FOREST SOCIETY AND COLONIALISM- ALLINONE - QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS FOR SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT II
Very Short Answer Type Questions [1 Mark each]
1. When was the Indian Forest Service set up?
Ans. The Indian Forest Service was set up in 1864.
2. How much India’s landmass was under cultivation
in 1600?
Ans. One-sixth of India’s landmass was under
cultivation in 1600.
3. Which Act was passed in 1865?
Ans. Indian Forest Act was passed in 1865.
4. What do you mean by deforestation?
Ans. The disappearance of forests is referred to as
deforestation.
5. Where was the Imperial Forest Research Institute
set up in 1906?
Ans. The Imperial Forest Research Institute was set
up in 1906 in Dehradun.
6. How many tigers were killed between 1875–1925?
Ans. Over 80000 tigers were killed between
1875–1925.
7. Which colonial power ruled Java?
Ans. Java was ruled by the Dutch.
8. Where is Bastar located?
Ans. Bastar is located at Chhattisgarh.
9. Which country occupied Indonesia during the
Second World War?
Ans. During the Second World War, Japan
occupied Indonesia.
10. Between 1700 to 1995, how much area of forest
cover in the World War cleared for industrial uses,
cultivation, pastures and fuel wood?
Ans. Between 1700 to 1995, 13.9 million sq km area
of forest cover in the World War cleared for industrial
uses, cultivation, pastures and fuel wood.
11. Which Forest Act divided forest into three
categories, viz reserved, protected and village
forests?
Ans. The Forest Act of 1878, divided forests into
three categories viz reserved, protected and village
forests.
12. How many sleepers were required for each mile of
railway track?
Ans. Each mile at railway track required between
1760 to 2000 sleepers.
13. What is scientific forestry?
Ans. Scientific forestry means natural forests which
had lots of different types of trees were cut down and
in their place, one type of tree was planted in straight
rows.
14. Who was the community of skilled forests cutters
and shifting cultivators in Java?
Ans. The Kalangs of Java were a community of
skilled forest cutters and shifting cultivators.
15. Who was the leader of rebel foresters in Andhra
Pradesh?
Ans. Alluri Sita Rama Raju was the leader at rebel
foresters in Andhra Pradesh.
16. Which species of trees are suited for
building ships and railways?
Ans. Teak and Sal trees are suited for
building ships and railways.
17. From which tree, latex can be collected?
Ans. Latex can be collected from a rubber
tree.
18. Where the Blandongdiensten System was
introduced?
Ans. The Blandongdiensten System was
introduced in Java by the colonial power Dutch
to control the forest land.
19. What is the local name of shifting
cultivation of South-East Asia?
Ans. Lading is the local name of shifting
cultivation of South-East Asia.
20. Name some Indian communities who live in
Bastar.
Ans. A number of different communities live in Bastar such
as Maria, Muria Gonds, Dhurwas Bhatras and Halbas.
21. Who was the leader of the Forest Revolt in Bastar?
Ans. Gunda Dhur was the leader of the Forest Revolt in
Bastar.
22. For which product is Java famous?
Ans. Java is famous as a rice-producing island in
Indonesia.
23. Who was the first Inspector-General of forests in India?
Ans. Dietrich Brandis was the first Inspector-General of
Forests in India.
24. Which transport system was most essential for colonial
trade and movement of goods?
Ans. Railways were most essential for colonial trade and
movement of goods.
25. How was Siadi creeper used for?
Ans. Siadi creeper was used to make ropes.
Short Answer Type Questions [3 Marks each]
1. If you were in the Government of India in
1862, responsible for supplying the railways with
sleepers and fuel on such a large scale, what were
the steps you would have taken? [NCERT]
Ans. The Government of India should have taken
the following steps
(i) In areas where trees are cut for making
sleepers, plant similar nature of trees to
those that are cut, so that the forest cover is
maintained.
(ii) Try to increase coal mining and supply this
to the railways as fuel instead of wood for
running the steam engines.
(iii) Limit the cutting of trees by the natives of the
forest to only what they personally require
and not allow them to trade in wood.
(iv) Prevent poachers from entering the forests
to cut wood illegally.
2. Why are the forests affected by wars? [NCERT]
Ans. Forests are affected by wars because
forest products are used for fulfilling various needs
and requirement during war. In the case of India,
during the First World War and the Second World War, the Forest
Department was cutting trees freely to meet British war needs.
During the Second World War in Java just before the Japanese
occupied the region, the Dutch followed a Scorched Earth
Policy, destroying sawmills and burning huge piles of giant teak
logs, so that they did not fall into Japanese hands.
The Japanese exploited the forests recklessly for their war
industries, forcing villagers to cut down forests. Many villagers
took this opportunity to expand cultivation in the forests. Thus,
wars also led to destruction of forests.
3. What is forestry?
Ans. Forestry is like science, art and craft of creating,
managing, using, conserving and repairing forests and
associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired
goals, needs and values for human benefit.
Forestry is practied in plantations and natural stands. The main
goal of forestry is to create and implement systems that allows
forests to continue a sustainable provision of environmental
supplies and services.
The challenge of forestry is to create systems that are socially
accepted while sustaining the resource and any other resources
that might be affected.
4. (i) Why were railways essential for the Colonial
Government?
(ii) ‘The ship industry of England was also
responsible for deforestation in India’. Give one
reason.
Ans.
(i) Railways were very essential for the colonial
trade and for the movement of imperial troops.
(ii) Due to the high demand, by the early
19th century, oak forests in England were
disappearing. This created a problem of timber
supply for the Royal Navy which required to
build ships.
To get the supply of oak for the ship industry,
Britishers started exploring Indian forests on a
massive scale. With a decade, trees were being
felled on a massive scale and vast qualities of
timber were being exported from India.
5. Who were the Kalangs? Mention any four
characteristics of this community.
Ans. The Kalangs were a tribal community of Java.
(i) They were skilled forest cutters and shifting
cultivators.
(ii) They had a great skill in building palaces.
(iii) They were so valuable that in 1755, when the
Mataram kingdom of Java split, the 6000 Kalang
families were equally divided between the two
kingdoms.
(iv) The Kalangs work was under the Dutch, when
Dutch began to gain control over the forests in
the 18th century.
