Asian Agri-History Foundation (Volume 13)

Abstract

The date palm is one of the most ancient plants in the world that was domesticated for human use. Its origin is probably in Arabia, but the Indus Valley has also been suggested as one of its centers of origin. It was being grown in Sindh and the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) since a very long time. The Lucknow Horticultural Gardens played a key role in the introduction of the date palm to the rest of India. Subsequently it spread to the west coast of India up to north of Bombay (now Mumbai) where it was tapped for neera and toddy as well as other uses. A tree so ancient cannot be without considerable folklore attached to it. Plenty of medicinal uses are also mentioned. The palm can grow under very low rainfall conditions and even in slightly saline soils, making it an ideal tree for development at oases in the deserts and other dry areas. The Bedouin tribes of the Arabian desert are known to survive and thrive on just dates, flat-bread, and camel?s milk. Date production peaked in 1996 according to the report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). There are over 600 varieties of date palm throughout the world. Some of the best dates were reputed to be grown around the city of Basra in Iraq from where they were shipped to India in dhows (sailing vessels) wrapped in mats made from date palm leaves. In recent years the date palm has been adapted to southern parts of the US especially in southern California, where a world genebank has been established.

Abstract

Forests and women are strongly interconnected with each other because women, particularly those living in rural areas or mountain areas, have a deep relationship with the forest ecology because they are responsible for gathering food, fuel, fodder, leaves, and water for the family. Hence, women directly play an important role in the use of forest resources as well as in the protection of the forests which is very crucial to the success of the conservation policy. In the present paper, we have tried to explore how women in Mizoram in Northeast India are concerned with ecological matters. The rapid change of forest ecology has had a serious impact on women?s lives as it contributes to their burden. The women?s deep knowledge about forests and its natural resources has gradually been eroded because of the strong patriarchal domination of the modernization process which is bonded by the traditional and western patriarchal culture of colonialism and Christianity. As a result of the strong patriarchal domination in the present-day Mizo society, women are unable to express their opinions or exercise their rights; neither can they make any contributions about their indigenous knowledge. This inability of the women to make use of their indigenous knowledge has led to the slow loss of the utility of their knowledge.