EPISODE · Jul 8, 2026 · 5 MIN
The Great Hedge: Bengal's Salt Tax and the Inland Customs Line
from The Hidden History of Bengal: Kingdoms, Empires, and Revolution — Fexingo History · host Fexingo
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore one of the most bizarre and oppressive structures ever built in colonial India: the Inland Customs Line, known as the Great Hedge. Stretching over 2,500 miles from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, this barrier of thorny bushes and armed guards was erected by the British East India Company in the 19th century to enforce the salt tax. Learn about the ingenious smuggling networks that evaded it, the villages destroyed by its enforcement, and the staggering human cost of a tax that made salt—a basic necessity—unaffordable for millions. The episode also covers the role of the Indian Civil Service, the eventual abolition of the tax under Viceroy Lord Lytton, and how Mahatma Gandhi later revived the salt tax as a symbol of British oppression during the Dandi March. This is a deep dive into a forgotten chapter of Bengal's economic history and the everyday resistance of ordinary people. #BengalHistory #SaltTax #GreatHedge #InlandCustomsLine #BritishRaj #EastIndiaCompany #ColonialIndia #Smuggling #Taxation #IndianResistance #LordLytton #MahatmaGandhi #DandiMarch #SouthAsiaHistory #19thCentury #EconomicHistory #HiddenHistory #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
What this episode covers
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore one of the most bizarre and oppressive structures ever built in colonial India: the Inland Customs Line, known as the Great Hedge. Stretching over 2,500 miles from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, this barrier of thorny bushes and armed guards was erected by the British East India Company in the 19th century to enforce the salt tax. Learn about the ingenious smuggling networks that evaded it, the villages destroyed by its enforcement, and the staggering human cost of a tax that made salt—a basic necessity—unaffordable for millions. The episode also covers the role of the Indian Civil Service, the eventual abolition of the tax under Viceroy Lord Lytton, and how Mahatma Gandhi later revived the salt tax as a symbol of British oppression during the Dandi March. This is a deep dive into a forgotten chapter of Bengal's economic history and the everyday resistance of ordinary people. #BengalHistory #SaltTax #GreatHedge #InlandCustomsLine #BritishRaj #EastIndiaCompany #ColonialIndia #Smuggling #Taxation #IndianResistance #LordLytton #MahatmaGandhi #DandiMarch #SouthAsiaHistory #19thCentury #EconomicHistory #HiddenHistory #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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The Great Hedge: Bengal's Salt Tax and the Inland Customs Line
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