6. Explain any four ideas of Dietrich Brandis for the
management of forests in India during the British
period.
Ans. Four ideas of Dietrich Brandis for the
management of forests in India are
(i) Dietrich Brandis, a German expert, was
appointed the first Inspector-General of Forests
in India.
(ii) He formulated new forest legislation and helped
establish research and training institutions. The
Imperial Forest Research Institute at Dehradun
was founded by him in 1906.
(iii) He set up the Indian Forest Service (IFS) in
1864 and helped to formulate the Indian Forest
Act of 1865.
(iv) He took an interest in the forest flora of
North-West and Central India and Indian trees.
He was among the earliest expert in India to
formally link forest protection with local peoples.
7. The people of Bastar believe that each village was given its
land by the Earth and in return, they look after the Earth by
making some offerings at each agricultural festival.
In addition to the Earth, they show respect to the spirits of
the river, the forest and the mountain. Since each village
knows where its boundaries lie, the local people look after
all the natural resources within that boundary.
[Value Based Question]
Read the above passage and answer the following questions
(i) What are some of the beliefs regarding nature of the
communities of Bastar?
(ii) What values do you imbibe from the above passage?
Ans.
(i) Some of the beliefs regarding nature of the
communities of Bastar. These are
¢ The people believe that each village was given its
level by the Earth and thus they look after the Earth
by making some offerings at each agricultural
festival.
¢ Respect is also shown to the spirits of the river, the
forest and the mountain and natural resources were
looked after by the local people.
¢ If people from a village want to take some wood from
the forests of another village, they pay a small fine
called Devsari, Dand or Man.
(ii) From the above passage we learnt that environment
safety is very important for us. This passage also
shows the mutual relation between villagers and the
nature.
8. What new developments have occurred in forestry in Asia
and Africa in recent times?
Ans. In recent times, Asian and African Governments
introduced social forestry and the policy of keeping forest
communities away from forests have only resulted in
conflicts. Conservation of forests rather than collecting
timber became the primary aim.
In order to meet this goal, the government realised that the
involvement of people living near the forests is must. Infact,
across India from Mizoram to Kerala dense forests have
survived only because villagers protected them in sacred
groves known as Sarnas, Devarakudu, Kan, Rai, etc. Some
villages patrolled their own forest with each household taking
instead of leaving it to forest guards.
9. Describe in brief the Saminist Movement of Indonesia.
Ans. Surontiko Samin of Randublatung village started a
movement in Indonesia, questioning state ownership of
the forest. The movement gained momentum and by
1907, 3000 families were following his ideas. Some of the
Saminists protested by lying down on their land when the
colonial power Dutch came to survey it, while others refused
to pay taxes, fines or perform any labour.
. In 1882, 280000 sleepers were exported from Java
alone. However, all this required labour to cut the trees,
transport the logs and prepare the sleepers. The Dutch
first imposed rents on land being cultivated in the forest
and then exempted some villages from these rents if
they worked collectively to provide free labour and
buffaloes for cutting and transporting timber. This was
known as the Blandongdiensten System.
[Value Based Question]
Read the above passage and answer the following
questions
(i) What are the three main features of
Blandongdiensten System?
(ii) What lesson/values do you learn from this cruel
system?
Ans.
(i) Blandongdiensten System was introduced by the
Dutch in Indonesia.
Its features are
¢ Exemption of certain villagers.
¢ Imposing of rents on the lands which were
cultivated in the forests.
¢ Collective work by the villagers to provide free
labour.
(ii) From this cruel system, I learnt that the colonial
rule drained wealth and destroyed the economy.
This shows that the rule was based on exploitation.
Long Answer Type Questions [5 Marks each]
1. Have there been changes in forest areas where you live?
Find out what these changes are and why they have
happened. [NCERT]
Ans. There can be a variety of answers. A sample answer
is given below
There have been a number of changes in forest areas in
India since independence and some which have
occurred in my district are as follows
(i) Entry to forest area is restricted and the Forest
Department has posted guards to check any illegal
entry.
(ii) Although, the number of trees in the forest has
increased, reduction of rainfall in recent years has
stunted the growth of trees.
(iii) The Adivasi villagers living inside the forest areas
are gradually leaving their traditional occupations
and migrating to the towns for education and jobs.
(iv) A number of wild animals like tigers and elephants
are sometimes seen on the edges of the forest, but
they do not venture out for fear of being killed by
human beings. Earlier the tigers used to come into
the nearby villages and take away animals and
small children at night.
(v) The smugling of ivory and skin of tiger has been
almost controlled.
2. Discuss how the changes in forest management in the
colonial period affected the following groups of people.
[NCERT]
(a) Shifting Cultivators
(b) Nomadic and Pastoralist Communities
(c) Firms Trading in Timber/Forest Produce
(d) Plantation Owners
(e) Kings/British Officials Engaged in Shikar
Ans. Changes in forest management in colonial
period are
(a) Shifting Cultivators
(i) European foresters regarded shifting cultivation as
harmful for the forests. The government banned
shifting cultivation.
(ii) Shifting cultivators were forcibly displaced many
communities from their homes in the forests.
(iii) Some had to change occupations, while some
resisted through large and small rebellions.
(b) Nomadic and Pastoralist Communities
(i) The forest laws deprived people of their customary
rights and meant severe hardship for the Nomadic
and Pastoralist communities.
(ii) They could not cut wood for their houses, could not
graze their cattle or collect fruits and roots. Hunting
and fishing became illegal.
(iii) They were forced to steal wood. If they were
caught, they were at the mercy of the forest guards
and they would have to offer bribes to the guards.
(iv) Many Pastoralist and Nomadic communities like the
Korava, Karacha and Yerukula of the Madras
presidency lost their livelihoods.
(v) Some of the Nomadic communities began to be
called ‘Criminal Tribes’ and were forced to work
instead in factories, mines and plantations under
government supervision.
(vi) They were also recruited to work in plantations.
Their wages were low and conditions of work were
very bad.
(c) Firms Trading in Timber/Forest Produce
(i) By the early 19th century, oak forests in England
were disappearing. This created a problem of
timber supply for the Royal Navy.
(ii) By the 1820s, search parties were sent to
explore the forest resources in India. Trees were
felled on a massive scale and large quantities of
timber were being exported from India.
