The Great Hedge of India: The Search for the Living Barrier that Divided a People Paperback – Import, 7 February 2002

Amazing

The book chronicles the author's quest over 3 plus years researching a forgotten past of Indian colonialism with several visits to India to locate the remains of the Customs Hedge. Not much exists as often farmed over or mostly replaced by a raised road-bed. But, it is found - at last!However, the best part of the book are the chapters where the author explains the body's need for salt and the inhumanity of a salt tax. The physiological as well as economic aspects are very well laid out and comparisons to China, Africa and European salt taxes are very interesting - sort of "I had no clue!"Great "CRT" chapter in the story of India.

We all know the Great Wall of China. It's an amazing piece of architecture and plays an important part in Chinese history. But before reading this book, I had never heard of the "Great Hedge of India" and what its historical significance was for the Indian people. How can something as big and long and historically significant as this be forgotten so completely by the world? Even by the people who lived next to it? And then there is the very onerous salt tax that caused the hedge to be created. And the collection of that salt tax that led to the creation of this great living fence. How could Briton tax at such a high rate such a basic commodity for people's livelihood as salt? Read this & find out just exactly how much money was made in the United Kingdom off of the pain and suffering of so many salt deprived Indians. This salt tax and its collection gives true meaning to the words "Cash Cow" & "Greed". This is a story you will not forget.

Roy Moxham tells a true story worthy of anything coming out of Hollywood. In a supreme irony his work in finding the virtually unknown Customs Hedge (the Great Hedge of India referred to in the title) echoes the words of Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where he points out to students that 90% of their work will be in the library. Moxham's own work begins in used book stores and continues with hundred year old maps and obscure official publications buried in forgotten archives.Moxham takes the time to explain the importance of salt to human health. Something that is largely lost on modern westerners who eat processed foods already loaded with all the salt they need. Moxham correctly points out this wasn't the case with the population of India in the 19th century living in tropical heat without food heavy in salt content. He points out the short and long term effects of salt deprivation.Moxham takes plenty of time to detail the brutality of the British colonial system in India which though not malicious and motivated primarily by greed was still monstrous. Moxham also does a fine job describing the people and culture of central India.Moxham does a great job in pacing this book building up to his discoveries near the end. The book is very densely written with a wealth of material in only 223 pages. It is a tribute to Moxham's writing that the book is immensely interesting given that basically he is trying to locate an embankment with some trees and bushes on it.

This is the true story of British writer Roy Moxham's quest to find an enormous 800-mile hedge in India that piqued his curiosity when he saw it mentioned in a footnote in a book that he picked up in a used bookshop in London. One would think -- as did Moxham -- that such a colossal object would be a cinch to find. Incredibly, however, Moxham's 3 years of meticulous research, visits to Indian villages and tramping through the countryside where maps showed the Great Hedge was supposed to have run turned up no physical trace of it, nor could Moxham find anyone in those places who had ever seen it or even heard of it. Finally, after 3 years of no success and apparently dimming prospects, Moxham met an old monk in a village who had heard of the hedge and showed him where it had been and where a barely recognizable faint trace of it remained. Then, in another village he met another old man who had known about the hedge and shared what he knew about it. Finally, in another village Moxham met yet another old man who was familiar with the Great Hedge (aka Parmat Lain) and showed Moxham much more satisfyingly recognizable and sturdy remnants of it. Success at last!This is a great story for travel buffs, history buffs and India buffs. It has captivating descriptions of India and provides insights into England's former colonial rule there, trade restrictions, customs enforcement, salt production, salt taxes and the biological need for salt.

Mr. Moxham writes about a forgotten story of history; one that is both tragic and astonishing. His research should win awards.