NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Social Science (History) Chapter 4 Forest Society and Colonialism

NCERT
SOLUTIONS
CLASS - 9th

aglase .co

Book - India And The Contemporary World-I Ncert Solutions | Chapter-4 History

Class : 9th
Subject : History
Chapter : 4
Chapter Name : Forest Society And Colonialism

Q1 Discuss how the changes in forest management in the colonial period affected the
following groups of people:
(i) Shifting cultivators
(ii) Nomadic and pastoralist communities
(iii) Firms trading in timber/forest produce
(iv) Plantation owners
(v) Kings/British of cials engaged in shikar (hunting)

Answer. (i) Shifting cultivators practice slash and burn agriculture. In this practice, parts of
the forest are cut and burnt in a 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 re. This type of cultivation also
made dif cult for the government to calculate taxes. Thus, Colonial government banned
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.

(ii) The reservation of forest areas by the British Government also sealed the fate of many
nomadic and pastoral communities like the Korava, Karacha and Yerukula of the Madras
Presidency lost their means of livelihood. Earlier these people and their cattle depended
totally on the forest from which they were deprived because of the new forest management.
Some of these communities began to be called 'criminal tribes' and were forced to work in
factories, mines, and plantations under government supervision. Thus, these people were
forced to operate within new systems and reorganize their lives.

(iii) Firms trading in timber products were given the sole trading rights to trade in the forest
products of particular areas. They made huge pro ts and became richer. The entire timber and
forest trade passed on to them. They became powerful and began to cut down trees
indiscriminately.

(iv) 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 scienti c forestry,
i.e., plantations. Plantation owners began to reap pro ts as the British government gave large
areas of forest land to European planters.

(v) While the forest dwellers were deprived of their right to hunt deer, partridges and a variety

Page 1 of 4 Aglasem Schools

Book - India And The Contemporary World-I Ncert Solutions | Chapter-4 History

of small animals, the Indian Kings and British of cials were allowed to hunt freely in the
reserved forests. Under the colonial rule, the hunting increased to such an extent that various
species became extinct. A large number of tigers, leopards, wolves were killed as a sporting
trophy. Hunting or shikar became a sport. Later the environmentalists and conservators
realized many species of animals needed to be protected and not killed.

Q2 What are the similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and in
Java?

Answer. The similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and Java were .

Forest laws were enacted in Java and Bastar.

These laws restricted villagers' access to forests.

Timber could be cut from only speci ed forests and under close supervision.

Villagers were punished for entering forests and collecting forest products without a
permit.

Permits were issued to the villagers for entry into forests and collection of forest
products.

Both had a forest service. Both followed a system of forestry which was known as
scienti c forestry.

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 shing became illegal.

Constables and forests guards began to harass people.

Q3 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:
(i) Railways
(ii) Shipbuilding
(iii) Agricultural expansion
(iv) Commercial farming

Page 2 of 4 Aglasem Schools

Book - India And The Contemporary World-I Ncert Solutions | Chapter-4 History

(v) Tea/Coffee plantations
(vi) Adivasis and other peasant users

Answer. (i) Railways played a vital role in the decline of the forest cover in India. F-or laying
railway tracks forest land had to be cleared. 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.

(ii) By the end of 19th century, oak forests in England had almost disappeared. This created a
shortage of timber for the Royal Navy. If the imperial power was to be protected and
maintained, the building of ships was the rst priority. So, search parties were sent to explore
the forest resources of India. A large number of sleepers began to be exported to England
annually. This further led to the indiscriminate cutting of trees year after year which caused
deforestation on a massive scale.

(iii) The 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.

(iv) 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 food
grains 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.

(v) 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.

(vi) The Adivasis and other peasant users, gather forest products and graze their cattle. Their
livelihood mainly came from forest produce. 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. Adivasis and
other peasant communities regard the forests as their own and even engage watchmen to keep
a vigil over their forests.

Q4 Why are forests affected by wars?

Answer. Forests are affected by wars and this often leads to deforestation. Forests during wars

Page 3 of 4 Aglasem Schools

Book - India And The Contemporary World-I Ncert Solutions | Chapter-4 History

are freely cut to meet the needs of war. Forests are an 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.

Page 4 of 4 Aglasem Schools