Forest society and coloinism

BY PARTH GUPTA
9TH F

2. THE DIVIDATIONOFLESSON

3. INTRODUCTION

4. MAJOR AREAS OF CHAPTER

5. ITEMS AVAILABLE FROM FORESTS
▪TIMBER-FOR MANUFACTURING THE INFRASTUCTURE LIKE DESKS, BENCHES,DOORS,
WINDOWS, ETC….
▪PAPERS,DYESBUSE FOR COLOR THE CLOTH, TEA ,HONEY ,RUBBER ,COFFEE,SPICES
▪FUEL,FODDERANDGRASSFORANIMALS(CATTLEFOOD)
▪MEDICAL-FRUITS, FLOWERS, HERBS ,PLANTS ,ROOTS
INTHEAMAZONFORESTORINWESTERN GHATS-500 DIFFERENT MEDICAL PLANTS IN ONE FOREST
PATCH

6. BENEFITS OF FORESTS
•ITHELPSFORSOILCONSERVATION
•IT PROTECTS THE WILD ANIMALS , BIRDS , AND MEDICCLA PLANTS
•OFFERGOODEMPLOYEMENTOPPORTONITIES
•MAINTAIN THE CLIMATE
•MAINTAINTHELIFEOFTHETRIBALPEOPLE
•IT ALSO MAINTAIN THE LIFE OF RURUL AND VILLAGE LIFE
(BY PROVIDING THE NESSASARY THINGS)

7. IMPORTANCE OF FOREST

9. HOW INDUSTRILISATION AFFECTD THE
FOREST
•IN THE PERIOD BETWEEN 1700 AND 1995 , WAS THE PERIOD OF INDUSTRILISATION 13.9
MILLION SQUREKM OF FOREST OR 9.3% OF TOTAL WORLD FOREST AREA WAS CLEARED
FOR INDUSTRIAL USES , CULTIVATION ,PASTURISATION,FUEL WOOD

11. WHAT IS DEFORESTATION ?
•THE DISAPPEARANCE OF FOREST IS CALLED DEFORESTATION .
•IN THEAREADEFORESRTEDTHE TREE THERE ARE CUT DOWN AND DESTROYED .
•IN INDIATHEDEFORESTATION IS NOT A RECENT PROBLEM . BUT UNDERTHEBRITISH
RULE IT BECAME MORE SYSTEMATIC AND EXTENSIVE

13. CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION
•BETWEEN 1880 AND 1920 FOREST COVER IN INDIADECLINES BY 9.7 MILLION HECTORS
FORM 108.6 MILLION HECTORS TO 98.9 MILLION HECTORS .
•DISCUSS THE CAUSES DEFORESTATION

16. RAILWAY
RAILWAY WERE ESSENTIAL FOR COLONIAL TRADE AND FOR THE MOVEMENT OF IMPERIAL
RULE. THE USED WOOD FOR FUEL AND TO LAY RAILWAY LINE SLEEPER WERE ESSENTIAL TO
HOLD THE TRACK TOGETHER. IN 1860 RAILWAY NETWORK INCREASE RAPIDLY . IN 1890,
25000 KM OF TRACK HAD BEEN MADE .IN 1946, THE LENGTH INCREASED TO 765000 KM
.IN MADRAS , THEY ANUALYCUTED35000 TREES FORSLEEPER

18. PLANTATION
•THENATURAL FOREST AREA WERE CLEARED TO MAKE THE PLANTAION. AS A RESULT OF
THE GROWING NEEDS OF THE EUROPIANSDIFFERENT TYPES OF PLANTATION WERE
INTRODUCED LIKE COFFEE TEA AND RUBBER . THE CONOLIALGOVERNMENT TOOK OVER
THE FOREST AND GAVE VAST AREAS FOR EUROPIANPLANTERS AT CHEEP RATE

20. SHIPPING
•IN 19
TH
CENTURY , OAK FOREST WERE DISAPPEARED IN ENGLAND . IT CREATED PROBLEM
OF TIMBER SUPPLY FOR THE ROYAL NAVY FOR MAKING THE SHIP. SO IN 1820 THEY SENT
IN SEARCH OF TIMBER IN FOREST RESOURESIN INDIA. WITH IN FEW DECADES LARGE
AMOUNT OF TIMBER WERE EXPORTED BY INDIATO ENGLAND

21. COMMERTIALFORESTARY
•THE BRITISHCONSIDERDTHE OLD TREES HAD NO USE. SO THAT WHY THEY ALL CUT ALL
THE TREES AND PLANTED SAME TYPE OF TREES IN STRAIGHT ROW ONLY FOR THE
COMMERCIAL USE.

