this is the project of class9 on the Forest Socity and colonialis

1. Forest Society and
Colonialism: A Historical
Perspective
NAME- Aditya Dwivedi
CLASS- 'L'

2. CONTENTS
. Introduction . Causes of Deforestation
. Scientific Forestry and Forest Laws . Impact on Local Communities
. Forest Management in Java,
Indonesia
. Forests and Wars
. Modern Changes and Conservation

3. Introduction
Forests have played a vital role in
the life and culture of many
communities across the world.
Before colonial rule, forests were
home to various tribal groups
who practiced shifting
cultivation, hunted, gathered
forest products, and lived in
harmony with nature.
With the onset of colonialism,
this balance was disrupted

4. Introduction
Forests have played a vital role in the life and culture of many communities across the world.
Before colonial rule, forests were home to various tribal groups who practiced shifting cultivation, hunted,
gathered forest products, and lived in harmony with nature.
With the onset of colonialism, this balance was disrupted

5. Causes of Deforestation
Deforestation during
Colonial Rule
Timber Demand
The British needed large
quantities of timber for
building ships and later for
expanding railway lines.
Railway Track
Requirements
Each mile of railway track
required thousands of wooden
sleepers.
Plantation Expansion
Forests were also cleared to
make way for tea, coffee, and
rubber plantations.
Commercial Farming
Growth
Commercial farming of crops
like jute, cotton, sugar, and
wheat expanded, often at the
cost of forest land.
Global Deforestation
Between and ,
around . million sq. km. of
forests were cleared globally,
especially during the peak of
industrialization.

6. Scientific Forestry
and Forest Laws

7. Introduction of Scientific Forestry
Scientific Forestry
The British introduced a system called "scientific
forestry."
Forest Replacement
This method involved the cutting of natural forests
and replacing them with single-species plantations
such as teak or sal.
Forest Classification
The Indian Forest Act of , later amended in
and , classified forests into reserved,
protected, and village forests.

8. Impact on Local Communities
Forest Regulation
In reserved forests, local people
were banned from collecting
wood, hunting, or grazing
animals.
Community Impact
These changes had devastating
effects on forest communities.
Their everyday activities
became illegal.
Bribery Issues
They had to bribe forest guards
or face punishment.
Impact on Women
Women, who collected firewood and forest
produce, suffered the most.
Cultivation Ban
Shifting cultivation was banned as the British
believed it harmed the forests, displacing
communities and pushing them into poverty.

9. Impact on Local
Communities

10. Impact on Local Communities
Community Reactions
· People reacted to the forest policies in various
ways.
· Some adapted by joining forest-based industries
and trading forest products.
· Many resisted the changes through protests and
rebellions.
Case Study: The Bastar Rebellion
· In Bastar (present-day Chhattisgarh), people rose
in revolt in when the British tried to reserve
two-thirds of the forest.
· Led by leaders like Gunda Dhur, villagers looted
bazaars and government offices.
· Although the rebellion was suppressed, it forced
the British to reduce the area under reservation.

11. Forest Management
in Java, Indonesia
java forest Indonesia forest

12. Forest Management in Java, Indonesia
Java Events
Similar events took place in Java, Indonesia, under
Dutch colonial rule.
Forest Laws
The Dutch implemented forest laws and restricted
the local people’s access to forests.
Labor Systems
They introduced systems like blandongdiensten,
where forest villagers had to provide free labor in
return for being allowed to cultivate forest land.
Community Resistance
Communities like the Kalangs resisted these
changes, and leaders like Surontiko Samin
protested state control over natural resources.

13. Forests and Wars

14. Forests and Wars
Deforestation Impact
World Wars I and II also caused widespread
deforestation.
Timber Demand
During wars, the demand for timber increased
rapidly.
Management Rules
Forest management rules were relaxed, and vast
areas were cleared.
Sawmill Destruction
In Java, Dutch forces destroyed sawmills and
timber to prevent Japanese capture.
Exploitation of Forests
The Japanese, in turn, exploited the forests even
more ruthlessly.

15. Modern Changes and
Conservation

16. Modern Changes and Conservation
Conservation
Awareness
In recent decades,
governments and communities
have realized that excluding
people from forests does not
help in conserving them.
Joint Management
New forest policies promote
joint forest management,
where villagers help protect
and manage forests.
Biodiversity
Preservation
Sacred groves and traditional
forest conservation methods
are being recognized as
effective ways to preserve
biodiversity.
This project highlights how colonial forest policies affected the environment and local communities. It also
shows the importance of involving indigenous people in forest conservation efforts.