The document discusses how forest societies and colonialism impacted forests in India. It describes how the British colonial government prioritized commercial forestry through plantations of single tree species. This led to large scale deforestation that cleared natural forests. Local forest communities lost access to forest resources and were displaced from their lands. The colonial government established the Indian Forest Service and enacted the Indian Forest Act of 1865 to restrict forest use and manage forests for timber extraction, further disrupting local societies.

1. FOREST SOCIETY AND
COLONIALISM
Lijin Golden

2. Major Areas of this Chapter
 Items Available from the Forest
 Benefits from the Forest
 How are forest products are useful for forest people
 How the industrialization affected the forest
 Meaning and Causes of Deforestation
 Meaning of Commercial Forestry
 Meaning of Forest Management
 Meaning of Scientific forestry
 Meaning of Shifting cultivation
 New Trades and New Employments
 Rebellion in the forest/ Case Study- Bastar and Java
 Dutch Scientific Forestry
 Samins Challenge
 War and Deforestation
 New Developments in Forestry

3. ITEMS AVAILABLE FROM THE FOREST
 Timber – For manufacturing the infrastructures like
desks, benches, Door, Windows etc…
Construction of buildings
 Paper, Dyes use to colour the cloth, Tea, Honey,
Rubber, Coffee, spices
 Fuel, Fodder and grass for animals (cattle food
 Medicinal- fruits, flowers, herbs, plants, roots
 Animals, Birds etc…
In the Amazon forests or in the western ghats- 500
different medicinal plant in one forest patch

4. Benefits from the Forest
 It helping for Soil Conservation
 It Protecting the Wild animals, birds and medicinal
plants
 Offer good employment opportunities
 Maintaining the Climate
 Maintaining the life of the Tribal people
 It maintain the life of Rural and Urban people
(providing necessary things)

5. Forest products useful for the forest People
 Fruits and Tuber- Nutritious to eat in monsoon
season
 Herbs- Medicine
 Wood- Agricultural implements like yokes and
Ploughs
 Bamboo- Making for basket and umbrellas
 Dried Scooped-portable water bottle
 Leaves- Plates and Cups
 Oil for cooking and to light lamps can be pressed
from the fruit of the mahua tree.

6. How industrialisation affected the Forest
In the period between 1700 and 1995, was a period of
industrialisation 13.9 million sq km of forest or 9.3%
of total world forest area was cleared for industrial
uses, cultivation, Pastures, fuel wood.
Text page No: 77 ( Features of Sal forest in
Chhattisgarh)

7. What is Deforestation/ Meaning
The disappearance of forest is called
Deforestation. In an area deforested the trees
there are cut down or destroyed.
In India the deforestation is not a
recent problem. But under the British rule it
became more systematic and extensive.

8. CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION
(OR)
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 causes Deforestation
Agriculture Railway Tea/ Coffee Ship Commercial
Tribal
Expansion Plantation Building Farming
Peasant

9. 1. AGRICULTURE EXPANSION
 In 1600, one sixth of India’s total area was under
cultivation
 But at present half of the total area using for cultivation
 As a result of the population increased, the demand for
food increased. So the peasants extended the
boundaries of cultivation. So that they cleared the forest.
During the time of colonial rule cultivation extended
rapidly based on two reason.
1. British encouraged the production of commercial crop
like jute, sugar, wheat and cotton. In 19th century the
demand of food crops and food grains increased in
Europe as a result of the increased population.

10. 2. In 19th century, the colonial rule considered forest were
unproductive. So they cleared the land for cultivation and they
thought that agriculture product and revenue increase the
income of the state. So between 1880 and 1920, cultivated area
rose by 6.7 million hectares.
2. RAILWAY
Railways were essential for colonial trade and for the
movement of imperial rule. They used wood for fuel and to
lay railway line sleepers were essential to hold the track
together. In 1860 railway network increased rapidly. In
1890, 25,500 km of track had been laid. In 1946 length
increased to 765,000 KM. In 1850, Madras province
annually cuted 35ooo trees for sleepers. Each mile of
railway track required between 1760 to 2000 sleepers. The
govt gave the contracts to individuals and they cleared the