(iii) The Colonial Government took over the forests
and gave vast areas to European planters at
cheap rates.
(iv) The British Government gave many large
European trading firms the sale right to trade in
the forest products of particular areas.
(v) The government gave contracts to contractors,
who cut trees indiscriminately and made huge
profits.
(d) Plantation Owners
(i) Large areas of natural forests were also cleared
to make way for tea, coffee and rubber
plantations to meet Europe’s growing need for
these commodities.
(ii) The Colonial Government took over the forests,
and gave vast areas to European planters at
cheap rates. These areas were enclosed and
cleared of forests and planted with tea or coffee.
(iii) Communities like Santhals and Oraons from
Jharkhand and Gonds from Chhattisgarh were
recruited to work on tea plantation in Asom. Their
wages were low and conditions of work were
very bad.
(iv) The plantation owners, under the protection and
rights given by the British Government, made
huge profits.
(e) Kings/British Officials Engaged in Shikar or
Hunting
(i) In India, Shikar or hunting of tigers and other
animals had been part of the culture of the court
and nobility for centuries.
(ii) Under colonial rule, the scale of hunting
increased to such an extent that various species
became almost extinct.
(iii) The British saw large animals as signs of a wild,
primitive and savage society. They believed that
by killing dangerous animals, the British would
civilise India.
(iv) The British gave rewards for the killing of tigers,
wolves and other large animals on the grounds
that they posed a threat to cultivators.
(v) The Maharaja of Sarguja alone shot–1157 tigers and
2000 leopards upto 1957. A British Administrator
George Yule killed 400 tigers.
(vi) Over 80000 tigers, 150000 leopards and 200000
wolves were killed for reward between 1875 and 1925.
(vii) Initially certain areas of the forests were reserved for
hunting.
Note In the examination, this question will not be asked
completely, only its one or two sub-parts will be
asked.
3. What were the similarities between colonial management of
the forests in Bastar and Java? [NCERT]
Ans. Forest management of Bastar in India was in the hands
of the British and in Java it was in the hands of the Dutch.
(i) The Dutch, like the British, wanted timber to build
ships and to make sleepers for railway tracks.
(ii) Both the British and the Dutch enacted forest laws to
control the forests and put restrictions on the
customary rights of the local people. They were
prevented from entering the forests, they could not
graze cattle, or cut wood or take forest produce
without permission.
(iii) Both the governments banned shifting cultivation.
(iv) Both the British and the Dutch introduced scientific
forestry.
(v) The villages in Bastar were allowed to stay in the
forests on the condition that their people would
provide free labour for the Forest Department in
cutting and transportation of trees and protecting the
forests from fire.
Similarly in Java, the Dutch imposed rents on the
cultivated land in the forests and then exempted
some villages if they collectively provided free labour
and buffaloes for cutting and transporting timber. This
system was known as the ‘Blandongdiensten System’.
(vi) When the exploitation by the British in Bastar and the
Dutch in Java became too much, the forest
communities in Bastar and Java revolted under
Gunda Dhur and Surontiko Samin respectively.
Both the revolts were crushed by the colonial powers.
4. Between 1880 and 1920, forest cover in the Indian
sub-continent declined by 9.7 million hectare, from 108.6
million hectare to 98.9 million hectare. Discuss the role of
the following factors in this decline. [NCERT]
(a) Railways
(b) Ship Building
(c) Agricultural Expansion
(d) Commercial Farming of Trees.
(e) Tea/Coffee Plantations
(f) Adivasis and Other Peasant Users
Ans.
(a) Railways
(i) The spread of railways from the 1850s created a
new demand. Railways were essential for colonial
trade and for the movement of imperial troops.
To run locomotives, wood was needed as fuel and
to lay railway lines sleepers were essential to hold
the tracks together. Each mile of railway track
required between 1760 and 2000 sleepers.
(ii) From the 1860s, the railway network expanded
rapidly. As the length of the railway tracks
expanded, a very large number of trees were
felled.
As early as the 1850s, in the Madras presidency
alone 35000 trees were cut annually for sleepers.
Forests around the railway tracks started
disappearing very fast.
(b) Ship Building
(i) By the early 19th century, oak forests in England
were disappearing. This created a problem of
timber supply from the Royal Navy. English ships
could not be built without a regular supply of
strong and durable timber. Imperial power could
not be protected without ships. Therefore by the
1820s, search parties were sent to explore the
forest resources of India.
(ii) Within a decade trees were being felled on a
massive scale and vast quantities of timber were
being exported, leading to disappearance of
forests.
(c) Agricultural Expansion
(i) As population increased, the demand for food
went up. Peasants extended the boundaries of
cultivation by clearing forests.
(ii) In the early 19th century, the colonial state thought
that the forests were unproductive. They were
considered to be wilderness that had to be
brought under cultivation so, that the land could
yield agricultural products and revenue, and
enhance the income of the state. So between
1880 and 1920, cultivated area rose by 6.7 million
hectares by clearing the forests.
(iii) The demand for commercial crops like jute, sugar,
wheat, cotton and raw material for industries
increased. Therefore, the British encouraged
expansion of cultivation by clearing forests,
leading to decline in forest cover.
(d) Commercial Farming of Trees
(i) In commercial farming, natural forests which had
lots of different types of trees were cut down. In
their place one type of trees were planted in
straight rows. This is called a plantation. To
promote plantation farming or commercial farming,
different varieties of trees were cut down
leading to loss of many species and loss of
forest cover when the trees were cut for
commercial use.
(e) Tea/Coffee Plantation
(i) Large areas of natural forests were also
cleared to make way for tea, coffee and
rubber plantations to meet Europe’s growing
need for these commodities.
(ii) The Colonial Government took over the forests
and gave vast areas to European planters at
cheap rates.
(iii) These areas were enclosed and cleared of
forests and planted with tea or coffee.
(iv) Plantations were large in area leading to loss
of large forest areas.
(f) Adivasis and other Peasant Users
(i) As in most parts of the world, shifting
cultivation was done by the Adivasis and
other peasant communities, in India also it is
was practiced.
(ii) In shifting cultivation, parts of the forest area
are cut and burnt in rotation. Seeds were
sown in the ashes after the first monsoon rains
and the crop was harvested by
October-November. When fertility decreased,
the process was repeated at another location.