22. ROLE OF TRIBALSAND 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 MONSOONRAIN . THE
PROSESSIS HARMFULLFOR THE FOREST.

32. SCIENTIFIC FORESTRY

34. SHIFTING CULTIVATION

35. LOCAL NAME OF SHIFTING CULTIVATION
LANDING-SOUTHEAST ASIA
MILPA-CENTRALAMARICA
CHITEMMENE-AFRICA
CHENE-SRILANKA

37. WHY THE ECOLOGIST CRITICEDTHE SCIENTIFIC
FORESRY
•IN SCIENTIFIC FORESTRY , THE NATURAL FOREST WHICH HAD LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPE
OF TREES WERE CUT DOWN . IN THAT PLACE ONLY ONE TYPE OF TREES ARE PLANTED . SO
RARE SPIECESOF TREES , BIRDS , ANIMALS , IS DISAPPEARED WHEN THE USE OF
CIENTICFORESTRY

42. RISE OF COMMERCIAL FARMING
•IN PREVIOUS SECTION WE SEEN THAT THEBRITISHNEEDEDFORESTSFORMAKING THE
SHIPS AND RAINWAYTRACKS. THEY WERE WORRIED THAT THE USE OF FOREST BY
LOCAL AND THE RECKLESS FELLING OF TREES BY TRADERS WOULD DESTROYFORESTS .
SO THEY DECIDED TO INVITE A GERMANEXPERT ,DIERCHYBRANDIS,FORADVICE

43. DIERCHYBRANDIS
•BRANDIS REALISEDTHAT A PROPER SYSTEM HAD TO BE INTRODUCED TO MANAGE.THEFORESTS
AND PEOPLE HAD TO BE TRAINED IN THE SCIENCE OF CONSERVATION.THISSYSTEM WOULD
NEED LEGAL SANCTION. RULES ABOUT THE USE OF FOREST . RESOURCES HAD TO BE FRAMED.
FELLING OF TREES AND GRAZING HAD TO BERESTRICTEDSO THAT FORESTS COULD BE
PRESERVED FOR TIMBER PRODUCTION.ANYBODYWHO CUT TREES WITHOUT FOLLOWING THE
SYSTEM HAD TO BEPUNISHED. SO BRANDIS SET UP THE INDIAN FOREST SERVICE IN 1864 AND
•HELPED FORMULATE THE INDIAN FOREST ACT OF 1865. THE IMPERIAL FOREST
•RESEARCH INSTITUTE WAS SET UP AT DEHRADUN IN 1906.

44. DIERCHYBRANDIS
•IN SCIENTIFIC FORESTRY, NATURAL FORESTS WHICH HAD LOTS OF DIFFERENT TYPESOF
TREES WERE CUT DOWN. IN THEIR PLACE, ONE TYPE OF TREE WAS PLANTEDIN
STRAIGHT ROWS. THIS IS CALLED A PLANTATION. FOREST OFFICIALS SURVEYED.THE
FORESTS, ESTIMATED THE AREA UNDER DIFFERENT TYPES OF TREES, ANDMADE
WORKING PLANS FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT. THEY PLANNED HOW MUCOFTHE
PLANTATION AREA TO CUT EVERY YEAR. THE AREA CUT WAS THEN TO BEREPLANTEDSO
THAT IT WAS READY TO BE CUT AGAIN IN SOME YEARS.

45. HOW DID FOREST RULE AFFECTED
CULTIVATION
•ONE OF THE MAJOR IMPACTS OF EUROPEAN COLONIALISM WAS ON THE PRACTICEOF
SHIFTING CULTIVATION OR SWIDDENAGRICULTURE. THIS IS A
TRADITIONALAGRICULTURALPRACTICE IN MANY PARTS OF ASIA, AFRICA AND SOUTH
AMERICA. ITHASMANY LOCAL NAMES SUCH AS LADING IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, MILPA IN
CENTRALAMERICA, CHITEMENEOR TAVYIN AFRICA, AND CHENA IN SRI LANKA. IN
INDIA, DHYA, PENDA, BEWAR, NEVAD, JHUM, PODU, KHANDAD AND KUMRIARE SOME OF
THE LOCAL TERMS FOR SWIDDENAGRICULTURE.

