DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL, REWARI

Subject : Social Science (History Notes)

Class – IX
(Forest Society and Colonialism )
Introduction- We take a look around us, we see so many things that come forests; the paper in the book we
are reading, doors and windows, tables and chairs, spices in our food, gum, honey, coffee, tea, medicines
from herbs and roots, wood for fuel, fruits, flowers , animals , birds and many other things. In the Amazon
forests or in the Western Ghats, it is possible to find as many as 5000 different species in one forest patch.

A lot of this diversity is fast disappearing as we are cutting trees for industrial uses, cultivation, pastures and
fuelwood.
WHY DEFORESTATION
The disappearance of forests is referred to as deforestation. The process of cutting trees on a large scale
began many centuries ago. Under the rule of the British i.e. colonial rule it became more systematic. Let us
see some of the causes of deforestation in India under colonial rule.
LAND FOR CULTIVATION - The British encouraged the production of commercial crops like jute, sugar,
wheat and cotton as demands for these crops increased in Europe where raw materials were required for
industrial production. Secondary, the colonial state though that forests were unproductive and more forest
area was brought under cultivation.

WOOD TO MAKE ENGLISH SHIPS - By the early 19th century, oak forests in England was
disappearing and timber w3as needed by the Royal Navy to make ships. Search parties were sent to India and
trees were being gut on a large scale and vast quantities of timber was exported from India to England.

SLEEPERS ON THE TRACKS – The spread of railways from the 1850s created a new demand. To run
locomotives, wood was needed as fuel, and to lay railway lines sleepers were essential to hold the tracks
together. (Sleepers – Wooden Planks laid across railway tracks;. They hold the tracks in position)The
contractors appointed by the British Government began cutting trees indiscriminately.

PLANTATIONS – Large areas of forests were also cleared to make way for tea, coffee and rubber
plantations to meet Europe’s growing need for the commodities. The British government gave vast areas to
European planters at cheap rates to clear forests and plant tea or coffee.
FIRST INSPECTOR GENERAL OF FORESTS IN INDIA- The British were worried that the use of
forests by local people and the reckless feeling of trees by traders would destroy forests. So , they decided to
invite a German expert, DIETRICH BRANDIS, for advice, and made him the first Inspector General of
Forests in India.
SCIENTIFIC FORESTRY – Brandis set up the Indian Forest Service in 1864. The Imperial Forest
Research Institute was set up at Dehradun in 1906. The system they taught here was called SCIENTIFIC
FORESTRY. Many people now, including ecologists, feel that this system is not scientific at all. In
scientific forestry, natural forests which had lots of different types of trees were cut down. In their place, one
type of tree was planted in straight rows.
THE FOREST ACT – The 1878 Act divided forests divided forests into three categories: RESERVED,
PROTECTED AND VILLAGE FORESTS. The best forests were called’ reserved forests. Villagers could
not take anything from these forests, even for their own use. For house building or fuel, they could take
wood from protected or village forests.
HOW WERE THE LIVES OF PEOPLE AFFECTED Villages wanted forests with a mixture of species
to satisfy different need – fuel, fodder ( food for animals) leaves. The Forest Department wanted trees which
were suitable for building ships or railways. The Forest Act meant severe hardership for villages across the
country. After the Act, all their everyday practices cutting wood for their houses, grazing their cattle,
collecting fruits and roots, hunting fishing - became illegal. People were now forced to steal wood from the
forests, and if they were caught, they were at the mercy of forest guards who would take bribes from them.

