Page 94 - Understanding NCERT Histroy 09th

Activities
(Page no. 96)
1. Have there been changes in forest areas where you live? Find out what these changes
are and why they have happened.
Goyal Brothers Prakashan
2. Write a dialogue between a colonial forester and an adivasi discussing the issue of
hunting in the forest.
Ans. Let students do them.

TEXTBOOK 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 shikar (hunting)
Ans. (i) Shifting Cultivators: Due to change in forest law and management shifting cultivation
was banned. as European foresters felt that this would harm the forests and valuable
timber would be lost. The Government also found it difficult to calculate taxes for
Shifting cultivation. Ban on the shifting cultivation many Shifting cultivators were
displaced. Many of them had changed their occupation. Many Shifting cultivators
agitated against this ban.
(ii) Nomadic and Pastoralist Communities: The life of nomadic and pastoralist
communities was affected because they were not allowed to enter the protected forest
areas. Moreover, the trade in forest produce was banned and this resulted in a huge loss
of income to these forest communities, through these trade they earned their living.
(iii) Firms trading in timber / forest produce: Most of the firms trading in timber
and forest produce which were highly benefited with the changes in forest law
&management. The new laws favored them and they earned huge profit.
(iv) Plantation owners: Plantation Owners were the another section that earned huge
profits in their business. The deforestation led to the development of plantations
of coffee, tea and rubber. And these businessmen got cheap labour from forest
communities, and the plantation owners had to invest very less for the plantation. As
plantation goods were great in demand in the European countries, the businessmen in
plantations earned huge profits, and most of these businessmen were the Europeans.
They also got favour from changed forest law& management.
(v) Kings/British officials engaged in Shikar: Although hunting was prohibited, but with
discrimination. Kings/British officials indulged in excess hunting. They had the silent
permission from the British government and did hunting in the name of civilizing
India, as British saw large animals as signs of a wild, primitive and savage society.

2. What are the similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and in Java?
Ans. The colonial management of forests in Bastar and Java had the following similarities:
(i) Hunting was banned.
(ii) Trees were cut for railways and shipbuilding.
(iii) Forest communities were suppressed when they have started revolution against them.
(iv) Nomads and pastoralists were restricted to enter the forest area.
(v) Trade in forest produce was banned.
(vi) European firms were given permission for deforestation and plantation industry.
(vii) Forest communities had to work as free labourers for the forest management, or they
had to pay rent to live there.

History Class IX H-85