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Article ID: CBB767267231

Spatio-temporal patterns in the history of colonial botanical exploration in India (2023)

Ray, Rajasri (Author)
Muralidhar, Madhupreeta (Author)

Endeavour: Review of the Progress of Science
Volume: 47
Issue: 1
Pages: 100859
Publication date: 2023
Language: English

URI: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016093272300011X

DOI: 10.1016/j.endeavour.2023.100859

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Historical method Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Travel; exploration Spatial analysis; space Botany Colonialism Modern Early modern India

A study of Indian botany during the colonial period provides us with an interdisciplinary sphere covering science, politics, sociology, economics, and other associated domains. The presentation of this rich legacy to general readers often restricts itself to the descriptive accounts of explorers with little analysis of the intermingling of socio-political dynamics, landscape, and geography. We attempt to revisit the colonial plant exploration history through spatio-temporal analyses to understand how explorers with divergent interests traversed the country in different periods and directions. Our findings show that the Himalayas drove most of the explorations followed by the Deccan peninsula, the Western Ghats, and the Gangetic plain. In general, company/crown administered areas were better surveyed and documented than native states. Furthermore, through a prioritization exercise, we identify the centers of prominence, highlighting their political, economic, and social importance in contemporary India. In sum, this article shows the potential of applying Historical Geographic Information System (HGIS) mapping for spearheading future research and creating space for possible dialogs among historians, political scientists, and ecologists.

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