This led to a large loss of forests.
Note In the examination, this question will not be asked
completely, only its one or two sub-parts will be
asked.
5. ‘The introduction of railway had an adverse impact on
the forests’. Justify by giving examples. [HOTS]
Ans. From the 1860s, the railway network expanded
rapidly. Sleepers were the basic inputs required for
constructing a railway line. Each mile of a railway track
required between 1700 to 2000 sleepers. To meet this
demand, large number of trees were felled.
To run locomotive, wood was needed as fuel. As
railway was being spread throughout India, more and
more wood was required which could be used as fuel.
The government gave out contracts of individuals to
supply the required quantities. These contractors
began cutting trees indiscriminately.
Thus, forests around the railway tracks started
disappearing fast. As early as the 1850s, in the Madras
presidency alone, 35000 trees where being cut
annually for sleepers.
6. (i) ‘Forest are the National Wealth’. Illustrate your
answer with suitable examples.
(ii) What values/lesson do you learn from this
given statement? [Value Based Question]
Ans. (i) It is quite proper to say that forests are the national
wealth.
(a) Forests not only add to the beauty of a country but they
are also an important source of many useful products.
(b) The wood that we get from the forests, it is important for
building and construction purposes, for railway track,
ship building, furniture and for fuel. In India, many
industries are based on the forest products.
(c) We get the sandalwood, gums, resins, turpentine oil,
honey, herbs, lac, etc form forests.
(d) Grass grown in forests is used for grazing the cattle,
sheep, camel, etc. To great extent, the shortage for
fodder is also made up by these forests.
(ii) From the given statement, I have learnt that forests play
an important role in the like of a nation and make a great
contribution in the creation of economic structure of a
country.
7. Why is it necessary to increase the areas under forests? Give
five important reasons. [HOTS]
Ans. A large part of our forests was cleared for industrial
uses, cultivation, pastures and fuel wood. Thus, a necessity of
increasing the area under forests becomes inevitable in India.
The five important reasons are
(i) To maintain the ecological balance It is necessary for
maintaining ecological balance and absorption of
carbon dioxide.
(ii) To regulate the flow of rivers Forests regulate the flow of
rivers both in the rainy and dry seasons by absorbing or
releasing water systematically. In this way, they reduce
the chances of both floods and droughts.
(iii) To provide natural habitat to wildlife Forests provide
natural habitat to wildlife and in this way they held in
their preservation.
(iv) To help in precipitation or rainfall Forests
help precipitations of rainfall and thus
minimise the possibility of droughts.
(v) To conserve the soil Forests play an important
role in the conservation of soils as the roots of
the trees do not allow the soil to flow away with
the water.
8. How did commercial farming led to a decline in
forests cover during colonial period?
Ans. Before colonial period, India had nearly
one-third of the total land area under forest cover
which rapidly declined.
In the early 19th century, the colonial powers held
the opinion that forests were unproductive and were
in no way useful in increasing the income of the
state.
So they encouraged to bring the wilderness under
cultivation which would yield different agricultural
products there by leading to the prosperity of the
people and enhancing the revenue of the state.
The Britisher encouraged the production at
commercial crops like jute, sugar, wheat, and
cotton. They also encouraged plantation of tea,
coffee and rubber. So the Indian farmers cleared
forests for the commercial crops.
The Britishers exported timber like oak, sheesham
and teak wood for Royal Navy to make strong ships.
Expansion of the railway was another reason for
clearing forest, as a large number of ‘sleepers’ were
required for railway tracks. As the population
increased and the demand of food went up. The
forest were cleared for the expansion of agricultural
land.
Miscellaneous Questions
1. Name at least six items around you which come from
forests.
Ans. Some items around me which come from forests are –
paper in books, wood for desks and tables, dyes that
colour my cloth, honey, coffee, tea, oil, tannin, etc.
2. The forest meant severe hardship for the villagers
across the country, because
(a) cutting wood, grazing cattle, collecting fruits, roots
hunting and fishing became illegal.
(b) people were forced to steal and if caught, and they had to
pay bribes to the forest guards.
(c) women who collected fire wood were harassed by guards.
(d) All of the above
Ans. (d ) All of the above
3. Who was Gunda Dhur?
Ans. He was a nationalist who led Bastar
Rebellion.
4. In which parts is Swidden agriculture
practised?
Ans. This is traditional agricultural practice in
many parts of Asia, Africa and South America.
5. In India, dhya, penda, bewar, nevad, jhum,
podu, khandad and kumri are some of the
local terms for
(a) Shifting Cultivation (b) Plantations
(c) Deforestation (d) Hunt
Ans. (a) Shifting Cultivation
7. Who are Baigas?
Ans. Baigas are a forest community of Central India.
8. What was Taungya Cultivation?
Ans. It was a system in which local farmers were
allowed to cultivate temporarily within a plantation.
9. Which of the following is not a local name of
shifting cultivation?
(a) Jhum
(b) Kharif
(c) Tavy
(d) Milpa
Ans. (b) Kharif
10. At which of the following places, the villagers rose
in revolt against the Colonial Government?
(a) Rajasthan (b) Midnapore
(c) Bastar (d) Uttarakhand
Ans. (c) Bastar
11. Write a dialogue between a Colonial Forester and
an Adivasi discussing the issue of hunting in the
forest. [NCERT]
Ans. A sample dialogue is given below
Colonial Forester Who are you? What are you doing
inside the forest at this time?
Adivasi I am a villager living in XYZ village on the South
edge of this forest. I have come to hunt some animals
for feeding my family.
Colonial Forester Don’t you know that we have banned
the hunting of animals in the forest? Go away, you can
not be allowed to hunt animals. It is illegal.
Adivasi I need the flesh of the animal, so that my wife
can cook the food. I regularly hunt for animals and
nobody has stopped me before.
Colonial Forester No, you will not be allowed to do this.
Only Britishers are allowed to hunt animals. Go back to
your village. Otherwise, I will have you arrested.
Adivasi Okay, if you say so, I will go. But I will return.
12. What is the local name of ‘Madhuca Indica’?
Ans. The local name of ‘Madhuca Indica’ is mahua.
Villagers wake up before dawn and go to the forest to
collect the mahua flowers which have fallen on the
forest floor. It can be eaten or used to make alcohol and
its seeds can be used to make oil.
