incorporated great india indian customs barrier built british india primarily collect salt tax customs line begun india control continued period direct british rule line beginnings series customs houses established prevent smuggling salt avoid tax customs houses eventually formed continuous barrier brought control line gradually expanded territory brought british control covered distance miles running alongside rivers natural barriers greatest extent ran northwest reached state near southeast line initially dead material indian eventually evolved living grew feet high compared great wall china employed customs officers men patrol line reaching peak staff line considered infringement freedom indians opposition free trade policies eventually abandoned tax applied point manufacture salt tax remain place origins conceived governed situation lasted responsibility government colony transferred crown following events company governor general india brought salt manufacture presidency company control allowed increase ancient salt tax rate remained brought huge revenue company amounting financial year cost indian consumer year months income provide salt family taxes salt british india territories tax highest taxes tax rate possible avoid paying salt tax making illegally salt stealing warehouses smuggling salt states remained outside direct british rule greatest threat company salt revenues smuggled salt came west company decided act prevent trade series customs houses barriers constructed major roads rivers collect tax traded salt duties tobacco imports customs houses backed customs houses located near salt works coast collect tax source customs houses little prevent mass avoidance salt tax lack continuous barrier corruption customs staff westward expansion salt rich states commissioner customs installed line customs posts rivers eventually evolve main aim prevent salt smuggled south west secondary line running prevent smuggling northwest frontier annexation allowed line extended north west commissioner customs smith items tobacco iron taxation concentrate salt responsible expanding improving line increasing budget year staff men smith leadership line saw reforms officially named smith new concentrated delhi consisted series customs posts mile intervals linked raised path known allow people cross line miles barrier surrounding land distance miles responsibility headed commissioner department staffed post indian approximately equivalent british warrant officer men backed patrols operating miles line line mainly concerned collection salt tax collected tax sugar exported functioned smuggling end company rule allowed british government expand territorial acquisitions line needed government calcutta ordered connection sections line continuous customs barrier stretching miles near distance said equivalent london constantinople north section lightly guarded posts spread apart wide judged provide sufficient barrier smuggling heavily guarded section miles long began running rivers terminating south final mile section reverted longer distances customs posts ran east financial year line collected million salt tax million sugar duties cost million maintenance period line employed men maintained customs posts salt tax worth million million british government india majority collected madras provinces lying customs line great known actual live grown customs line likely began 1840s bushes cut laid line barrier known dry dead took root miles thoroughly original dry consisted mainly samples dwarf indian fixed line stakes risk attack white ants rats fire storms parasitic natural decay strong winds destroy time necessitated constant maintenance commissioner estimated mile dry required tons material construct material carried line miles away labour involved task reasons live encouraged particularly damage required replacement half dry year preparation rapid expansion live began trials indigenous shrubs suited different soil rainfall conditions result main body composed indian species pear conditions meant grow found parts district places bamboo planted soil poor dug replaced better soil flood plains planted raised bank protect nearby wells collected large purpose built trenches road constructed entire length responsible transforming mere line dwarf irregularly scattered disconnected bushes formidable barrier end tenure commissioner contained miles perfect miles strong good feet high feet thick places feet high feet thick remarked barrier perfect form utterly impassable man beast substantially realigned joining separate sections removing spurs longer necessary happened runs abandoned men construct scratch new alignment living terminated south grow north met strong current judged sufficient deter historian compared use way river main modern germany roman fortifications replaced commissioner customs hold post years administration saw little realignment extensive strengthening existing run including building stone walls ditch bank systems grown end year increased length perfect miles central portion delhi said line altered slightly run alongside newly built judged sufficient obstacle allow distance guard posts increased miles replacement commissioner charge great control grew greatest extent reaching peak miles perfect good live miles inferior dry stone wall live extended miles places backed additional dry barrier maintenance work halted decision abandon line staff customs line required large number staff patrol maintain majority staff indian officers coming mainly british employed officers petty officers men line reaching peak men ranks staff numbers declined expansion slowed matured indian staff recruited muslim population constituted percent customs men men intentionally stationed areas away home towns