Forest Society and Colonialism History Class 9 Chapter 4 Solutions

Q1. Discuss how the changes in forest management in the Colonial period affected the following groups of people.
1. Shifting cultivators
2. Nomadic and Pastoralist communities
3. Form trading in Timber/ forest produce
4. Plantation owners
5. Kings / British officials engaged in hunting
Ans: 1. Shifting Cultivators
European colonists regarded shifting cultivation harmful to the existence of forests. Also, it stood in their way of commercial timber forestry. There were always great chances of fire spreading out of control and burning down the precious Timber. Keeping all the above factors in mind the colonial government banned shifting cultivation. Many cultivators lost their livelihood in this process and most were also displaced from their homes in the forest.

2. Nomadic and Pastoralist communities
Magic and pastoralist communities like the Korawa, KarachA and Yerukula from the Madras Presidency lost their livelihoods. They were designated as ‘criminal tribes’ by the British authorities and were forced to work in factories, mines and plantations that were under government supervision.

3.Form trading in Timber/ forest produce
The British gave the European Timber trading firms the sole right to trade in forest products in particular areas. There was a restriction in grazing and hunting. These restrictions were for the local population and were enforced by law.

4. Plantation owners
Vast tracts of natural forests were cleared to make way for tea, coffee and Rubber plantation. This was done to fulfill the demand for these products in Europe. Plantation owners were given land at a cheap rate.

5. Kings / British officials engaged in hunting
The forest laws deprived forest dwellers their means of livelihood. Before the enactment of these laws, forest dwellers used hunting as a means of Sustainable living.After the enactment of the law they were Forbidden from hunting. became a sport where kings and British officials  hunted bringing some of them to the very brink of extinction. 

Q2. What  are the similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and in Java?
Ans: Forest management of Bastar in India was under the control of the British. whereas in Java the Dutch management controlled it.
1. just like the British, the duck also required Timber to make sleepers for railway tracks.
2.  the British and the Dutch colonial authorities enacted their own version of forest laws which gave them complete control over the forest and deprived the customary rights of the forest dwellers.
3. both of them that is the dutch and the British had put a ban on shifting cultivation saying that they were dangerous to the existence of the forests.
4.  the villagers of Baster were allowed to stay in the forest on the condition that they Would be a source of free labour to the forest department. In Java, the Dutch exempted these villagers from paying taxes  if they were a source of free labour to the forest department. 

Q3. Between 1880 and 1920 forest cover in Indian subcontinent declined by 9.7 million hectares, from 108.6 million hectares to 98.9 million hectares. discuss the role of the following factors in this decline:
1. Railways
2. Ship building
3. Agricultural expansion
4. Commercial farming
5. Tea or coffee plantations
6. Aadivasi and other peasants users

Ans: 1. Railways
Railways were an important asset that were essential in maintaining trade to the transport of goods. there was a need for wood to make sleepers to lay the railway tracks.  the sleepers hold the track together and prevents them from Breaking apart. for every one kilometre of railway track 1760 2000 sleepers were required. because of this vast tracts of forests were cut down to provide wood for the sleepers for the Railways.

2. Ship building
Before the industrial revolution, the ships of the early 19th century  were made of wood. The Britishers maintain their colonial possessions through the Royal Navy with its huge number of Naval fleets. In order to maintain them hege oak forest area were cut down in England. The royal Navy wanted a regular supply of timber to build new ships and also to maintain the old ones. So they decided to cut down the forest of its colonies. Large forestS disappeared which resulted in deforestation.

3. Agricultural expansion
The demand for food increased with the rise in population. Forest lands were cleared to turn them into agricultural land. The colonial authorities believe that they can produce more food if they cleared the forests. The forest were considered unproductive, there was no second thought to clear them.agricultural learn increased by 6.7 million hectares between 1880 and 1920.  Therefore it can be clearly seen that agricultural expansion contributed towards deforestation.

4. Commercial farming
Forests have diverse species of both flora and fauna. While the forests were cleared  for commercial farming several species of trees were lost. commercial farming required only specific type of trees as per demand.

5. Tea or coffee plantations
The demand for tea and coffee increased. in order to meet this growing demand the colonial authorities sold hectares of forest land to European plantation firms. These European forms had cut down the forest to plant tea and coffee. This again lead to deforestation.

6. Aadivasi and other peasants users
Adivasis and other peasants practiced shifting cultivation which involved the cutting down of forest and burning of the roots of the trees.  These burnt patches were then used to sow the seeds and were harvested in the monsoon season. These farmers move to new patches once the fertility of the current patch decreased. Since the soil fertility I was lost, there were very less chances for the trees to grow back. therefore it is proved that the adivasis and peasants lead to deforestation.

Q4.  why are forests affected by Wars?
Ans: Forests are valuable strategic resources. Battlefield assets Like The Guard Post, Army camps and Towers were made of wood. These goods could be easily maintained and even pulled down if there was a need to shift. there was also a threat for the forest area to fall under enemy hands and therefore scorched Earth Policy was adopted.
this is done with regard to area and resource denial. there was a similar case with the Dutch when the Japanese invaded their Colony in Indonesia during World War 2.  The Dutch burnt use a cause of forest so that it does not fall into Japanese hands.

When the Japanese Concord these forest recklessly exploited the timber to fulfil their war demands. this disturb the Ecology and left impact for the decades to come.

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