Results: The Roots of Tea

The explosive growth of tea imports following the establishment of direct trade with Canton is impressive. Tea imports grew exponentially as the Dutch (VOC) and English (EIC) East India companies, established players in the tea trade, expanded their trade under pressure of competition from new entrants, such as the Ostend, Swedish, Danish and French Companies indicates the globalization of the tea trade in the 1700s. One year ago a large scale model of the Dutch Trading Ship the "Valkinesse" joined the Dutch Masters on display in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Have you ever visited the Museum of Fine Arts Boston?

The British would exploit the spice and tea trade for profit and political power over the next century. However, geo-political change involving new American colonies abroad and the French and Indian Wars in 1763 began to threaten The Company's privileged position. In addition, the Company would struggle due to financial mismanagement, corruption, and growing tea smuggling operations. The Nemesis of Captain Jack Sparrow in "The Pirates of the Caribbean" The British Government would not allow the company to fail. However, the United Dutch East India Company weighed down by smuggling, corruption and growing administrative costs in the late 18th century, the company went bankrupt and was formally dissolved in 1799. Its possessions and debt were taken over by the government of the Dutch Batavian Republic. Have you seen.....?

Despite the Company's dominance, China remained the primary source of tea for Western demand up until the mid-1800s. Looking to discover tea growing secrets and to end their reliance on Chinese tea, the British Tea Committee sent Robert Fortune, an English botanist, on an undercover mission to China. Disguised as a Chinese merchant he traveled around the country learning about farming and processing techniques. Most importantly, he sent back tea samples and brought back Chinese tea experts who played an important role in enabling British tea planting and experimentation in India. Did you know the development of Tea Plantations in India originated with stealing Camillia Sinensis Tea Seeds from China?

Around 1823, a British Army Major Robert Bruce stumbled upon indigenous tea bushes growing in the Northeast region of Assam, India. With this discovery of tea, the British East India Company seized the opportunity to experiment with growing tea in not only Assam but also in Darjeeling, a region in Northeastern India at the foot of the Himalayas. A Company employee, Dr. Campbell, first planted Darjeeling tea seeds in his garden at Beechwood, Darjeeling. The planting proved so successful that in 1847 the British government began developing a large number of tea estates in the area. This marked the beginning of a new, flourishing tea industry in India and an end to reliance on Chinese grown tea. Are you surprised that Camillia Sinensis Assamica had been growing in the Assam District of India all along, which increased the tea production in India?