Forest Society and Colonialism Class 9 NCERT Solutions & Detailed Notes
🌲 Chapter Overview
The spread of railways from the 1850s created a new demand for timber. To meet this, the British government brought in Dietrich Brandis and established the Imperial Forest Service. This chapter discusses how scientific forestry changed the lives of forest dwellers, the rebellion in Bastar, and the Dutch forest laws in Java, Indonesia.
🔑 Key Terms & Concepts
- Deforestation: The disappearance of forests through cutting down trees.
- Scientific Forestry: A system where natural forests with lots of different types of trees were replaced by one type of tree planted in straight rows.
- Sleepers: Horizontal planks of wood on which railway lines are laid.
- Saminism: A movement against Dutch forest laws in Java, led by Surontiko Samin.
- Blandongdiensten System: A Dutch system in Java where villagers were exempted from rents if they provided free labour and buffaloes for timber transport.
📚 Part 1: NCERT Solutions (Exercise Questions)
Q1: Discuss how the changes in forest management in the colonial period affected: (a) Shifting cultivators (b) Nomadic communities (c) Firms trading in timber/forest produce.
Ans:
(a) Shifting Cultivators: Colonial officials banned shifting cultivation (jhum), claiming it made it difficult for the government to calculate taxes and that it was dangerous for the forest. Many were forced to leave their homes.
(b) Nomadic Communities: Many pastoralist and nomadic communities like the Korava and Karacha lost their livelihoods. They were prevented from entering forests to graze cattle or collect forest produce. Some were even branded as 'Criminal Tribes'.
(c) Firms: Trading became highly regulated. The British government gave many large European firms the sole right to trade in forest products of particular areas.
Q2: What are the similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and Java?
Ans:
1. Ownership: In both places, the state (British in Bastar, Dutch in Java) became the owner of the forest.
2. Restrictions: Villagers were restricted from entering the forest or using forest products.
3. Forced Labour: Both regimes used forced labour for cutting and transporting timber.
4. Rebellion: Both Bastar (1910) and Java (Saminist movement) saw major rebellions against these oppressive laws.
Q3: Explain the rebellion in Bastar in 1910.
Ans:
1. Causes: The government proposed to reserve two-thirds of the forest and stop shifting cultivation, hunting, and collection of forest produce.
2. Leadership: Gunda Dhur from village Nethanar was an important figure in the movement.
3. Events: Bazaars were looted, houses of officials and traders were burnt. Messages were sent through mango boughs and lumps of earth.
4. Outcome: The British took three months to suppress the revolt. Although Gunda Dhur was never caught, the reservation work was temporarily suspended.
⚡ Part 2: 15 Extra Practice Questions (CBT Style)
Q1: Who was Dietrich Brandis?
Ans: A German expert who was appointed as the first Inspector General of Forests in India. He set up the Indian Forest Service in 1864.
Q2: Why did the British need timber in the 19th century?
Ans: To build ships for the Royal Navy and to supply sleepers for the expanding railway network.
Q3: What was the Indian Forest Act of 1865?
Ans: An act that gave the British government authority over forest land. It was amended twice (1878 and 1927).
Q4: Name the three categories of forests as per the Act of 1878.
Ans: 1. Reserved Forests (the best), 2. Protected Forests, 3. Village Forests.
Q5: What is 'Scientific Forestry'?
Ans: A system where natural diverse forests were cut down and replaced by one species of tree (like Teak or Pine) planted in neat rows.
Q6: Where is Bastar located?
Ans: In the southernmost part of Chhattisgarh.
Q7: Who was Surontiko Samin?
Ans: A villager in Randublatung village (Java) who questioned state ownership of the forest, leading to a massive protest movement.
Q8: What is 'Scorched Earth Policy'?
Ans: A strategy used by the Dutch in Java during WWII to destroy sawmills and timber piles so they wouldn't fall into Japanese hands.
Q9: How many sleepers were needed for one mile of railway track?
Ans: Between 1,760 and 2,000 sleepers.
Q10: What were 'Forest Villages'?
Ans: Some villages were allowed to stay in reserved forests on the condition that they worked for the forest department in cutting and transporting trees.
Q11: Who are the 'Kalangs' of Java?
Ans: A community of skilled forest cutters and shifting cultivators in Java who were so valuable that they were divided between two kingdoms in 1755.
Q12: Which trees were promoted by the British for railways?
Ans: Teak and Sal.
Q13: Name the river that flows through Bastar.
Ans: Indravati.
Q14: Define 'Tungya' cultivation.
Ans: A system where local people were allowed to cultivate agricultural crops for a short period within a forest plantation.
Q15: When was the Imperial Forest Research Institute set up?
Ans: In 1906 at Dehradun.