Very Short Answer Type Questions [1 Mark each]
1. When was the Indian Forest Service set up?
Ans. The Indian Forest Service was set up in 1864.
2. How much India’s landmass was under cultivation
in 1600?
Ans. One-sixth of India’s landmass was under
cultivation in 1600.
3. Which Act was passed in 1865?
Ans. Indian Forest Act was passed in 1865.
4. What do you mean by deforestation?
Ans. The disappearance of forests is referred to as
deforestation.
5. Where was the Imperial Forest Research Institute
set up in 1906?
Ans. The Imperial Forest Research Institute was set
up in 1906 in Dehradun.
6. How many tigers were killed between 1875–1925?
Ans. Over 80000 tigers were killed between
1875–1925.
7. Which colonial power ruled Java?
Ans. Java was ruled by the Dutch.
8. Where is Bastar located?
Ans. Bastar is located at Chhattisgarh.
9. Which country occupied Indonesia during the
Second World War?
Ans. During the Second World War, Japan
occupied Indonesia.
10. Between 1700 to 1995, how much area of forest
cover in the World War cleared for industrial uses,
cultivation, pastures and fuel wood?
Ans. Between 1700 to 1995, 13.9 million sq km area
of forest cover in the World War cleared for industrial
uses, cultivation, pastures and fuel wood.
11. Which Forest Act divided forest into three
categories, viz reserved, protected and village
forests?
Ans. The Forest Act of 1878, divided forests into
three categories viz reserved, protected and village
forests.
12. How many sleepers were required for each mile of
railway track?
Ans. Each mile at railway track required between
1760 to 2000 sleepers.
13. What is scientific forestry?
Ans. Scientific forestry means natural forests which
had lots of different types of trees were cut down and
in their place, one type of tree was planted in straight
rows.
14. Who was the community of skilled forests cutters
and shifting cultivators in Java?
Ans. The Kalangs of Java were a community of
skilled forest cutters and shifting cultivators.
15. Who was the leader of rebel foresters in Andhra
Pradesh?
Ans. Alluri Sita Rama Raju was the leader at rebel
foresters in Andhra Pradesh.
16. Which species of trees are suited for
building ships and railways?
Ans. Teak and Sal trees are suited for
building ships and railways.
17. From which tree, latex can be collected?
Ans. Latex can be collected from a rubber
tree.
18. Where the Blandongdiensten System was
introduced?
Ans. The Blandongdiensten System was
introduced in Java by the colonial power Dutch
to control the forest land.
19. What is the local name of shifting
cultivation of South-East Asia?
Ans. Lading is the local name of shifting
cultivation of South-East Asia.
20. Name some Indian communities who live in
Bastar.
Ans. A number of different communities live in Bastar such
as Maria, Muria Gonds, Dhurwas Bhatras and Halbas.
21. Who was the leader of the Forest Revolt in Bastar?
Ans. Gunda Dhur was the leader of the Forest Revolt in
Bastar.
22. For which product is Java famous?
Ans. Java is famous as a rice-producing island in
Indonesia.
23. Who was the first Inspector-General of forests in India?
Ans. Dietrich Brandis was the first Inspector-General of
Forests in India.
24. Which transport system was most essential for colonial
trade and movement of goods?
Ans. Railways were most essential for colonial trade and
movement of goods.
25. How was Siadi creeper used for?
Ans. Siadi creeper was used to make ropes.
Short Answer Type Questions [3 Marks each]
1. If you were in the Government of India in
1862, responsible for supplying the railways with
sleepers and fuel on such a large scale, what were
the steps you would have taken? [NCERT]
Ans. The Government of India should have taken
the following steps
(i) In areas where trees are cut for making
sleepers, plant similar nature of trees to
those that are cut, so that the forest cover is
maintained.
(ii) Try to increase coal mining and supply this
to the railways as fuel instead of wood for
running the steam engines.
(iii) Limit the cutting of trees by the natives of the
forest to only what they personally require
and not allow them to trade in wood.
(iv) Prevent poachers from entering the forests
to cut wood illegally.
2. Why are the forests affected by wars? [NCERT]
Ans. Forests are affected by wars because
forest products are used for fulfilling various needs
and requirement during war. In the case of India,
during the First World War and the Second World War, the Forest
Department was cutting trees freely to meet British war needs.
During the Second World War in Java just before the Japanese
occupied the region, the Dutch followed a Scorched Earth
Policy, destroying sawmills and burning huge piles of giant teak
logs, so that they did not fall into Japanese hands.
The Japanese exploited the forests recklessly for their war
industries, forcing villagers to cut down forests. Many villagers
took this opportunity to expand cultivation in the forests. Thus,
wars also led to destruction of forests.
3. What is forestry?
Ans. Forestry is like science, art and craft of creating,
managing, using, conserving and repairing forests and
associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired
goals, needs and values for human benefit.
Forestry is practied in plantations and natural stands. The main
goal of forestry is to create and implement systems that allows
forests to continue a sustainable provision of environmental
supplies and services.
The challenge of forestry is to create systems that are socially
accepted while sustaining the resource and any other resources
that might be affected.
4. (i) Why were railways essential for the Colonial
Government?
(ii) ‘The ship industry of England was also
responsible for deforestation in India’. Give one
reason.
Ans.
(i) Railways were very essential for the colonial
trade and for the movement of imperial troops.
(ii) Due to the high demand, by the early
19th century, oak forests in England were
disappearing. This created a problem of timber
supply for the Royal Navy which required to
build ships.
To get the supply of oak for the ship industry,
Britishers started exploring Indian forests on a
massive scale. With a decade, trees were being
felled on a massive scale and vast qualities of
timber were being exported from India.
5. Who were the Kalangs? Mention any four
characteristics of this community.
Ans. The Kalangs were a tribal community of Java.
(i) They were skilled forest cutters and shifting
cultivators.
(ii) They had a great skill in building palaces.
(iii) They were so valuable that in 1755, when the
Mataram kingdom of Java split, the 6000 Kalang
families were equally divided between the two
kingdoms.
(iv) The Kalangs work was under the Dutch, when
Dutch began to gain control over the forests in
the 18th century.
6. Explain any four ideas of Dietrich Brandis for the
management of forests in India during the British
period.
