NCERT CLASS 9 HISTORY CHAPTER 4: FOREST SOCIETY AND COLONIALISM
- Discuss how the
changes in forest management in the colonial period affected the following
groups of people:
- Shifting
cultivators: The forest laws and regulations
restricted the access of shifting cultivators to forests, forcing them to
resort to less productive land or migrate. This led to loss of
livelihoods, food insecurity, and poverty.
- Nomadic and pastoralist
communities: The forest laws and regulations
restricted the movement of nomadic and pastoralist communities, who
depended on forests for grazing their cattle. This led to loss of
livelihoods, social and cultural dislocation, and poverty.
- Firms trading in
timber/forest produce: The colonial
forest policies promoted commercial exploitation of forests, which
benefitted firms trading in timber and other forest produce. This led to
increased profits for the firms, but also led to deforestation, ecological
degradation, and displacement of
local communities.
- Plantation
owners: The colonial forest policies
encouraged the establishment of plantations, which benefited plantation
owners. This led to increased profits for the owners, but also led to
deforestation, ecological degradation, and displacement of local
communities.
- Kings/British
officials engaged in shikar (hunting): The
colonial forest policies restricted hunting and reserved forests for
commercial exploitation. This affected the hunting practices of kings and
British officials, who had to either give up hunting or violate the
forest laws.
- What are the
similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and in
Java?
- In
both Bastar and Java, the colonial forest policies were aimed at commercial
exploitation of forests for the benefit of the colonial state and
European capitalists.
- In
both Bastar and Java, the colonial forest policies restricted the access
of local communities to forests, leading to loss of livelihoods and
social and cultural dislocation.
- In
both Bastar and Java, the colonial forest policies led to deforestation,
ecological degradation, and displacement of local communities.
- 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:
- Railways:
The railways enabled easier transportation of timber and other forest
produce from remote areas to markets, which led to increased commercial
exploitation of forests.
- Shipbuilding:
The demand for timber for shipbuilding led to increased commercial
exploitation of forests.
- Agricultural
expansion: The expansion of agriculture,
particularly commercial farming, led to deforestation and conversion of
forests into farmland.
- Commercial
farming: The expansion of commercial
farming, particularly tea and coffee plantations, led to deforestation
and displacement of local communities.
- Tea/Coffee
plantations: The expansion of tea and coffee
plantations led to deforestation and displacement of local communities.
- Adivasis and
other peasant users: The forest policies
restricted the access of adivasis and other peasant users to forests,
leading to loss of livelihoods and poverty. However, the role of these
communities in the decline of forest cover is contested.
- Why are forests
affected by wars?
- Forests
are often targeted during wars for various reasons, such as to deny the
enemy resources, to destroy hiding places, to clear land for military
purposes, and to facilitate troop movements.
- The
destruction of forests during wars can lead to ecological degradation,
loss of biodiversity, and displacement of local communities.
- In
addition, wars can disrupt forest management practices and policies,
leading to further ecological and social consequences.
The similarities in the Colonial management of forests in Bastar and Java are-
ReplyDelete1. Both were colonies ruled by foreign powers.
2. In both the regions a proper system of forest management was established by the colonial Masters. Scientific Forestry was started and forest were controlled.
3. The local people from villages were not permitted to collect any forest produce. Large parts of forest cover were reserved where the villagers were not allowed to stay.
4. The livelihood of the local people was threatened by colonial policies . Hence they organised themselves to resist colonial intrusion.