Introduction
The exercise solutions for Class 9 History
Chapter 4 –Forest Society and Colonialism,
help students understand the key concepts of the chapter in a clear and structured way. These answers explain important topics such as colonial forest policies, changes in forest management, the role of tribal communities, and their resistance against British rule.
By going through these solutions, students can revise the chapter effectively and develop a strong understanding of how colonialism shaped forest society.
Ch-4 :- Forest Society and Colonialism
Exercise Solution
Ques 1:- Discuss how the changes in forest management in the colonial period affected the following groups of people:-
Ans:- (A) Shifting cultivators:-
• European foresters regarded shifting cultivation as harmful for the forests.
• The government banned shifting cultivation.
• It was argued the land which was used for shifting cultivation every few years could not grow trees for railway timber.
• Shifting cultivators were forcibly displaced many communities from their homes in the forests.
• Some had to change occupations while some resisted through large and small rebellions.
(B) Nomadic and pastoralist communities:-
• The forest laws deprived people of their customary rights and meant severe hardship for the nomadic and pastoralist communities.
• They could not cut wood for their houses, could not graze their cattle or collect fruits and roots. Hunting and fishing became illegal.
• They were forced to steal wood. If they were caught, they were at the mercy of the forest guards and they would have to offer bribes to the guards.
• Many pastoralist and nomadic communities like the Korava, Karacha of the Madras Presidency lost their livelihoods.
• Some of the nomadic communities began to be called criminal tribes and were forced to work instead in factories, mines and plantations under government supervision.
•They were also recruited to work in plantations. Their wages were low and conditions of work very bad.
(C ) Firms trading in timber/ forest produce:-
• By the early nineteenth century, oak forests in England were disappearing. This created a problem of timber supply for the Royal Navy.
• By the 1820s, search parties were sent to explore the forest resources in India. Trees were felled on a massive scale and large quantities of timber were being exported from India.
• The colonial government took over the forests and gave vast areas to European planters at cheap rates.
• The British Government gave many large European trading firms the sole right to trade in the forest products of particular areas.
• The government gave contracts to contractors who cut trees indiscriminately and made huge profits.
(D) Plantation owners :-
• Large areas of natural forests were also 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. These areas were enclosed and cleared of forests and planted with tea or coffee.
• Communities like Santhals from Assam and Oraons from Jharkhand and Gonds from Chhattisgarh were recruited to work on tea plantations. Their wages were low and conditions of work very bad.
• The plantation owners, under the protection and rights given by the British Government, made huge profits.
(E) Kings/British officials engaged in shikar :-
• In India, Shikar or hunting of tigers and other animals had been part of the culture of the court and nobility for centuries.
• Under colonial rule the scale of hunting increased to such an extent that various species became almost extinct.
• The British saw large animals as signs of a wild, primitive and savage society. They believed that by killing dangerous animals the British would civilize India.
• The British gave rewards for the killing of tigers, wolves and other large animals on the grounds that they posed a threat to the cultivators.
• The Maharaja of Sarguja alone shot-1157 tigers and 2000 leopards up to 1957. A British Administrator George Yule killed 400 tigers.
• Over 80000 tigers, 150000 leopards and 200000 wolves were killed for reward between 1875 and 1925.Initially certain areas of the forests were reserved for hunting.
Ques 2:- What are the similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and in Java?
Ans:- The colonial management of forests in Bastar and Java had the following similarities:-
• Hunting was prohibited.
• Trees were cut for railways and shipbuilding.
• Forest communities were suppressed when they rose in rebellion.
• Nomads and pastoralists were banned to enter the forest area.
• Trade in forest produce was banned.
• European firms were given permits for deforestation and plantation industry.
• Forest communities had to work as free labourers for the forest management,or they had to pay rent to live there.
Ques 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:-
Ans:- * Railways
• The spread of railways from the 1850s created a new demand . Railways were essential for colonial trade and for the movement of imperial troops .
• To run locomotives , wood was needed as fuel and to lay railway lines , sleepers were essential to hold the tracks together . Each mile of railway track required between 1760 and 2000 sleepers .
• From the 1860s , the railway network expanded rapidly . As the length of the railway tracks expanded , a very large number of trees were cut down .
• As early as the 1850s , in the Madras Presidency alone 35000 trees were cut annually for sleepers . Forests around the railway tracks started disappearing very fast .
* Shipbuilding
• By the early 19th century , Oak forests in England were disappearing . This created a problem of timber supply from the Royal Navy . English ships could not be built without a regular supply of strong and durable timber .
• Imperial power could not be protected without ships . Therefore by the 1820s , search parties were sent to explore the forest resources of India .
• Trees from the Indian forests were being cut on a massive scale from 1820s or 1830s to export large quantities of timber from India.
• Naturally forest cover of the subcontinent declined rapidly.
* Agricultural expansion
• Increasing population, urbanization, increasing foreign trade, demand of commercial crops and decline of small scale and cottage industries inspired the peasants to expand their agricultural area by clearing forests
• In the early 19th century , the colonial state thought that the forests were unproductive .
• They thought that the land could yield agricultural products that enhance the income of the state .
• Thus , between 1880 and 1920 , cultivated area rose by 6.7 million hectares by clearing the forests . The demand for commercial crops like jute , sugar , wheat , cotton and raw material for industries increased .
• Therefore , the British encouraged expansion of cultivation by clearing forests , leading to decline in forest cover .
* Commercial farming
• Large areas of natural forests were also cleared to make for plantations or commercial farming.
• Jute, rubber, indigo, tobacco etc. commercial crops were planted to meet Britain's growing need for these commodities.
• The colonial government (the British government) took over the forests, and game of vast area and exported their product to Europe.
* Tea/Coffee plantations
• Large areas of natural forests were also cleared to make we 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.
• These areas were enclosed and cleared of forests and planted with tea or coffee.
• Plantations were large in area leading to loss of large forest areas
* Adivasis and other peasant users
• As in most parts of the world , shifting cultivation was done by the Adivasis and other peasant communities , in India also it was practised .
• In shifting cultivation , parts of the forest area are cut and burnt in rotation.
• Seeds were sown in the ashes after the first monsoon rains and the crop was harvested by October – November .
• When fertility decreased , the process was repeated at another location . This led to a large loss of forests .
Ques 4 :- Why are forests affected by wars?
Ans:-
• Second World War had a major impact on forests. In India working plans were abandoned at this time, and the forest department cut forests freely to meet British war needs.
• In Java, just before the Japanese occupied (during the days of the Second World War) the region, the Dutch (the people of Holland are called the Dutch) followed 'a scorched earth' policy destroying saw mills and burning huge piles of giant teak logs.
• Many Adivasis, peasants and other users use wars and battles opportunities to expand cultivation in the forest.
• After the war, it was difficult for the Indonesian (before the occupation of Japanese) forest service to get this land (forestland) back
• In India, people's need for agricultural land has brought them into conflict with the forest department's desire to control the land and exclude people from there.
Conclusion
The chapter Forest Society and Colonialism shows how British rule changed forest laws and affected the lives of tribal and forest-dependent communities. It explains how strict control over forests, restrictions on shifting cultivation, and new taxes created many difficulties for people.
The chapter also highlights how forest communities resisted unfair policies and fought to protect their rights. Overall, it teaches us the importance of forests and the need for their responsible and sustainable management.
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