Ans. Four ideas of Dietrich Brandis for the
management of forests in India are
(i) Dietrich Brandis, a German expert, was
appointed the first Inspector-General of Forests
in India.
(ii) He formulated new forest legislation and helped
establish research and training institutions. The
Imperial Forest Research Institute at Dehradun
was founded by him in 1906.
(iii) He set up the Indian Forest Service (IFS) in
1864 and helped to formulate the Indian Forest
Act of 1865.
(iv) He took an interest in the forest flora of
North-West and Central India and Indian trees.
He was among the earliest expert in India to
formally link forest protection with local peoples.
7. The people of Bastar believe that each village was given its
land by the Earth and in return, they look after the Earth by
making some offerings at each agricultural festival.
In addition to the Earth, they show respect to the spirits of
the river, the forest and the mountain. Since each village
knows where its boundaries lie, the local people look after
all the natural resources within that boundary.
[Value Based Question]
Read the above passage and answer the following questions
(i) What are some of the beliefs regarding nature of the
communities of Bastar?
(ii) What values do you imbibe from the above passage?
Ans.
(i) Some of the beliefs regarding nature of the
communities of Bastar. These are
¢ The people believe that each village was given its
level by the Earth and thus they look after the Earth
by making some offerings at each agricultural
festival.
¢ Respect is also shown to the spirits of the river, the
forest and the mountain and natural resources were
looked after by the local people.
¢ If people from a village want to take some wood from
the forests of another village, they pay a small fine
called Devsari, Dand or Man.
(ii) From the above passage we learnt that environment
safety is very important for us. This passage also
shows the mutual relation between villagers and the
nature.
8. What new developments have occurred in forestry in Asia
and Africa in recent times?
Ans. In recent times, Asian and African Governments
introduced social forestry and the policy of keeping forest
communities away from forests have only resulted in
conflicts. Conservation of forests rather than collecting
timber became the primary aim.
In order to meet this goal, the government realised that the
involvement of people living near the forests is must. Infact,
across India from Mizoram to Kerala dense forests have
survived only because villagers protected them in sacred
groves known as Sarnas, Devarakudu, Kan, Rai, etc. Some
villages patrolled their own forest with each household taking
instead of leaving it to forest guards.
9. Describe in brief the Saminist Movement of Indonesia.
Ans. Surontiko Samin of Randublatung village started a
movement in Indonesia, questioning state ownership of
the forest. The movement gained momentum and by
1907, 3000 families were following his ideas. Some of the
Saminists protested by lying down on their land when the
colonial power Dutch came to survey it, while others refused
to pay taxes, fines or perform any labour.
. In 1882, 280000 sleepers were exported from Java
alone. However, all this required labour to cut the trees,
transport the logs and prepare the sleepers. The Dutch
first imposed rents on land being cultivated in the forest
and then exempted some villages from these rents if
they worked collectively to provide free labour and
buffaloes for cutting and transporting timber. This was
known as the Blandongdiensten System.
[Value Based Question]
Read the above passage and answer the following
questions
(i) What are the three main features of
Blandongdiensten System?
(ii) What lesson/values do you learn from this cruel
system?
Ans.
(i) Blandongdiensten System was introduced by the
Dutch in Indonesia.
Its features are
¢ Exemption of certain villagers.
¢ Imposing of rents on the lands which were
cultivated in the forests.
¢ Collective work by the villagers to provide free
labour.
(ii) From this cruel system, I learnt that the colonial
rule drained wealth and destroyed the economy.
This shows that the rule was based on exploitation.
Long Answer Type Questions [5 Marks each]
1. Have there been changes in forest areas where you live?
Find out what these changes are and why they have
happened. [NCERT]
Ans. There can be a variety of answers. A sample answer
is given below
There have been a number of changes in forest areas in
India since independence and some which have
occurred in my district are as follows
(i) Entry to forest area is restricted and the Forest
Department has posted guards to check any illegal
entry.
(ii) Although, the number of trees in the forest has
increased, reduction of rainfall in recent years has
stunted the growth of trees.
(iii) The Adivasi villagers living inside the forest areas
are gradually leaving their traditional occupations
and migrating to the towns for education and jobs.
(iv) A number of wild animals like tigers and elephants
are sometimes seen on the edges of the forest, but
they do not venture out for fear of being killed by
human beings. Earlier the tigers used to come into
the nearby villages and take away animals and
small children at night.
(v) The smugling of ivory and skin of tiger has been
almost controlled.
2. Discuss how the changes in forest management in the
colonial period affected the following groups of people.
[NCERT]
(a) Shifting Cultivators
(b) Nomadic and Pastoralist Communities
(c) Firms Trading in Timber/Forest Produce
(d) Plantation Owners
(e) Kings/British Officials Engaged in Shikar
Ans. Changes in forest management in colonial
period are
(a) Shifting Cultivators
(i) European foresters regarded shifting cultivation as
harmful for the forests. The government banned
shifting cultivation.
(ii) Shifting cultivators were forcibly displaced many
communities from their homes in the forests.
(iii) Some had to change occupations, while some
resisted through large and small rebellions.
(b) Nomadic and Pastoralist Communities
(i) The forest laws deprived people of their customary
rights and meant severe hardship for the Nomadic
and Pastoralist communities.
(ii) They could not cut wood for their houses, could not
graze their cattle or collect fruits and roots. Hunting
and fishing became illegal.
(iii) They were forced to steal wood. If they were
caught, they were at the mercy of the forest guards
and they would have to offer bribes to the guards.
(iv) Many Pastoralist and Nomadic communities like the
Korava, Karacha and Yerukula of the Madras
presidency lost their livelihoods.
(v) Some of the Nomadic communities began to be
called ‘Criminal Tribes’ and were forced to work
instead in factories, mines and plantations under
government supervision.
(vi) They were also recruited to work in plantations.
Their wages were low and conditions of work were
very bad.
(c) Firms Trading in Timber/Forest Produce
(i) By the early 19th century, oak forests in England
were disappearing. This created a problem of
timber supply for the Royal Navy.
(ii) By the 1820s, search parties were sent to
explore the forest resources in India. Trees were
felled on a massive scale and large quantities of
timber were being exported from India.
(iii) The Colonial Government took over the forests
and gave vast areas to European planters at
cheap rates.