11. 3. PLANTATIONS
The natural forest areas were cleared to make the
plantations. As a result of the growing needs of the
Europeans different types of plantations were introduced
like coffee, tea and rubber. The colonial government took
over the forest, and gave vast areas to European planters
at cheap rates. They cleared the forest and planted
coffee, tea and rubber.
4. SHIPPING
In 19th century, Oak forest disappeared in England. It created
problem of timber supply for the Royal navy for making the
ship. So in 1820, they sent the search parties to search the
forest resources of India. With in few decades, large scale of
timber were exported from India

12. 5. COMMERCIAL FORESTRY
The British considered the old trees had no use. So
that why they cut all the trees and planted same type
of tree in a straight row only for a commercial
purposes. As a result the natural forest has been
disappeared.
6. THE ROLE OF TRIBALS AND PEASANTS
As a part of the shifting cultivation, they cut and burnt the
forest in rotation. They sowed seeds in the ashes after
the first monsoon rain. This process harmful for the
forest. There aws always a danger of forest fire.

13. During the time of colonial rule cultivation
extended rapidly increased in India Why?
In 1880 to 1920, cultivated area in India
increased in to 6.7 million hect- Why
During the time of colonial rule cultivation extended
rapidly based on two reason.
1. British encouraged the production of commercial crop
like jute, sugar, wheat and cotton. In 19th century the
demand of food crops and food grains increased in
Europe as a result of the increased population.
2. In 19th century, the colonial rule considered forest
were unproductive. So they cleared the land for
cultivation and they thought that agriculture product
and revenue increase the income of the state. So
between 1880 and 1920, cultivated area rose by 6.7
million hectares

14. How and Why Commercial Forestry
come in India?
(or)
Role of Dietrich Brandis in Indian
Forest System
(or)
Describe about Indian Forest Act
in1865

15.  As a result of the rapid decline of forest the British govt
worried that the use of forests by local people and
reckless felling of trees by traders would destroy the
forests
(Why the British worried about the forest)
 So they invite a German expert, Dietrich Brandis, for
advice and made him first Inspector General of Forest
in India.
 He believed that a proper system had to be introduced
to manage the forest and people had to be trained in
the science of conservation.
 He set up Indian Forest Service in 1864 and he
formulated Indian Forest Act in 1865.
 He made rules and system made legal sanction.

16.  Felling of trees and grazing was restricted and forest could
preserved only for timber production.
 Any body violate the rules had been punished.
 The Imperial Research Institute was set up at Dehradun in
1906. The system they taught here was called Scientific
forestry.
 In scientific forestry, natural forests which had lots of
different type of trees were cut down. In there place, one
type of trees was planted in straight rows for commercial
purposes. This is called Plantations.
 Forest officials surveyed the forest, estimated the area
under different type of trees, and made working plans for
forest management. They planned how much of the
plantation area to cut every year. The area cut was then to
be replanted so that it was ready to be cut again in some

17. How the Indian Forest Act affected the
life of the Indian Forest people?
 Everyday Practices : cutting wood for their houses, grazing their
cattle, collecting fruits and roots, hunting and fishing became
illegal.
 So the people forced to steal wood from the forest, and if they
were caught, they were at the mercy of the forest guards who
would take bribes from them.
 Police constables and forest guards would harass people by
demanding free food from them.
 The govt banned shifting cultivation. They considered it a waste
of fertile land which could instead be used for growing railway
timber.
 Communities were forcibly displaced from their homes in the
forests.

18. Usage of Forest to different Sector Groups
(or)
How did villagers and foresters differ in the
ideas of good forest?
 Villagers: They wanted forest with a mixture of species
to satisfy different needs- fuel, fodder, leaves.
 Forest Department: Wanted trees which were suitable
for building ships or railways. They needed trees that
could provide hard wood, and were tall and straight. Eg:
Teak and Sal.
 Forest Peoples: Fruits and Tuber, Herbs, Wood,
Leaves, Bamboos, Dried Scooped, Mahua trees oil
etc….

19. Scientific Forestry
A system of Cutting trees controlled by the forest
Department in which old trees were cut down and
new one type of tree was planted in straight rows.
Forest Management
It is a system for the management of forest. The
forest officials surveyed the forest, estimated the
area under different type of trees, and made
working plan for forest management. They
planned how much of the plantation area to cut
every year. The area cut was then to be
replanted.