46. REBELLION IN FOREST
•IN MANY PARTS OF INDIA, AND ACROSS THE WORLD, FOREST COMMUNITIESREBELLED
AGAINST THE CHANGES THAT WERE BEING IMPOSED ON THEM. THELEADERSOF THESE
MOVEMENTS AGAINST THE BRITISH LIKE SIDDHUAND KANUINTHE SANTHAL
PARGANAS, BIRSA MUNDA OF CHHOTANAGPUROR ALLURISITARAMARAJU OF ANDHRA
PRADESH ARE STILL REMEMBERED TODAY IN SONGSANDSTORIES. WE WILL NOW
DISCUSS IN DETAIL ONE SUCH REBELLION WHICHTOOKPLACE IN THE KINGDOM OF
BASTARIN 1910.

47. THE PEOPLE OF BASTAR
•BASTARIS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERNMOST PART OF CHHATTISGARH ANDBORDERS
ANDHRA PRADESH, ORISSA AND MAHARASHTRA. THE CENTRAL PARTOFBASTARIS ON
A PLATEAU. TO THE NORTH OF THIS PLATEAU IS THECHHATTISGARHPLAIN AND TO ITS
SOUTH IS THE GODAVARI PLAIN. THE RIVERINDRAWATIWINDS ACROSS BASTAREAST
TO WEST. A NUMBER OF DIFFERENTCOMMUNITIESLIVE IN BASTARSUCH AS MARIA AND
MURIAGONDS, DHURWAS,BHATRASAND HALBAS. THEY SPEAK DIFFERENT LANGUAGES
BUT SHARECOMMONCUSTOMS AND BELIEFS. THE PEOPLE OF BASTARBELIEVE THAT
EACHVILLAGEWAS GIVEN ITS LAND BY THE EARTH.

48. ARMY CAMPOFBASTAR

49. THE FEARS OF PEOPLE
•WHEN THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT PROPOSED TO RESERVE TWO-THIRDS OFTHEFOREST IN
1905, AND STOP SHIFTING CULTIVATION, HUNTING AND COLLECTIONOFFOREST PRODUCE, THE
PEOPLE OF BASTARWERE VERY WORRIED. SOMEVILLAGESWERE ALLOWED TO STAY ON IN THE
RESERVED FORESTS ON THE CONDITIONTHATTHEY WORKED FREE FOR THE FOREST
DEPARTMENT IN CUTTING ANDTRANSPORTINGTREES, AND PROTECTING THE FOREST FROM
FIRES. SUBSEQUENTLY,THESECAME TO BE KNOWN AS ‘FOREST VILLAGES’. PEOPLE OF OTHER
VILLAGESWEREDISPLACED WITHOUT ANY NOTICE OR COMPENSATION. FOR LONG,VILLAGERS
HAD BEEN SUFFERING FROM INCREASED LAND RENTS AND FREQUENTDEMANDSFOR FREE
LABOURAND GOODS BY COLONIAL OFFICIALS. THEN CAMETHETERRIBLE FAMINES, IN 1899-
1900 AND AGAIN IN 1907-1908. RESERVATIONSPROVEDTO BE THE LAST STRAW.PEOPLEBEGAN
TO GATHER AND DISCUSS THESE ISSUES

50. THE FEARS OF PEOPLE
•PEOPLE BEGAN TO GATHER AND DISCUSS THESE ISSUES IN THEIR VILLAGECOUNCILS,IN
BAZAARS AND AT FESTIVALS OR WHEREVER THE HEADMEN AND PRIESTS OFSEVERAL
VILLAGES WERE ASSEMBLED. THE INITIATIVE WAS TAKEN BY THEDHURWASOF THE
KANGERFOREST, WHERE RESERVATION FIRST TOOK PLACE.ALTHOUGHTHERE WAS NO
SINGLE LEADER, MANY PEOPLE SPEAK OF GUNDADHUR, FROM VILLAGE NETHANAR, AS AN
IMPORTANT FIGURE IN THEMOVEMENT. IN 1910, MANGO BOUGHS, A LUMP OF EARTH,
CHILLIESANDARROWS, BEGAN CIRCULATING BETWEEN VILLAGES.