(iv) The British Government gave many large
European trading firms the sale right to trade in
the forest products of particular areas.
(v) The government gave contracts to contractors,
who cut trees indiscriminately and made huge
profits.
(d) Plantation Owners
(i) Large areas of natural forests were also cleared
to make way for tea, coffee and rubber
plantations to meet Europe’s growing need for
these commodities.
(ii) The Colonial Government took over the forests,
and gave vast areas to European planters at
cheap rates. These areas were enclosed and
cleared of forests and planted with tea or coffee.
(iii) Communities like Santhals and Oraons from
Jharkhand and Gonds from Chhattisgarh were
recruited to work on tea plantation in Asom. Their
wages were low and conditions of work were
very bad.
(iv) The plantation owners, under the protection and
rights given by the British Government, made
huge profits.
(e) Kings/British Officials Engaged in Shikar or
Hunting
(i) In India, Shikar or hunting of tigers and other
animals had been part of the culture of the court
and nobility for centuries.
(ii) Under colonial rule, the scale of hunting
increased to such an extent that various species
became almost extinct.
(iii) The British saw large animals as signs of a wild,
primitive and savage society. They believed that
by killing dangerous animals, the British would
civilise India.
(iv) The British gave rewards for the killing of tigers,
wolves and other large animals on the grounds
that they posed a threat to cultivators.
(v) The Maharaja of Sarguja alone shot–1157 tigers and
2000 leopards upto 1957. A British Administrator
George Yule killed 400 tigers.
(vi) Over 80000 tigers, 150000 leopards and 200000
wolves were killed for reward between 1875 and 1925.
(vii) Initially certain areas of the forests were reserved for
hunting.
Note In the examination, this question will not be asked
completely, only its one or two sub-parts will be
asked.
3. What were the similarities between colonial management of
the forests in Bastar and Java? [NCERT]
Ans. Forest management of Bastar in India was in the hands
of the British and in Java it was in the hands of the Dutch.
(i) The Dutch, like the British, wanted timber to build
ships and to make sleepers for railway tracks.
(ii) Both the British and the Dutch enacted forest laws to
control the forests and put restrictions on the
customary rights of the local people. They were
prevented from entering the forests, they could not
graze cattle, or cut wood or take forest produce
without permission.
(iii) Both the governments banned shifting cultivation.
(iv) Both the British and the Dutch introduced scientific
forestry.
(v) The villages in Bastar were allowed to stay in the
forests on the condition that their people would
provide free labour for the Forest Department in
cutting and transportation of trees and protecting the
forests from fire.
Similarly in Java, the Dutch imposed rents on the
cultivated land in the forests and then exempted
some villages if they collectively provided free labour
and buffaloes for cutting and transporting timber. This
system was known as the ‘Blandongdiensten System’.
(vi) When the exploitation by the British in Bastar and the
Dutch in Java became too much, the forest
communities in Bastar and Java revolted under
Gunda Dhur and Surontiko Samin respectively.
Both the revolts were crushed by the colonial powers.
4. Between 1880 and 1920, forest cover in the Indian
sub-continent declined by 9.7 million hectare, from 108.6
million hectare to 98.9 million hectare. Discuss the role of
the following factors in this decline. [NCERT]
(a) Railways
(b) Ship Building
(c) Agricultural Expansion
(d) Commercial Farming of Trees.
(e) Tea/Coffee Plantations
(f) Adivasis and Other Peasant Users
Ans.
(a) Railways
(i) The spread of railways from the 1850s created a
new demand. Railways were essential for colonial
trade and for the movement of imperial troops.
To run locomotives, wood was needed as fuel and
to lay railway lines sleepers were essential to hold
the tracks together. Each mile of railway track
required between 1760 and 2000 sleepers.
(ii) From the 1860s, the railway network expanded
rapidly. As the length of the railway tracks
expanded, a very large number of trees were
felled.
As early as the 1850s, in the Madras presidency
alone 35000 trees were cut annually for sleepers.
Forests around the railway tracks started
disappearing very fast.
(b) Ship Building
(i) By the early 19th century, oak forests in England
were disappearing. This created a problem of
timber supply from the Royal Navy. English ships
could not be built without a regular supply of
strong and durable timber. Imperial power could
not be protected without ships. Therefore by the
1820s, search parties were sent to explore the
forest resources of India.
(ii) Within a decade trees were being felled on a
massive scale and vast quantities of timber were
being exported, leading to disappearance of
forests.
(c) Agricultural Expansion
(i) As population increased, the demand for food
went up. Peasants extended the boundaries of
cultivation by clearing forests.
(ii) In the early 19th century, the colonial state thought
that the forests were unproductive. They were
considered to be wilderness that had to be
brought under cultivation so, that the land could
yield agricultural products and revenue, and
enhance the income of the state. So between
1880 and 1920, cultivated area rose by 6.7 million
hectares by clearing the forests.
(iii) The demand for commercial crops like jute, sugar,
wheat, cotton and raw material for industries
increased. Therefore, the British encouraged
expansion of cultivation by clearing forests,
leading to decline in forest cover.
(d) Commercial Farming of Trees
(i) In commercial farming, natural forests which had
lots of different types of trees were cut down. In
their place one type of trees were planted in
straight rows. This is called a plantation. To
promote plantation farming or commercial farming,
different varieties of trees were cut down
leading to loss of many species and loss of
forest cover when the trees were cut for
commercial use.
(e) Tea/Coffee Plantation
(i) Large areas of natural forests were also
cleared to make way for tea, coffee and
rubber plantations to meet Europe’s growing
need for these commodities.
(ii) The Colonial Government took over the forests
and gave vast areas to European planters at
cheap rates.
(iii) These areas were enclosed and cleared of
forests and planted with tea or coffee.
(iv) Plantations were large in area leading to loss
of large forest areas.
(f) Adivasis and other Peasant Users
(i) As in most parts of the world, shifting
cultivation was done by the Adivasis and
other peasant communities, in India also it is
was practiced.
(ii) In shifting cultivation, parts of the forest area
are cut and burnt in rotation. Seeds were
sown in the ashes after the first monsoon rains
and the crop was harvested by
October-November. When fertility decreased,
the process was repeated at another location.
This led to a large loss of forests.
