TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY AND ITS IMPACT IN ERSTWHILE COCHIN STATE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE COCHIN STATE FOREST TRAMWAY.

Authors

  • T.L. Jose, Dr. A. Akbar Hussain Author

Abstract

            During the 19th Century, British Colonial power could use technological innovations like the steam engine, railways and telegraph effectively to strengthen their domination over the newly acquired colonies. For this purpose, large scale technology transfer took place from the west to countries in Asia and Africa. However, native states like Cochin had to depend more and more of the British for greater administrative security and regular development activities. The growing demand for labour stimulated  the socio-economic life of the colonial population. Due to the exploitative nature of colonial administration, the transfer of technology could not diversify or develop the colonial economy. It did not significantly raise the per capita income also. In other words, though the introduction of the Cochin State Forest Tramway was a technological marvel in those days, it failed to bring any long lasting advantage to the state, and had to be discontinued after the colonial era.

            Transfer of technology is the process of conveying technical know-how from one who owns it to another country or organization in order to create new products or services. During the period of colonial administration in the 19th and 20th centuries European technology was introduced for the modernization of the princely States of Cochin and Travancore.  The objective of the British controlled native rulers was the attainment of economic advancement of the state, while the imperialistic British administration had its eyes on the immense possibility of exploiting the colonial resources.

            The Cochin State Forest Tramway was built for the purpose of the transportation of timber from Parambikulam forests to Chalakudy during the dawn of the 20th century. It was a novel venture, the only tramway of its kind in British India. This meter gauge tramway had 254 bridges and had utilized 70 wagons for its service. The route extended from Parambikulam in Palakkad district to Chalakudy in Thrissur district. The project was completed in 1907. Though the tramway could speed up the timber export and the profit to the British, the revenue of the Cochin State was not benefitted as expected. The cost of the maintenance of the tramway fell into the state exchequer. During the Post-Second World War there was significant loss in the Forest Tramway, due to the economic crisis. After the formation of the Kerala State, the Tramway was discontinued in 1963, because it was found to be unprofitable.

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Published

2024-08-02

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Articles

How to Cite

TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY AND ITS IMPACT IN ERSTWHILE COCHIN STATE WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE COCHIN STATE FOREST TRAMWAY. (2024). CAHIERS MAGELLANES-NS, 6(2), 2923-2930. http://magellanes.com/index.php/CMN/article/view/552