Perladangan Komersial di Daerah Hilir Perak Pada Era Kolonial British 1900-1957 (Commercial Plantation In Lower Perak District During The British Colonial Period 1900-1957)

Abstract

Agriculture in Perak before the British colonial era was basically subsistence farming carried out to meet the needs of the small peasant community. The traditional farmer faced a lot of restrictions to ensure the yield of their crop would continue to increase. It was the British administration in Perak established since 1874, that developed commercial plantation in the state. This research was carried out to confirm the existence of commercial farming in Lower Perak then and to identify its contribution towards the growth of the district. The research was done using qualitative methods by analyzing documents, annual reports and writings on British colonialism in Perak. The findings show that the British policy had brought about the opening of new commercial farms. Lower Perak became the district of focus for commercial cultivation, which emerged as one of the sectors to contribute to the development of Perak. The plantations in Hilir Perak are by no means mono-cultivated since the British administration had taken the initiative to ensure that a variety of crops, depending on the suitability of the area, were planted. The commercial plantation sector during the British colonial period had contributed not only to the development of the Lower Perak district, but also the state of Perak as a whole.