French Colonial Measures to Promote Rubber Plantation Systems in Eastern Cochinchina, 1900-1930

Abstract

This study investigates the policies implemented by French colonial authorities to foster the development of rubber plantation systems in Eastern Cochinchina from 1900 to 1930. Employing historical, logical, and statistical methods, the research analyzes archival documents, decrees, and quantitative data to identify key measures: land concession policies, tax incentives, financial subsidies, and transportation infrastructure investments. Findings indicate that these strategies significantly increased the number and scale of plantations, with Eastern Cochinchina accounting for 86.67% of Indochina’s rubber estates by 1937. The study concludes that these measures, while economically transformative, favored French capitalists and local elites, reshaping land ownership patterns and reinforcing colonial dominance in the region.