20. Plantation
In scientific forestry, natural forests which had lot of different
types of trees were cut down. In their place, one type of
tree was planted in straight rows. This is called plantation.
Shifting Cultivation
Is a traditional agricultural practice in many parts of
Asia, Africa and South America. It is otherwise known as
swidden agriculture or slash and burn activity. In shifting
cultivation, parts of the forest are cut and burnt in rotation.
Seeds are sown in the ashes after the monsoon rains, and
the crop is harvested by October- November. Such plots
are cultivated for a couple of years and then fallow for 12 to
18 years for the forest to grow back. A mixture of crops is
grown on these plots.

21. Local Names of Shifting Cultivation
Lading- Southeast Asia
Milpa- Central America
Chitemmene or Tavy- Africa
Chena- Srilanka
India- dhya, penda, bewar, nevad, jhum, podu,
khandad, kumri

22. Why the British banned the Shifting
Cultivation
1. European foresters regarded shifting cultivation was
harmful for the forest. They felt that land which was
used for cultivation every few years could not grow
trees for railway timber.
2. When a forest was burnt, there was added danger of
the flames spreading and burning valuable timber.
3. It made it harder for the government to calculate taxes.
So govt decided to ban the shifting cultivation. As a result
many communities were forcibly displaced from their
homes in the forest. So had to change occupations,
while some resisted through large and small scale
rebellions.

23. Why the ecologists criticised the
Scientific Forestry?
In scientific forestry, natural forests which had lot of
different type of trees were cut down. In that place
only one type tress are planting . So rare species of
trees, animals and birds is disappearing when the
use of cientic forestry.

24. Amendment of Indian Forest Act 1865
The Indian Forest Act amended twice in the years 1878
and 1927. The 1878 Act divided forests into three
categories.
1. Reserved Forest
2. Protected Forest
3. Village Forest
Reserved Forest: The best forest were called Reserved
Forest. The village could not take anything from the
forest, even for their own use.
For house building or fuel, they could take wood from
Protected or Village forests.

25. How the Forest Act affected the life
of the hunters?
 The forest law affected the life of the forest people.
 Before forest law many people they were survived
by hunting deer, partridges and variety of small
animals- it was prohibited by the forest laws.
 Those who were caught hunting were punished for
poaching.

26. What was the reason during the period of
the British hunting increased rapidly and
various species became almost extinct?
 The hunting of Tigers and other animals had been the part of
the culture in India especially during the Mughal period.
 But the British saw large animals as signs of a wild, primitive
and savage society.
 They believed that by the killing of dangerous animals the
British would civilize Indians.
 They gave rewards for the killing of tigers, wolves and other
large animals on the ground that they posed an threat to the
cultivators.
 Many areas were reserved for hunting.
 As a result various species became almost extinct during the
British period

27. New Job Employment/ Trade/ Service after
the introduction of Forest Department
 The people lost out their job in many ways after the Forest
Department but some people benefited from the new
opportunities that had opened up in trade.
 Many communities left their traditional job and started
trading in forest product.
 It happened in all over the World.
Brazil
With the growing demand of Rubber in 19th century, Mundurucu
people of the Brazilian Amazon who lived in villages on high
ground and cultivated manioc, began to collect latex from wild
rubber trees for supplying to traders. Gradually, they descended
to live in trading posts and became completely dependent on
traders.

28. India
In India, the trade in forest products was not new. From the
medieval period onwards, Adivasi communities trading
elephants, horns, silk, cocoons, ivory, bamboo, spices, fibres,
grasses and gums through nomadic communities like
Banjaras.
But during the British government some European trading firms
occupied the sale of forest product in some particular areas.
Grazing and hunting by local people were restricted.
Especially from Madrass Korava, Karacha and Yerukula
nomadic communities lost their jobs. Some of them began to
called Criminal Tribes were forced to work factories, mines
and plantation under the government supervision.

29. Assam: both men and women from forest communities
like Santhals
Jharkhand : Oraons
Chattisgarh : Gonds
were recruited to work on tea plantations. Their wages
were low and condition of work were very bad. They
could not easily return to their home villages.