Conservation and colonial expansion : a study of the evolution of environmental attitudes and conservation policies on St. Helena, Mauritius and in India, 1660-1860
The approach adopted in this thesis is essentially chronological. The first chapter aims to provide a fairly superficial survey of the development of European perceptions of the environment in the early phases of mercantilist expansion, before much in the way of colonial settlement was undertaken. It highlights the connections between expansion and changes in perception with regard to the symbolic importance of islands, botanic gardens and early state responses to timber shortage. It also draws attention to the importance of medical perceptions of the extra-European environment. In the second chapter a comparison is drawn between Dutch and English approaches to the tropical environment in the early years of expansion. Considerable space is devoted to the case of St Helena. This is because it was the first location in which European colonists first acquired a notion of the full environmental implications of their rule and for which detailed documentary evidence is available. The story of the developing ecological crisis on St Helena emphasises how inadequate European precedents were in the encounter between the early colonial state and the tropical environment. It demonstrates, too, the early divergence in
Grove, R.
History of ecological concern
Conservation and colonial expansion : a study of the evolution of environmental attitudes and conservation policies on St. Helena, Mauritius and in India, 1660-1860. The approach adopted in this thesis is essentially chronological. The first chapter aims to provide a fairly superficial survey of the development of European perceptions of the environment in the early phases of mercantilist expansion, before much in the way of colonial settlement was undertaken. It highlights the connections between expansion and changes in perception with regard to the symbolic importance of islands, botanic gardens and early state responses to timber shortage. It also draws attention to the importance of medical perceptions of the extra-European environment. In the second chapter a comparison is drawn between Dutch and English approaches to the tropical environment in the early years of expansion. Considerable space is devoted to the case of St Helena. This is because it was the first location in which European colonists first acquired a notion of the full environmental implications of their rule and for which detailed documentary evidence is available. The story of the developing ecological crisis on St Helena emphasises how inadequate European precedents were in the encounter between the early colonial state and the tropical environment. It demonstrates, too, the early divergence in
conservation colonial expansion study evolution environmental attitude conservation policy mauritius india adopt essentially chronological first aim_provide fairly superficial survey development european perception environment early_phase expansion much way colonial settlement undertaken highlight connection expansion change perception regard symbolic importance island garden early state response timber shortage also_draw attention importance medical perception extra european environment second comparison drawn dutch_english approach tropical environment expansion considerable space devote case first location european colonist first acquire notion full environmental implication rule detailed documentary_evidence available story develop ecological crisis emphasise inadequate european precedent encounter early colonial_state tropical environment demonstrates early divergence