Historical Data
Woad was the source for indigo in Greece , in the Roman Empire, and, from the Middle Ages, throughout Europe . Woad flourished in areas such as Thuringen in Germany and around Toulouse in France , and they thrived from woad, and became rich from it - at least the woad dealers did. But in competition with the almost pure indigo from India, woadballs with their low content of indigo were at a disadvantage as soon as trade on the sea route to India increased, bringing Indian indigo to the European market. Import restrictions had little effect. When India finally became a British colony and the English established immense works for the production of indigo, as did the Dutch in Indonesia , all the protection barriers around Europe collapsed.