SHIFTING CULTIVATION – One of the major impacts of European colonialism was on the practice of
shifting cultivation or swidden agriculture. In shifting cultivation, parts of the forest are cut and burnt in
rotation. Seeds are sown in the ashes after the first monsoon rains, and the crop is harvested by October –
November. Such plots are cultivated for a couple of years and then practice as harmful for the forest and
decided to ban shifting cultivation.
WHO COULD HUNT? The new forest laws declared hunting illegal. Before the forest laws, the forest
people had survived by hunting deer, partridges and a variety of small animals. Those who were caught
hunting were now punished. On the other hand the British killed a large number of wild animals as they saw
large animals as signs of a wild, primitive and savage society. A British administrator, George Yule, killed
400 tigers.
NEW TRADES, NEW EMPLOYMENTS AND NEW SERVICES - After the forest department took
control of the forests, many communities left their traditional occupations and started trading in forest
products . The British made laws and gave many large European trading firms the sole right in the forest
products. Grazing and hunting by local people was restricted. Many pastoralist and nomadic communitie4s
lost their livelihoods.
REBELLION IN THE FOREST
In many parts of India, and across the world, forest communities rebelled against the changes that were being
imposed on them. We will now discuss in detail one such rebellion which took place in the kingdom of
Bastar in 1910.
THE PEOPLE OF BASTAR – Bastar is located in the southernmost part of Chhattisgarh and borders Andhra
Pradesh, Orissa and Maharashtra. A number of different communities live in Baster such as Masria and
Muria Gonds, Dhurvas, Bhatras and Halbas. The people of Bastar believed that each village was given its
land by the Earth and in return they look after the Earth. Each village knew its boundary and looked after the
natural resources and also protect their forests by engaging watchmen.
THE FEARS OF THE PEOPLE – When the colonial government proposed to reserve two thirds of the forest
in 1905, and stop shifting cultivation, hunting and collection of forest produce the people of Bastar were
worried. People began to gather and discuss these issues. The initiative was taken by the Dhurwas of the
Kanger Forest. Although there was no single leader, many people speak of Gunda Dhur, as an important
figure in the movement. People of other villages were also invited to join the rebellion. The rebellion was
crushed by the British.
FOREST TRANSFORMATIONS IN JAVA
Let us now go to another part of Asia, Indonesia, and see what was happening there over the same period.
JAVA in INDONESIA is where the Dutch (the Dutch are the people who live in the Netherlands) started
forest management. Like the British, they wanted timber from Java to build ships and sleepers. There were
many communities in Java living in the mountains and practicing shifting cultivation.
THE WOODCUTTERS OF JAVA the KALANGS of Java were a community of skilled forest cutters
and shifting cultivators. They were so trained that in 1755 when the Mataram kingdom divided of Java
divided, the 6000 Kalang families were equally divided between the two kingdoms. When the Dutch began
to grain control over the forests in the 18th century, they tried to make the Kalangs work under them.
SAMIN’S CHALLENGE Around 1890, Surontiko Samin of Randublatung village , began questioning
state ownership of the forest. He argued that the state had not created the wind, water ,earth and wood, and
so it could not own it. Soon a widespread movement developed. By 1907, 3000 families were followed his
ideas.
WAR AND DEFORESTATION The First World War and the Second World War had a major impact on
forests. The forest department in India cut trees freely to meet British war needs. In Java, just before the
Japanese occupied the region, the Dutch followed “ a scorched earth” policy, destroying sawmills, and
burning huge piles of giant teak logs so that they would not fall into Japanese hands. The Japanese forced the
forest villagers to cut down forests and used the products for their own war industries. Many villagers used
this opportunity to expand cultivation in the forest.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN FORESTRY : Since the 1980s , governments across Asia and Africa
released that scientific forestry and keeping the forest people away from the forests has led to destruction of
forests. The government recognized that in order to protect forests involvement of the forest people is very
essential. In many cases, across India, from Mizoram to Kerala, dense forests have survived only because of
the protection given by the villages. Some villages have been keeping a watch over their own forests, with
each household taking it in turns, instead of leaving it to the forest guards.
Q.1 How did commercial farming led to a decline in forest cover during colonial period?
Ans The factors which led to deforestation during the colonial rule are as follows:
a) The British encouraged the production of commercial crops like wheat, sugar, jute and cotton . The
demands for these crops increased in the 19th century Europe because food grains were needed to
feed the growing urban population and raw materials were required for growing industries.
b) The colonial government through that forests were unproductive and so more and more land was
brought under cultivation.
c) Trees were being cut on a large scale and exported to England to make ships for the Royal Navy.
d) Wood was needed as fuel to run locomotives and to lay sleepers which could hold the railway tracks.
e) Large areas of forests were cleared to make way for Tea, Coffee and Rubber plantations.
Q.2 What is Scientific Forestry? How did the forest officials implement it?
Ans: In Scientific forestry, natural forests, which had different kinds of trees, were cut down. In their place
one type of trees were grown in straight rows.
Forest officials surveyed the area and estimated how much of the planation was to be cut. The area was then
replanted and trees could be cut after a few years.
Q.3 What was Shifting Cultivation? Why did European foresters want to ban it?
Ans This practice was followed in Asia, Africa and South America. In shifting Cultivation parts of the
forest are cut and burnt. After the first monsoon showers, seeds are sown in the ashes and crop is
harvested in October – November . Such plots are cultivated for a few years and then left fallow for
12 to 18 years for the forest to grow.
European foresters regarded it harmful because they felt:
a) the land which was used for cultivation every few years could not grow trees for railway timber.
b) wen the forests were burnt, there was a danger to flames spreading and burning valuable timber.
c) it became difficult for the government to calculate taxes.

Q.4 Describe the main causes of the revolt of Bastar?

Ans The main causes of the revolt of Bastar were as follows:
a) The colonial government wanted to reserve 2/3 of the forests in 1905 and stop shifting cultivation ,
hunting and collection of forest produce.
b) Villagers were asked to leave forests without any prior notice or compensation
c) For long people had suffered under increased rents and demand for free labour and goods by forest
officials.

Q.5 Explain the provisions of the Forest Act passed by the Dutch.
Ans The provisions of Forest Act passed by the Dutch were as follows:
(a) The Dutch restricted the villagers’ access to forests
(b) Wood could only be cut for specified purposes like making river boats or constructing houses
only from certain forests under close supervision.
(c) Villagers were punished for grazing cattle, transporting wood without a permit or travelling on
forest roads with horse cats or cattle.