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Entire world over turned on Sugarcane- History on Triangular Trade



Sugarcane belongs to the grass family. It's a Wetland crop. Also tropical crops. It can grow well in alluvial soil and black soil. It consumes much water. It can grow 6 feet to 19 feet height based on the type of sugar cane. Its world's largest crop by production quantity. It is being cultivated on about 26.0 million hectares in more than 90 countries. Brazil is the largest producer of sugar cane in the world. Next five major producers are India, China, Thailand, Pakistan and Mexico.

Origin of sugar cane is a Papua New Guinea Island, which is located eastern Indonesia around 6000 BC. From here it is spread to other south and southeast Asia countries.

Jagger which is produced from sugar cane also a traditional food ingredient of Indians. Approximately 2500 years before itself a hint mentioned in the Ayurveda medical book Sushruta Samhita that Jagger can cure Rheumatic and digestion Diseases. In BC 4th century, ArthaSasthra book having few hints about Jagger and sugar.

There is no harm by eating pure Jagger, if it is produced without any chemical process. It is rich in fiber. It has the capability to clean Esophagus, stomach, lung since it is triggered to produce digestive acids.

In BC, 5th century Indians made Kandu (Solid Sugar) and sell to overseas. In AD 627, Few people from China came to India to learn how making sugar at the period of Harsha Empire.

For many decades, except in south Asian countries, people used only honey for sweetness.

AD, 8th century, Arabic Merchants came to India and got back sugar. Mediterranean Countries, Mesopotamia, Egypt, North Africa got sugar through Arabics.

During the past 7 centuries, the entire world overturned on three items. Sugar cane, Pepper and Silk. Sugar cane and sugar was the reason for slave trade for long years.

Due to limited natural resources, Europe believes in importing food and some necessary items. During the 11th century, sugar introduced in Europe. But it is used only by rich people since it was very costly. The fixed tax for selling sugar also very high. As per the historical note, in 1319, 1kg of sugar price are 100 US dollars. So they used to call sugar as white gold.

Due to crusade(Siluvai war) at 1492, Europe involved to find a new marine path to India. Columbus from Spain started to find a new ways to reach India since India is rich in sugar. Unfortunately, he reached Caribbean island and found new landscape which is rich in sugar cane.

At that time, Europeans not ready to spend much effort on producing sugar cane, but they wanted more sugar. During this time the European colony exists in eastern African countries. So they reached African leaders and sold people for money and brought to Caribbean, western South America and south north America. So they produced more sugar cane by free land, free slave people. They put conditions like one slave has to cut one ton of sugar cane. Slave people not allowed to take more food and a long sleep.Slave people are abused. This incident called as Triangle trade.

Triangular Trade: Europeans bought slave people from eastern Africa for money and brought to American countries. They produced sugar cane, cotton and Tobacco by slave people's effort and brought produced items back to European countries. They produced dresses, rum, sugar and sold back in Africa. By the profit, they invested in buying slaves. From the 16th century, approximately 300 years, this triangular trade happened. As per historical note, In 18th Century Britain bought 50,000 slaves per year from Africa to bring to America countries to produce sugar cane. So sugar cane is main reason for many 18th century wars.