51. THE FEARS OF PEOPLE
•THESE WERE ACTUALLYMESSAGES INVITING VILLAGERS TO REBEL AGAINST THE
BRITISH. EVERY VILLAGECONTRIBUTEDSOMETHING TO THE REBELLION EXPENSES.
BAZAARS WERE LOOTED,THEHOUSES OF OFFICIALS AND TRADERS, SCHOOLS AND
POLICE STATIONS WEREBURNTAND ROBBED, AND GRAIN REDISTRIBUTED. MOST OF
THOSE WHO WEREATTACKEDWERE IN SOME WAY ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLONIAL
STATE AND ITSOPPRESSIVELAWS. WILLIAM WARD, A MISSIONARY WHO OBSERVED
THE EVENTS,WROTE: ‘FROM ALL DIRECTIONS CAME STREAMING INTO JAGDALPUR,
POLICE,MERCHANTS, FOREST PEONS, SCHOOLMASTERS AND IMMIGRANTS.’

52. FOREST TRANSFORMATION IN JAVA
JAVA IS NOW FAMOUS AS A RICE-PRODUCING ISLAND IN INDONESIA. BUTONCEUPON A TIME IT
WAS COVERED MOSTLY WITH FORESTS. THE COLONIALPOWERIN INDONESIA WERE THE DUTCH,
AND AS WE WILL SEE, THERE WEREMANYSIMILARITIES IN THE LAWS FOR FOREST CONTROL IN
INDONESIA ANDINDIA. JAVA IN INDONESIA IS WHERE THE DUTCH STARTED FORESTMANAGEMENT.
LIKE THE BRITISH, THEY WANTED TIMBER FROM JAVA TOBUILDSHIPS. IN 1600, THE POPULATION
OF JAVA WAS AN ESTIMATED 3.4MILLION. THERE WERE MANY VILLAGES IN THE FERTILE PLAINS,
BUT THEREWEREALSO MANY COMMUNITIES LIVING IN THE MOUNTAINS AND
PRACTISINGSHIFTING CULTIVATION.

53. THE WOODCUTTER OF JAVA
THE KALANGSOF JAVA WERE A COMMUNITY OF SKILLED FOREST CUTTERS ANDSHIFTING
CULTIVATORS. THEY WERE SO VALUABLE THAT IN 1755 WHEN THEMATARAMKINGDOM OF
JAVA SPLIT, THE 6,000 KALANGFAMILIES WEREQUALLY DIVIDED BETWEEN THE TWO
KINGDOMS. WITHOUT THEIR EXPERTISE,ITWOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TO HARVEST
TEAK AND FOR THE KINGS TOBUILDTHEIR PALACES. WHEN THE DUTCH BEGAN TO GAIN
CONTROL OVER THE FORESTS IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY, THEY TRIED TO MAKE THE
KALANGSWORKUNDER THEM. IN 1770, THE KALANGSRESISTED BY ATTACKING A
DUTCHFORTAT JOANA, BUT THE UPRISING WAS SUPPRESSED.

54. DUTCH SCIENTIFIC FORESTRY
IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, WHEN IT BECAMEIMPORTANTTO CONTROL TERRITORY AND
NOT JUSTPEOPLE, THE DUTCH ENACTED FOREST LAWS IN JAVA,RESTRICTINGVILLAGERS’
ACCESS TO FORESTS. NOWWOODCOULD ONLY BE CUT FOR SPECIFIED PURPOSESLIKE
MAKING RIVER BOATS OR CONSTRUCTING HOUSES,ANDONLY FROM SPECIFIC FORESTS
UNDER CLOSESUPERVISION. VILLAGERS WERE PUNISHED FORGRAZINGCATTLE IN YOUNG
STANDS, TRANSPORTINGWOODWITHOUT A PERMIT, OR TRAVELLING ON FOREST ROADS
WITH HORSE CARTS OR CATTLE.ASIN INDIA, THE NEED TO MANAGE FORESTS

