The EIC's Forgotten Spice: Cinnamon and the Secret Colony

from The East India Company: The Corporation That Conquered Nations — Fexingo History · host Fexingo

In 1767, the East India Company launched a secret mission to smuggle cinnamon trees out of Dutch-controlled Ceylon. This episode follows the covert operation led by botanist John Williams, the establishment of a clandestine plantation in the hills of Kerala, and the Company's attempt to break the Dutch monopoly on this lucrative spice. We explore the science of bark peeling, the politics of colonial botany, and the surprising role of Indian laborers in cultivating what was once worth more than gold. #EastIndiaCompany #Cinnamon #Ceylon #DutchEastIndiaCompany #SpiceTrade #JohnWilliams #Kerala #Anjarakandy #Botany #Colonialism #Monopoly #1767 #Smuggling #SpiceIslands #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast #HiddenHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jul 5, 2026

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The EIC's Forgotten Spice: Cinnamon and the Secret Colony

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