Indigo, the blue dye, was extracted from plants in ancient times, some 5000-6000 years ago (3000-4000 BCE), both in the Old (Asia, Africa and Europe) and New (Americas) Worlds. It got its name Indigo, because it reached Europe from Indus Valley, India and later from other parts of India by the Portuguese and other European sailors. It was commercially encouraged and traded by the British, firstly by the cultivation of indigo plant and production of the dye in South Carolina, USA in mid18th century, which was then a British colony. However, this stopped after the British colonies in USA gained their freedom after American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). It was then that British East India Company (BEIC) started its production in Bengal and part of the current Bihar states of India and continued it until the second decade of 20th century. The managers of BEIC forced the farmers to grow indigo in place of food crops by attracting them with loans on virtually non-repayable conditions. This caused considerable tyranny and torture of farmers and finally led to the Nīl Vidroha (Nīl Revolt) of 1857, and forced the British Government to appoint a Commission of Enquiry, which confirmed the atrocities caused by the British East India Company. The British Government closed the East India Company and took command of the country’s rule in 1858. There was a second Nīl Revolt (Satyāgraha, the name given to this nonviolent revolt) in Champaran, Bihar launched by the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi in 1917.Thus, indigo crop has been associated with and created quite a bit of history. Faced by high prices charged by the British traders for indigo dye, German chemists had already started their search for making synthetic indigo and Adolf Baeyer succeeded in synthesizing it in 1882. This was followed by research by other German chemists, namely, Johannes Pfleger and Karl Heumann in the first decade of 20th century. The synthetic dye was much cheaper and blew the final blow to the natural plant produced indigo dye and indigo crop became a part of history. Now most of the indigo dye used world-over is made synthetically. Nevertheless, in recent years some interest has arisen in natural indigo dye due to growing demand for organic clothes and natural dyes.

中文翻译：

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靛蓝-创造历史并随后成为历史的农作物

蓝色染料靛蓝是在大约5000-6000年前（公元前3000-4000年）的古代（亚洲，非洲和欧洲）和新世界（美洲）的植物中提取的。它之所以命名为Indigo，是因为它是从印度的印度河谷到达欧洲的，后来又由葡萄牙人和其他欧洲水手从印度的其他地方到达欧洲。它在商业上受到英国的鼓励和交易，首先是在18世纪中叶在美国南卡罗来纳州（当时是英国殖民地）种植靛蓝植物并生产这种染料。然而，在美国独立战争（1775-1783年）后英国在美国的殖民地获得自由之后，这种情况就停止了。那时，英国东印度公司（BEIC）在孟加拉和印度比哈尔邦的部分州开始生产，并将其一直持续到20世纪第二个十年。北投公司的管理人员通过以几乎不可偿还的条件吸引他们的贷款来迫使农民种植靛蓝来代替粮食作物。这引起了农民的暴政和酷刑，并最终导致了1857年的尼尔·维德罗哈（Nīl起义），并迫使英国政府任命了一个调查委员会，证实了英国东印度公司造成的暴行。英国政府于1858年关闭了东印度公司，并控制了该国的统治。1917年，由民族圣雄甘地之父发起的比哈尔邦邦恰姆邦发生了第二次尼尔起义（Satyāgraha，这种非暴力起义的名称）。因此，靛蓝作物与之相关并创造了相当多的历史。面对英国贸易商对靛蓝染料收取的高价，德国化学家已经开始寻找合成靛蓝的方法，而Adolf Baeyer于1882年成功地合成了靛蓝。随后，其他德国化学家，Johannes Pfleger和Karl Heumann在20世纪前十年进行了研究。合成染料便宜得多，并且对天然植物生产的靛蓝染料产生了最后的打击，靛蓝作物成为历史的一部分。现在，全世界使用的大多数靛蓝染料都是人工合成的。然而，由于对有机衣服和天然染料的需求不断增长，近年来对天然靛蓝染料产生了一些兴趣。合成染料便宜得多，并且对天然植物生产的靛蓝染料产生了最后的打击，靛蓝作物成为历史的一部分。现在，全世界使用的大多数靛蓝染料都是人工合成的。然而，由于对有机衣服和天然染料的需求不断增长，近年来对天然靛蓝染料产生了一些兴趣。合成染料便宜得多，并且给天然植物生产的靛蓝染料带来了最后一击，靛蓝作物成为历史的一部分。现在，全世界使用的大多数靛蓝染料都是人工合成的。然而，由于对有机衣服和天然染料的需求不断增长，近年来对天然靛蓝染料产生了一些兴趣。