Botanical Survey of India - History - Pre-Independence Era

Pre-Independence Era

The British East India Company had already established botanical gardens at Sibpur, Poona, Saharanpur and Madras as centres for improving botanical knowledge and experimentation under the local Governments. For example, the Saharanpur botanical garden, which dates from before 1750, was acquired by the East India Company in 1817 for growing medicinal plants. Most of the EIC botanical gardens' work was for the cultivation of plants of interest in commerce and trade. It is under Ministry of Environment and Forests.

The Botanical Survey was formally instituted on 13 February 1890 under the direction of Sir George King, who had been superintendent of Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta since 1871.

The functions of this newly formed Survey were laid down as :-

• Exploring the vegetable resources of the Indian Empire and
• Coordinating the botanical works of the others in different parts of India

For the purposes of survey the country was divided into four Botanical Regions - the East, North, West and South, with centres at Calcutta Sibpur, Saharanpur, Bombay Poona and Madras respectively, exactly corresponding to the centres where botanical activities had been evident in earlier years. The Calcutta unit was acknowledged as the centre of the Botanical Survey of India. Sir George King, who was the then superintendent of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta, was made the central authority in Botanical Survey. In view of this important position assigned to him, he was allowed the official designation of the Director of this newly formed Survey.

Botanical Survey has a rich legacy left behind by some of the world-renowned naturalists and botanists of 18th, 19th and early 20th century. Prominent amongst them are – Thomas Henry-Colebrooke, H. Falconer, William Griffith, Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, William Roxburgh, Nathaniel Wallich, David Prain, J.F. Duthie, R. Strachey, J.E. Winterbottom, W. Moorcroft, J.F. Royle, etc. who made invaluable contributions to the knowledge of country’s flora. Although the plant explorations and taxonomical studies in south, south-east Asia for maximising the exploitation of biological resources of the British Empire choosing India as their base progressed significantly during the British rule but after independence with changed geographical and political boundaries, the need for a more comprehensive documentation of country’s plant resources was felt to pay immediate attention to boost the economy.