Note In the examination, this question will not be asked
completely, only its one or two sub-parts will be
asked.
5. ‘The introduction of railway had an adverse impact on
the forests’. Justify by giving examples. [HOTS]
Ans. From the 1860s, the railway network expanded
rapidly. Sleepers were the basic inputs required for
constructing a railway line. Each mile of a railway track
required between 1700 to 2000 sleepers. To meet this
demand, large number of trees were felled.
To run locomotive, wood was needed as fuel. As
railway was being spread throughout India, more and
more wood was required which could be used as fuel.
The government gave out contracts of individuals to
supply the required quantities. These contractors
began cutting trees indiscriminately.
Thus, forests around the railway tracks started
disappearing fast. As early as the 1850s, in the Madras
presidency alone, 35000 trees where being cut
annually for sleepers.
6. (i) ‘Forest are the National Wealth’. Illustrate your
answer with suitable examples.
(ii) What values/lesson do you learn from this
given statement? [Value Based Question]
Ans. (i) It is quite proper to say that forests are the national
wealth.
(a) Forests not only add to the beauty of a country but they
are also an important source of many useful products.
(b) The wood that we get from the forests, it is important for
building and construction purposes, for railway track,
ship building, furniture and for fuel. In India, many
industries are based on the forest products.
(c) We get the sandalwood, gums, resins, turpentine oil,
honey, herbs, lac, etc form forests.
(d) Grass grown in forests is used for grazing the cattle,
sheep, camel, etc. To great extent, the shortage for
fodder is also made up by these forests.
(ii) From the given statement, I have learnt that forests play
an important role in the like of a nation and make a great
contribution in the creation of economic structure of a
country.
7. Why is it necessary to increase the areas under forests? Give
five important reasons. [HOTS]
Ans. A large part of our forests was cleared for industrial
uses, cultivation, pastures and fuel wood. Thus, a necessity of
increasing the area under forests becomes inevitable in India.
The five important reasons are
(i) To maintain the ecological balance It is necessary for
maintaining ecological balance and absorption of
carbon dioxide.
(ii) To regulate the flow of rivers Forests regulate the flow of
rivers both in the rainy and dry seasons by absorbing or
releasing water systematically. In this way, they reduce
the chances of both floods and droughts.
(iii) To provide natural habitat to wildlife Forests provide
natural habitat to wildlife and in this way they held in
their preservation.
(iv) To help in precipitation or rainfall Forests
help precipitations of rainfall and thus
minimise the possibility of droughts.
(v) To conserve the soil Forests play an important
role in the conservation of soils as the roots of
the trees do not allow the soil to flow away with
the water.
8. How did commercial farming led to a decline in
forests cover during colonial period?
Ans. Before colonial period, India had nearly
one-third of the total land area under forest cover
which rapidly declined.
In the early 19th century, the colonial powers held
the opinion that forests were unproductive and were
in no way useful in increasing the income of the
state.
So they encouraged to bring the wilderness under
cultivation which would yield different agricultural
products there by leading to the prosperity of the
people and enhancing the revenue of the state.
The Britisher encouraged the production at
commercial crops like jute, sugar, wheat, and
cotton. They also encouraged plantation of tea,
coffee and rubber. So the Indian farmers cleared
forests for the commercial crops.
The Britishers exported timber like oak, sheesham
and teak wood for Royal Navy to make strong ships.
Expansion of the railway was another reason for
clearing forest, as a large number of ‘sleepers’ were
required for railway tracks. As the population
increased and the demand of food went up. The
forest were cleared for the expansion of agricultural
land.
Miscellaneous Questions
1. Name at least six items around you which come from
forests.
Ans. Some items around me which come from forests are –
paper in books, wood for desks and tables, dyes that
colour my cloth, honey, coffee, tea, oil, tannin, etc.
2. The forest meant severe hardship for the villagers
across the country, because
(a) cutting wood, grazing cattle, collecting fruits, roots
hunting and fishing became illegal.
(b) people were forced to steal and if caught, and they had to
pay bribes to the forest guards.
(c) women who collected fire wood were harassed by guards.
(d) All of the above
Ans. (d ) All of the above
3. Who was Gunda Dhur?
Ans. He was a nationalist who led Bastar
Rebellion.
4. In which parts is Swidden agriculture
practised?
Ans. This is traditional agricultural practice in
many parts of Asia, Africa and South America.
5. In India, dhya, penda, bewar, nevad, jhum,
podu, khandad and kumri are some of the
local terms for
(a) Shifting Cultivation (b) Plantations
(c) Deforestation (d) Hunt
Ans. (a) Shifting Cultivation
7. Who are Baigas?
Ans. Baigas are a forest community of Central India.
8. What was Taungya Cultivation?
Ans. It was a system in which local farmers were
allowed to cultivate temporarily within a plantation.
9. Which of the following is not a local name of
shifting cultivation?
(a) Jhum
(b) Kharif
(c) Tavy
(d) Milpa
Ans. (b) Kharif
10. At which of the following places, the villagers rose
in revolt against the Colonial Government?
(a) Rajasthan (b) Midnapore
(c) Bastar (d) Uttarakhand
Ans. (c) Bastar
11. Write a dialogue between a Colonial Forester and
an Adivasi discussing the issue of hunting in the
forest. [NCERT]
Ans. A sample dialogue is given below
Colonial Forester Who are you? What are you doing
inside the forest at this time?
Adivasi I am a villager living in XYZ village on the South
edge of this forest. I have come to hunt some animals
for feeding my family.
Colonial Forester Don’t you know that we have banned
the hunting of animals in the forest? Go away, you can
not be allowed to hunt animals. It is illegal.
Adivasi I need the flesh of the animal, so that my wife
can cook the food. I regularly hunt for animals and
nobody has stopped me before.
Colonial Forester No, you will not be allowed to do this.
Only Britishers are allowed to hunt animals. Go back to
your village. Otherwise, I will have you arrested.
Adivasi Okay, if you say so, I will go. But I will return.
12. What is the local name of ‘Madhuca Indica’?
Ans. The local name of ‘Madhuca Indica’ is mahua.
Villagers wake up before dawn and go to the forest to
collect the mahua flowers which have fallen on the
forest floor. It can be eaten or used to make alcohol and
its seeds can be used to make oil.
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