Main Points-Forest Society and Colonialism-Class 9-SST

Deforestation and Its Causes

1. Expansion of Cultivation:

   • British promoted agricultural expansion to increase revenue.
   • Forests were cleared for commercial crops like jute, sugar, wheat, and cotton.

2. Timber for Railways:

   • Railways needed wooden sleepers to hold tracks.
   • Each mile of railway track required 1,760–2,000 sleepers.

3. Shipbuilding:

   • English ships required durable timber like teak.
   • Forests were heavily exploited to meet timber demands.

4. Plantations:

   • Natural forests were cleared for tea, coffee, and rubber plantations.
   • British gave large land tracts to European planters at cheap rates.

5. Industrial Use:

   • Forests were cleared for raw materials to fuel industrialization.

Impact of Forest Laws on Communities

1. Restricted Use:

   • Villagers could not collect wood, fruits, or hunt freely in forests.
   • Grazing cattle and fishing were also banned.

2. Forced Labour:

   • Some communities were forced to work for the forest department.
   • Forest villages were created for timber extraction.

3. Shifting Cultivation Banned:

   • Traditional farming methods like jhum were prohibited.
   • Communities lost their livelihoods and were displaced.

4. Economic Hardship:

   • Villagers had to buy forest produce which they previously gathered for free.
   • Women faced harassment while collecting fuelwood.

5. Protests and Rebellion:

   • Local communities like those in Bastar resisted these oppressive laws.
   • Symbols like mango boughs and arrows were used to unite villagers.

The Rise of Commercial Forestry

1. Scientific Forestry:

   • British replaced diverse forests with single-species plantations.
   • This approach prioritized timber production over biodiversity.

2. Forest Acts:

   • Indian Forest Act (1865) divided forests into reserved, protected, and village forests.
   • Villagers had limited access to protected forests.

3. Export of Timber:

   • Large quantities of teak and sal were exported to Europe.
   • Railways expanded to transport timber easily.

4. Forest Surveys:

   • British officials conducted forest surveys to regulate tree cutting.
   • Plantation areas were mapped and managed for continuous timber supply.

5. Environmental Impact:

   • Monoculture plantations reduced biodiversity and affected ecosystems.

Rebellion in Bastar

1. Causes:

   • British policies restricted shifting cultivation, hunting, and forest produce collection.
   • High taxes, forced labour, and famines worsened hardships.

2. Key Leaders:

   • Gunda Dhur led the Bastar rebellion against forest reservations.
   • Communities used symbolic objects to spread the message.

3. Protests:

   • Villagers attacked British officials, burnt schools, police stations, and looted bazaars.
   • They redistributed grains to the poor.

4. British Suppression:

   • British sent troops to suppress the rebellion.
   • Villages were deserted as people fled to the forests.

5. Outcome:

   • Forest reservation plans were reduced to half.
   • Villagers gained temporary relief.

Forests and Wars

1. Timber Demand:

   • Both World Wars increased the demand for timber for military use.
   • Forests were cut extensively for war needs.

2. Scorched Earth Policy:

   • The Dutch burned large quantities of teak logs in Java to prevent Japanese use.
   • Reckless cutting by the Japanese devastated forests.

3. Villager Exploitation:

   • Villagers were forced to work for the colonial government during wars.
   • Many expanded cultivation into forests when oversight weakened.

4. Post-War Recovery:

   • Governments struggled to regain control of deforested areas.
   • Wars highlighted the need for better forest conservation policies.

5. Conservation Efforts:

   • After wars, governments began to focus on forest preservation.
   • Involving local communities became an essential strategy.

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Forest Society and Colonialism

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