The book explores the emergence of Bengali entrepreneurship in tea industry of colonial Bengal. Despite the ‘Divide and Rule Policy’ of the British Government, it shows how the rising tide of nationalism united them and ushered in Indianisation of the trade. It also resulted in the formation of various tea associations established by the Bengali entrepreneurs like Indian Tea Planters’ Association (ITPA), Terai Indian Planters’ Association (TIPA). The book highlights their role in the freedom struggle as well as their lifestyle, culture, and leisure. The work also offers an account of how the ownership in tea gardens changed hands from Bengalis to other Indians, mainly Marwaris and delves into reasons behind this shift.The volume will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of South Asian studies, economic history of India, the tea industry, Indian freedom movement and cultural studies.
The book explores the emergence of Bengali entrepreneurship in tea industry of colonial Bengal. Despite the ‘Divide and Rule Policy’ of the British Government, it shows how the rising tide of nationalism united them and ushered in Indianisation of the trade.
Introduction
Chapter 1 The Evolution of the Bengali Entrepreneurship in the Tea Industry
Chapter 2 Navigating British Barriers: The Rise of Bengali Tea Associations
Chapter 3 Beyond the Plantation: the Livelihood of Bengali Entrepreneurs
Chapter 4 The Role of the Bengali Entrepreneurs in shaping the Cultural
Landscape
Chapter 5 The Role of Bengali Entrepreneurs in Freedom struggle Movement
Chapter 6 Emergence of Bengali Babu Class in Tea Gardens
Chapter 7 Decline of Bengali Entrepreneurship in the Tea Industry
Conclusion
Supam Biswas is at present Head of the Department of History, Baneswar Sarathibala Mahavidyalaya, Coochbehar. He is the author of Tea World of North Bengal (2016), Partition Trauma, Migration and Divided Ethnicities in North Bengal (2022),The Empire Wrote Future: The British in North Bengal (2024), Social Changes and Transformation: A Study on the Tea Industry of North Bengal (2025), Bengal Renaissance and Cultural Awakening in North Bengal (2026). His main area of research interest is History of Bengal with special emphasis on North Bengal.
