Class IX - Forest Society and Colonialism
ACTIVITIES
1. Have there been changes in forest areas where you live?
Find out what these changes are and why they have happened?
Ans. There have been many changes in forest areas where I
live. I talked to my grandfather and came to know that most of the land that I see today as
constructed area was not so always. He tells me that the hill slopes were green and covered with
forests. There were lush green trees all around. One could walk through them without the
sun troubling you. There was no need for fans inside houses and the windows were enough to
cool you during a hot summer day. The chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves were
sounds that you heard all around. But today, the green trees have been replaced by cement
structures — hotels, houses,
shopping areas, parking lots, etc. The green area is
decreasing and the cemented area is increasing. The hillslopes have become bare and barren. The
forest cover has reduced tremendously.
This decrease in green cover has happened because of a
number of reasons. I live in Nainital and feel that this change has occurred due to population
rise and tourism. People are increasing in number and need to be accommodated. Secondly,
tourism is gaining importance in Nainital. Hotels, shopping areas and parking lots are
being made for the tourists. All these facilities require land and this can be acquired only by
clearing the forest area. In addition, approach roads need to be constructed which again requires
clearing of new forest land. All these factors have necessitated the clearing of forests
in areas where I live.
2. Write a dialogue between a colonial forester and an
Adivasi discussing the issue of hunting in the forest.
Ans. Adivasi — Namaste, Sahib.
Colonial Forester — What are you doing here?
Adivasi — Nothing, sir.
Colonial Forester — What do you mean nothing? I’m sure you
have been hunting here. Come on, show me what you have hunted!
Adivasi — Sahib, you can see that I have not hunted. But
tell me why can’t I hunt in this forest!
Colonial Forester — The forests are no longer your hunting
grounds. If you hunt here you will be punished.
Adivasi — But Sahib, this hunting has been a customary
practice since ancient days. How can you stop it?
Colonial Forester — It is no longer so now. You are
prohibited by forest laws to do so.
Adivasi — But the English Sahib hunts in the forests.
Colonial Forester — Yes! he can do it. He is a British. He
has come to civilise you all. The wild animals are a sign of a primitive and savage
society. These animals must be killed by the white man to help you to become civilised.
NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS
Q.1. 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. Firms trading in timber/forest produce
4. Plantation
owners
5. Kings/British officials engaged in hunting.
Ans.
1. Shifting cultivators — Forest
management had a great impact on shifting cultivators. In shifting cultivation parts of the forest are cut and burnt
in rotation. European foresters regarded this practice as harmful for the forests. They felt
that such land could not be used for growing trees for railway timber and was dangerous while
being burnt as it could start a forest fire. This type of cultivation also made dificult
for the government to calculate taxes. The government, hence, decided to ban shifting
cultivation. As a result, many
communities were forcibly displaced from their homes in the
forests. Some had to change occupations, while some resisted through large and small
rebellions.
2. Nomadic and pastoralists communities — Nomadic and
pastoralist communities were also affected by changes in forest management. Their
traditional customary grazing rights were taken away and their entry into the forests was
restricted. Passes were issued to them which had details of their entry and exit into and out of
the forests. The days and hours they could spend in the forest were also restricted. This
was in contrast to the earlier system that allowed them unrestricted entry into forests.
Pastoralists had to lessen the number of cattle in their herds which reduced their income.
As their entry into forests was restricted they could not gather forest products. Earlier
the forests were open for them and they would collect forest products and sell them. This had
supplemented their income. Now they were deprived of this additional income. Some
pastoralists even had to change their lifestyle, leave pastoralism and work in mines, plantations,
factories. Some were branded as the ‘criminal tribes’.
3. Firms trading in timber/forest produce — Firms trading in
timber products were given the sole trading rights to trade in the forest products of
particular areas. They made huge profits and became richer. The entire timber and forest
trade passed on to them. They became powerful and began to cut down trees
indiscriminately.
