Forest Society and Colonialism
Deforestation
Forests form an important part of our ecosystem and are beneficial to us in various ways.
Deforestation is the process of clearing of forests by removing trees through logging or burning.
Causes of deforestation are cultivation, timber for building ships, trains and railway line sleepers, plantations and the demand for fodder, leaves and fuel by the Adivasis.
The effects of deforestation include soil erosion, disturbance in the water cycle, extinction of plants and animals, and rendering of forest dwellers homeless.
Rise of Commercial Forestry
Dietrich Brandis was appointed the first Inspector General of Forests in India.
He set up the Indian Forest Service in 1864 and helped formulate the Indian Forest Act of 1865.
Brandis founded the Imperial Forest Research Institute at Dehradun in 1906.
He introduced and started the practice of ‘scientific forestry’ or commercial forestry in India.
Impacts of the Indian Forest Act
The Indian Forest Act of 1865 had several impacts on the lives of various people.
The daily practices of cutting wood, collecting fruits and roots, and fishing – were banned.
The British banned hunting of small animals, but encouraged hunting of wild animals by giving rewards.
They also banned shifting cultivation.
Rebellion in the Forests
Rebellion arose in the forests of Bastar in 1910.
The people of Bastar were exploited to pay increased land rents, work for free and provide free goods to the government officials.
The initiative for rebelling against the British was taken by the Dhurwas of the Kangar forest.
One prominent name associated with these rebellions is that of Gunda Dhur who was a rebel leader from a village named Nethanar.
The British had to suspend the work of forest reservation and reduce the area to be reserved to half of the original proposed.
Forest Transformations in Java
The development and transformation of the forests in India and Java in Indonesia are similar to a great extent.
Forest management, large-scale deforestation and shifting cultivation were also practiced in Java.
Like the people of Bastar, the Kalangs also rebelled against the Dutch.
Surontiko Samin took the initiative to stand up against the Dutch.
Both the Dutch in Java and the British in India exploited the forest resources to meet their war needs.