Historical Evolution and Transfer of Tea Technology from South China and South India to Ceylon During the British Colonial Era 1824-1947

Abstract

The Ceylon tea industry began as an alternative to the coffee blight and thrived to become an icon for the island. The world tea market recognised it for its unique tea taste. It began with the efforts of James Taylor and British researchers during the colonial era. Through the transfer of tea seeds farmers and by learning manufacturing methods from China and India, the Ceylon Tea industry has progressed extensively. It also adopted the advanced CTC methods developed in India during the colonial era. Meanwhile, the island innovated its tea machinery through an indigenous and collaborative approach. The innovations gained patents for its advanced machines that strengthened tea production. Gradually, Ceylon excelled in its innovation to develop its own LTP method of tea manufacturing. Thus, the Ceylon tea industry even surpassed the tea production of China and India through its innovation in tea machinery and thrived to become a leading tea exporter in South Asia. Therefore, the paper will first study how the Ceylon Tea Industry was established during British Governance in Sri Lanka. Secondly, it examines the innovative tea machines of Ceylon that have contributed to the world tea market. Finally, the paper inquires how the advancement of the tea machinery has contributed to the growth of Sri Lanka since the colonial era.