4. Plantation owners — Plantation owners found
that more and more forest land could be cleared for plantations. The British had made it very clear
that their system of forestry would be scientific forestry, i.e., plantations. Plantation owners began
to reap profits as the British government gave large areas of forest land to
European planters.
5. Kings/British officials engaged in shikar — The
kings/British officials engaged in shikar found that now the villagers were prohibited from
entering the forests. They had the forest and wild animals to themselves. Hunting animals
became a big sport for them. Thus hunting increased to such an extent that various
species became almost extinct.
Q.2. What are the similarities between colonial management
of the forests in Bastar and in Java?
Ans. The similarities between colonial management of the
forests in Bastar and Java were :
(i). Forest laws were enacted
in Java and Bastar.
(ii) These laws restricted villagers’ access to forests.
(iii) Timber could be cut from only specified forests and under
close supervision.
(iv) Villagers were punished for entering forests and
collecting forest products without permit.
(v) Permits were issued to the villagers for entry into
forests and collection of forest products.
(vi) Both had a forest service.
(vii) Both followed a system of forestry which was known as
scientific forestry.
(viii)In both places Forest Acts meant severe hardship for
villagers. Their everyday practices — cutting wood for their houses, grazing their cattle,
collecting fruits and roots, hunting and fishing became illegal.
(ix) Constables and forests guards began to harass people.
Q.3. Between 1880 and 1920, forest cover in the 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. Shipbuilding
3. Agricultural expansion
4. Commercial farming
5. Tea/Coffee plantations
6. Adivasis and other peasant users.
Ans.
1. Railways — Railways contributed significantly to the
decline of forests in India. Whereever railway tracks had to be laid land had to be
cleared. This land was forest land. Apart from clearing area for tracks, railway locomotives
required timber for fuel and sleepers. For all these needs forests had to be cut down.
The British government gave contracts to individuals to supply the required quantity of
timber. These individuals cut
down trees indiscriminately.
2. Shipbuilding — Oak forests in England were decreasing in number
and the shipbuilding industry was in trouble. They did not have enough timber for
making ships. They turned their attention towards India. Huge forest areas were
cleared and the timber transported to shipbuilding yards in England. British ships were being
constructed and as a consequence trees were cut down indiscriminately in India.
3. Agricultural expansion — Population was on the rise and
the demand for food increased. Peasants extended the boundaries of cultivation by clearing
forests. This gave them more land available for cultivation. In addition, there was great
demand for cash crops such as tea, cotton, jute, sugar, etc., which were needed to feed
the industries of England.
4. Commercial farming — The British directly encouraged the
production of commercial crops like jute, sugar, wheat and cotton. The demand for
these crops increased in the 19th century in Europe, where
foodgrains were needed to feed the growing urban population and raw materials were required for industrial production.
Hence, large tracts of forest land were cleared to make land available for commercial
farming.
5. Tea/Coffee plantations — The colonial state thought that
forest land was unproductive. It did not yield agricultural produce nor revenue. Large
areas of natural forests were hence cleared to make way for tea, coffee and rubber plantations
to meet Europe’s growing need for these commodities. The colonial government took over the
forests and gave vast areas to European planters at cheap rates. The areas were enclosed
and cleared of forests and planted with tea or coffee.
6. Adivasis and other peasant users — Adivasis and other
peasant users do not cut down forests except to practice shifting cultivation or gather
timber for fuel. They also gather forest products and graze their cattle. This does not
destroy the forests except sometimes in shifting agriculture. In fact, now the new trends that
promote forest conservation tend to involve local villagers in conservation and preservation.
The adivasis and other peasant communities regard the forests as their own and even engage
watchmen to keep a vigil
over their forests.
Q.4. Why are forests affected by wars?
Ans. Forests are affected by wars and this often leads to
deforestation. Forests during wars are freely cut to meet the needs of war. Forests are as important
resource and hence during wars they are destroyed by their own country under the 'a scorched earth policy'. This prevents the enemy from
using this resource. Many villagers used this opportunity to expand cultivation in the forest.