55. SAMIN’SCHALLANGE
•AROUND 1890, SURONTIKOSAMINOF RANDUBLATUNGVILLAGE, A TEAK
FORESTVILLAGE, BEGAN QUESTIONING STATE OWNERSHIP OF THE FOREST. HE ARGUED
THATTHESTATE HAD NOT CREATED THE WIND, WATER, EARTH AND WOOD, SO IT COULD
NOTOWNIT. SOON A WIDESPREAD MOVEMENT DEVELOPED. AMONGST THOSE
WHOHELPEDORGANISEIT WERE SAMIN’SSONS-IN-LAW. BY 1907, 3,000
FAMILIESWEREFOLLOWING HIS IDEAS. SOME OF THE SAMINISTSPROTESTED BY LYING
DOWNONTHEIR LAND WHEN THE DUTCH CAME TO SURVEY IT, WHILE OTHERS REFUSED
TOPAYTAXES OR FINES OR PERFORM LABOUR.

57. WAR AND DEFORESTATION
THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND THE SECOND WORLD WAR HAD A MAJOR IMPACTONFORESTS. IN
INDIA, WORKING PLANS WERE ABANDONED AT THIS TIME, ANDTHEFOREST DEPARTMENT CUT
TREES FREELY TO MEET BRITISH WAR NEEDS. INJAVA, JUST BEFORE THE JAPANESE OCCUPIED THE
REGION, THE DUTCH FOLLOWED‘ASCORCHED EARTH’ POLICY, DESTROYING SAWMILLS, AND
BURNING HUGEPILESOF GIANT TEAK LOGS SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT FALL INTO JAPANESEHANDS.
THE JAPANESE THEN EXPLOITED THE FORESTS RECKLESSLY FOR THEIROWNWAR INDUSTRIES,
FORCING FOREST VILLAGERS TO CUT DOWN FORESTS.MANYVILLAGERS USED THIS OPPORTUNITY
TO EXPAND CULTIVATION IN THEFOREST. AFTER THE WAR,

58. NEW DEVELOPMENT IN FORESTRY
SINCE THE 1980S, GOVERNMENTS ACROSS ASIA AND AFRICA HAVE BEGUN TOSEETHAT
SCIENTIFIC FORESTRY AND THE POLICY OF KEEPING FORESTCOMMUNITIESAWAY FROM
FORESTS HAS RESULTED IN MANY CONFLICTS.CONSERVATIONOF FORESTS RATHER THAN
COLLECTING TIMBER HAS BECOME AMORE IMPORTANT GOAL. THE GOVERNMENT HAS
RECOGNISEDTHAT IN ORDERTOMEET THIS GOAL, THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEAR THE
FORESTS MUST BEINVOLVED. IN MANY CASES, ACROSS INDIA, FROM MIZORAM TO
KERALA, DENSEFORESTSHAVE SURVIVED ONLY BECAUSE VILLAGES PROTECTED THEM IN
SACREDGROVES KNOWN AS SARNAS, DEVARAKUDU, KAN, RAI, ETC

60. QUESTIONS
•1. DISCUSS HOW THE CHANGES IN FOREST MANAGEMENT IN THE COLONIAL PERIOD AFFECTED
•THE FOLLOWING GROUPS OF PEOPLE:
•??????SHIFTING CULTIVATORS
•??????NOMADIC AND PASTORALIST COMMUNITIES
•??????FIRMS TRADING IN TIMBER/FOREST PRODUCE
•??????PLANTATION OWNERS
•??????KINGS/BRITISH OFFICIALS ENGAGED IN SHIPPING

61. QUESTIONS
•WHAT ARE THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN COLONIAL MANAGEMENT OF THE FORESTS IN BASTAR
•AND IN JAVA?
•3. 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:
•??????RAILWAYS
•??????SHIPBUILDING
•??????AGRICULTURAL EXPANSION

62. QUESTIONS
•??????COMMERCIAL FARMING
•??????TEA/COFFEE PLANTATIONS
•??????ADIVASIS AND OTHER PEASANT USERS
•4. WHY ARE FORESTS AFFECTED BY WARS?