Why were the surveys important?

Surveys are the recording or examining of the area or a city to create a plan or description for the easy functioning. The surveys were important because of the following reasons –

• When Britishers started ruling they decided to take a proper survey of the country before administering it. Under the colonial rule, the practice of survey became common. Detailed surveys were started to map the entire country by the early 19th century.

• Revenue surveys were conducted in the villages. To administer the region, it was considered important to know about the topography, the soil quality, the flora, the fauna, the local histories, and the cropping pattern.

• Every 10 years census operations were held which was started at the end of the 19th century. It was conducted to record the number of people in all the provinces of India, noting the information on castes, religions and occupation.

• Moreover, Botanical surveys, Zoological surveys, archaeological surveys, anthropological surveys, forest surveys were also conducted.