removal local wood unpopular local people encourage operation indians lived villages near line allowed carry pounds salt free job customs man highly desirable high pay month agricultural wages month topped proceeds sale seized salt men forced live away families order provided houses expected build mud wood department allowed men families join line previous order led customs men posts closely local women men worked hour days consisting equal day night shifts principal tasks patrolling maintaining customs men carried million miles million patrols dug million cubic feet cubic metres earth carried tons material fairly high level turnover staff example men left service included customs men died line dismissed deserted duty failing rejoin leave removed unfit officer corps entirely british attempts attract indian men post proved unsuccessful officers required fluent english men easily find better paid work fields job tough officer responsible men miles line working sundays holidays officers undertook customs excursion day average weighing applying tax pounds goods addition personally patrolling miles line british men meet line typically officers adjacent beats senior officers visited times year abandonment british considered line major obstacle free travel trade partly use line collection taxes sugar percent revenues salt meaning traffic stopped searched directions addition line created confusing number different customs jurisdictions area surrounding displeased corruption present system way line came serve symbol taxes parts set fire indian rebellion government afford lose revenue generated line abolish needed control salt production india tax applied point manufacture lord took steps abolition line instructing british officials negotiate agreements rulers states control salt production process successor lord loss revenue caused reduced land tax killed million people having secured salt production finance minister sir led review tax system recommendations implemented lord resulted increase salt tax madras bombay northern india reduction reduced difference tax neighbouring territories smuggling allowed abandonment april tax sugar abolished year earlier tax reforms continued brought end import duties complete free trade india lord finally salt tax india rate districts india continued july burma maintained reduced rate tax cost government million lost revenue potential salt smuggled region meant north western section line miles long continued impact smuggling principal function line prevent smuggling way affordable salt respect fairly successful caught customs men arrested fined pay imprisoned weeks number caught increased line lengthened improved people convicted smuggling caught line rose convicted methods smuggling employed early patrols large scale smuggling common armed gangs breaking line salt laden cattle line strengthened changed tactics try disguise salt bring line throw attempted salt hidden jurisdiction customs department collect percent fee clashes customs men violent deaths customs men line duty uncommon large incident occurred september customs men attempted killed half gang later caught imprisoned transported customs man lost life near attempted seven colleagues capture gang fourteen gang later captured imprisoned transported died examples including killed fellow fight customs men drowning trying escape swimming irrigation tank legacy writers described line infringement principles free trade freedom people india sir minister tax review led abolition line quoted describing line monstrous system impossible find parallel country echoed modern writers journalist wrote guardian february line known achievements british india massive scale undertaking commented customs commissioner secretary state india comparing great wall china abolition line tax generally viewed good writer stating relieved people trade broad belt country miles long harassment sir governor bombay wrote inland customs line salt duties length swept away care taken ensure obsolete transit duties return use customs line maintain higher salt tax likely detrimental effect health indians salt higher prices area enclosed line meant average annual salt consumption pounds compared pounds outside line british government figures showed barrier directly affected salt consumption reducing level regulations prescribed english soldiers serving india supplied prisoners british consumption salt lowered periods famine affected india 19th century impossible know died salt india result salt tax salt recorded cause death instead likely effects diseases hinder known tax salt cheaper decreasing tax imposed million people increasing million leading increase use mineral consumption grew percent doubled time salt cheaper relatively earlier stage indian history rate salt tax increased compensate loss revenue falling silver prices adverse effect salt consumption salt tax remained controversial means collecting revenue subject civil movement led british rule marched salt producing area defied salt laws leading imprisonment indians march drew significant publicity indian independence movement failed tax repealed salt tax finally abolished india led october government old route roads despite scale customs line associated widely known britain india standard histories period mention library wrote book customs line search remains published followed finding passing mention major general sir work indian official looked determined locate remnants conducted extensive research london making trips india look remains line located small raised embankment district remains great india book claims subject details history line attempts locate modern remains book translated language published translated tamil published personally attended
Inland Customs Line