Mining & Minerals – Commercialization of Natural Resources – Displacement - Resistance – Punjab -

 

Question: Mining & Minerals – Commercialization of Natural Resources – Displacement - Resistance – Punjab -

Mining and minerals commercialization in colonial Punjab highlighted the region's strategic resources, exploited from the mid-19th century annexation, causing displacement and resistance. Salt mines in the Salt Range, worked since Alexander's 326 BCE invasion but commercialized post-1849, exemplified this under figures like Andrew Fleming. This period, from early salt monopolies to oil explorations, integrated Punjab into imperial economies. In conclusion, the processes deepened inequalities, with resistance shaping labor movements and influencing postcolonial resource governance.

Historical Context and Commercialization

Punjab's annexation in 1849 by Lord Dalhousie opened resources; the Khewra Salt Mine, discovered in 320 BCE, produced 50,000 tons annually by 1870 under the Northern India Salt Revenue Department established in 1852. Coal in the Salt Range surveyed in 1868 by Thomas Oldham, but limited due to quality.

Displacement Effects

Mining evicted pastoral communities; in Khewra, 1880s expansions displaced 5,000 by 1900 for railways built in 1882.

Resistance Efforts

The 1907 salt workers' strikes demanded better conditions; 1920s Akali movement linked resource control to autonomy.

Economic Contributions

Salt revenue reached Rs 2 crore by 1900; gypsum mining from 1880s supported cement.

Environmental Degradation

Over-extraction caused subsidence; water pollution affected Jhelum River from 1890s.

Later Developments

Oil in Attock discovered in 1915 by the Attock Oil Company, producing 300,000 barrels by 1930.