianarrum and S. Barberi. It comes from India and was propagated by 'bouture'. It spread from India to China and Persia in 600 A.D. Then to the Islamic world then the Crusade acquired a taste for sugar and they will initiate the early Mediterranean industry by planting the Creole in the New World. In 1420 Prince Henry the navigator, will also propagated to the Canary to Sao Thomes till the west coast of Africa. Christopher Columbus made on his second voyage introduced the Creole Cane in the 16th and 17th century Europe and throughout America. In 1737 in the Isle de France through Labourdonnais although in 1550 the Dutch had already into a noble variety in the isle the Oteiheite Cane. By the Mid-eighteen century the European explorers rely exclusively on the European variety except the Dutch in Java. The European created colonies as one of histories most repulsive history because it means coercive work and abusing of human being. However, as the cane, itself was a hybrid plat of cross-breeding would emerge a cross-bred society of cultural and racial inter-crossing.

Large scale capitalist enterprises.
These plantations were cruel places, code Noire etc., force labour and existence of a population that did not increase naturally, (the master controlled their lives). The integration of trade long distance network as far as trade is concerned that would emerged. Transformation on the ecological system. The cane plantation transformation of ecological system. The continent of Africa was decimated and the historical continuities in the land. Land was deforested to create space and the main focus of the European on the sugar isle. It is very difficult to retrace the beginning of the plantation of sugar cane in Mauritius and the first settlers did not consider that Mauritius was and ideal place for sugar cane production. The first mention of sugarcane in connection with Mauritius was in a December 12, 1641 letter of Antonio Van Diemen, a Dutch governor at Batavia informing the Directors of the VOC that it would not be a difficult matter to obtain slaves for agricultural development in Mauritius and he was thinking about the cultivation of rice, sugarcane, tobacco and indigo.

The Governor of Batavia sent a consignment of 'bouture' cuttings by THE WOLF which would arrive in Mauritius in July/August 1650. The first cane would grow well, but when crop reached maturity, rats would damage it almost entirely and would be the plague of the island under the Dutch. Rats were always serious cause of trouble but according to historians rats were given too much attention to rats.

One of the abandonment of cane productions in 1652, this view is widely held as a matter of fact.

1- Very little land open up by settlers salaried employees of VOC paid mainly for exploitation of ebony trees.
2- There was not much colonist to put sugarcane.
3- Even a few freemen and family given lots, lazy lots, they preferred to hunt and fish, draw upon the company supplies.
4- Meat and fish
5- Rice was scared and was replaced by sweet potatoes, they would wait for skips in small, inadequate quantities.

1652, firstly sugar cane had to reach adulthood. Distressed as far as food supplied was concerned. The GOA would come with supplies of rice and the commander not only rats were responsible for cultivation.

20 years after no one, Lamotius administered the colony (1677 –1692). Hubert Hugo attracted the VOC attention to the possibility of making Black sugar and distilling arrack from the cane Juice. He had alone nothing with these ideas. The plant had not disappeared from the first trial. The free men came in 1750 would extract juice with manual hand mills. A sweet white syrup was obtained which suggest the presence of sugar. The Company will receive their produce, however, large the quantity and at the price the VOC will pay them. No one has yet attempted to make sugar as no one knew how to make sugar. Under Deodati (1692 to September 25, 1700) under his governorship sugar reach the highest plantation. Yan Bolketbergh, a Chinese came to show how to make sugar. He was a doctor and knew how to prepare white and black sugar. They are going to send these sugar to the Cape to know if they could proceed with the production – It is to the credit of Deodati. The Lataniers palms became rare because these were used to make arrack. A severe drought in 1694 –1695 was followed by a violent hurricane on the 9th February 1695. This destroyed buildings and plantation. Fortunately the sugar machines were saved. In June 18, a sudden flood uprooted all canes and destroyed the cane mills in 1698 cyclones. The 1679 floods and 1699 hurricanes on the 2nd May 1702 a cyclone with violence accompanied by severe flood.

Other circumstances the 1st samples were not good enough. The cane juice for arrack for the men's - the quality were not in good conditions not clean enough. No longer depend on food supply from Cape of Good Hope to plant food crop again. In 1701 found the products bad quality can have these products from Batavia- Blow to newly emerged sugar industry. What more can the island produce? Fairly reasonable document support that sugarcane not completing abandoned for arrack for settlers. Labourdonnais has private sugar interest in the company. He never mentioned the cane. He started three sugar mills the first in Pamplemousses with its management at Villebague. 

Labourdonais gives the impression that Labourdonnais introduced sugar cane from India. He never did anything of this kind encourage colonist to make sugar - why possibility might have taken place – no evidence sugar cane completely disappeared? Why introduced from Java when existed in small quantity's in courtyard of houses in Bourbon. Couldn't have failed to see the sugar cane on visits to Bourbon isle. In his correspondence does not mention sugar cane or sugar industry. He did everything to start sugar cane plantation in isle de France. Why this silence? Didn't want to give publicity to the matter because he had a large private interest in that industry in the last two factories to be created. He had the legal rights to engage in private businesses. He had "Primitive" factories. He had the necessary machinery come from France. He had the management of Villebague. This fact sold in 1747 to two brothers, Vgourex. Where former captain of ships in the service of the Compagnie des Indes. They bought the factory in 1737, 12 years later it was bought by Rene Magon. The factory was created by the Dutch turned by water. It was expected to crush the 1st canes in the last quarter of the 1744. the cauldrons would have arrived by August by the St Geran but te ship wreck. Commercial scale in 1742 started. The Villebague enterprise was the only success of its kind. Coarse sugar quite disgusting. Sugar was employed for arrack to cover houses in the Italian manner. Sugar with chalk form a kind of mastiche spread on planks become as hard as a pavement.

By 1950 sugar factories were giving the F.E.I.C a 60,000 pounds turn around annual profit. Sugar industry was generating references. After Magon this industry almost complete decadence. It remain in a sort of stage, unstable situation, ¾ of the century. Later that the sugar industry would develop. 

Source  : articlesbase