The First and L,he Second World War had a major impact on forests as given below (i) In India, working plans were abandoned and the forest department cut"trees freely to meet British war needs. (ii) In Java, just before the Japanese occupied the region, the Dutch followed a scorched earth policy, deRead more
The First and L,he Second World War had a major impact on forests as given below (i) In India, working plans were abandoned and the forest department cut”trees freely to meet British war needs.
(ii) 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 would not fall into Japanese hands. The Japanese then exploited the forests. recklessly for their own war industries, forcing forest villagers to cut down forests.
(iii) In Java, many villagers used the opportunity of war to expand cultivation in the forest’ After the war, it was difficult for the Indonesian Forest Service to get this land back.
(i) Railways : 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 railwRead more
(i) Railways : 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 1,700 and 2,000 sleepers.
From the 1860s, the railway network expanded rapidly. By 1890, about 25,500 km of track had been laid. As the railway tracks spread through Indian a larger and larger number of trees were felled’ The government gave out contracts to individuals to supply the required quantities’ These contractors began cutting trees indiscriminately. Forests around the railway fast started tracks disappearing.
(ii) Shipbuilding : By the early nineteenth century, oak forests in England were disappearing. This created a problem of timber supply for the Royal Navy. So to build English ships and to protect and maintain the imperial power the supply of timber was essential. Search parties were sent to explore the forest resources of India. As a result of it, trees were falled on a massive scale and vast quantities of timber were being exported from India.
(iii) Agricultural expansion : As the population increased and the demand for food went up, peasants extended the boundaries of cultivation, clearing forests and breaking new land. For example, in 1600 approximately one-sixth of India’s land mass was under cultivation. It increased to about one-half during the colonial period.
(iv) Commercial farming: The British directly encouraged the production of commercial crops like jute, sugar, wheat and cotton. The demand for these crops increased in the nineteenth century Europe where food grains were needed to feed the growing urban population and raw materials were required for industrial production. The forests were 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.
(v) Tea coffee plantations : Large areas of natural forests were cleared to make way for tea, coffee and rubber plantations to meet Europe’s growing need for these commodities. 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.
(vi) Adivasi’s and other peasant users : Adivasi’s and other peasant users used forest products -roots, leaves’ fruits and tubers – for many things. For example, fruits and tubers to eat, herbs for medicine and wood for agricultural implements. These activities of the Adivasi’s and other peasant users proved responsible for the decline in the forest cover.
The similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and in Java are as follows: Bastar:- 1. Forest Act was enacted in 1865 it amended twice, once in 1878 and then in 1927. 2. Shifting cultivation was banned. 3. Forests were reserved. 4. Hunting and collection of forests produce wasRead more
The similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and in Java are as follows:
Bastar:-
1. Forest Act was enacted in 1865 it amended twice, once in 1878 and then in 1927.
2. Shifting cultivation was banned.
3. Forests were reserved.
4. Hunting and collection of forests produce was banned.
5. Some Village were allowed. to stay on the reserved forests on the conciliation that they worked free for he forest department in cutting and transporting trees and protecting the forests from fires. Subsequently, these came to be known as ‘forest villages’
6. People some village were displaced without any notice or compensation.
7. Colonials management of forests led to rebellion by the people against the reservation as happened in baster in 1910.
8. Colonials government wanted timber for the Railways and urban population. More land was required for tea, coffee and rubber plantation.
Java:-
1. Dutch enacted forest laws in Java, Introduced forest service.
2. They restricted the villagers’ access to forests.
3. Wood could only be cut for specified purposes like making river boats or constructing house and only from specific forests under close supervision.
4. Villagers were punished for grazing cattle in young stands, transporting wood without a permit, or traveling on forest lands with horse-carts or cattle.
5. The Dutch government imposed rents on land being cultivated in the forests.
6. Some village were exempted from rents on land if they worked collectively to provide free labour and buffaloes for cutting and transporting timber. Latter instead of rent exemption, forest villagers were given small wages. But their right to cultivate forest land wad restricted
7. There was a widespread movement by the Shaminists against the government policy in the late 19th century onwards.
8. The government needed timber for shipbuilding and railways e.g., in1882, 280,000 sleepers were exported from Java alone.
Why are forests affected by wars?
The First and L,he Second World War had a major impact on forests as given below (i) In India, working plans were abandoned and the forest department cut"trees freely to meet British war needs. (ii) In Java, just before the Japanese occupied the region, the Dutch followed a scorched earth policy, deRead more
The First and L,he Second World War had a major impact on forests as given below (i) In India, working plans were abandoned and the forest department cut”trees freely to meet British war needs.
See less(ii) 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 would not fall into Japanese hands. The Japanese then exploited the forests. recklessly for their own war industries, forcing forest villagers to cut down forests.
(iii) In Java, many villagers used the opportunity of war to expand cultivation in the forest’ After the war, it was difficult for the Indonesian Forest Service to get this land back.
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 the decline: (i) Railways (ii) Shipbuilding (iii) Agricultural expansion (iv) Commercial farming (v) Tea/coffee plantations (vi) Adivasis and other peasant users.
(i) Railways : 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 railwRead more
(i) Railways : 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 1,700 and 2,000 sleepers.
See lessFrom the 1860s, the railway network expanded rapidly. By 1890, about 25,500 km of track had been laid. As the railway tracks spread through Indian a larger and larger number of trees were felled’ The government gave out contracts to individuals to supply the required quantities’ These contractors began cutting trees indiscriminately. Forests around the railway fast started tracks disappearing.
(ii) Shipbuilding : By the early nineteenth century, oak forests in England were disappearing. This created a problem of timber supply for the Royal Navy. So to build English ships and to protect and maintain the imperial power the supply of timber was essential. Search parties were sent to explore the forest resources of India. As a result of it, trees were falled on a massive scale and vast quantities of timber were being exported from India.
(iii) Agricultural expansion : As the population increased and the demand for food went up, peasants extended the boundaries of cultivation, clearing forests and breaking new land. For example, in 1600 approximately one-sixth of India’s land mass was under cultivation. It increased to about one-half during the colonial period.
(iv) Commercial farming: The British directly encouraged the production of commercial crops like jute, sugar, wheat and cotton. The demand for these crops increased in the nineteenth century Europe where food grains were needed to feed the growing urban population and raw materials were required for industrial production. The forests were 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.
(v) Tea coffee plantations : Large areas of natural forests were cleared to make way for tea, coffee and rubber plantations to meet Europe’s growing need for these commodities. 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.
(vi) Adivasi’s and other peasant users : Adivasi’s and other peasant users used forest products -roots, leaves’ fruits and tubers – for many things. For example, fruits and tubers to eat, herbs for medicine and wood for agricultural implements. These activities of the Adivasi’s and other peasant users proved responsible for the decline in the forest cover.
What are the similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and in Java?
The similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and in Java are as follows: Bastar:- 1. Forest Act was enacted in 1865 it amended twice, once in 1878 and then in 1927. 2. Shifting cultivation was banned. 3. Forests were reserved. 4. Hunting and collection of forests produce wasRead more
The similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and in Java are as follows:
See lessBastar:-
1. Forest Act was enacted in 1865 it amended twice, once in 1878 and then in 1927.
2. Shifting cultivation was banned.
3. Forests were reserved.
4. Hunting and collection of forests produce was banned.
5. Some Village were allowed. to stay on the reserved forests on the conciliation that they worked free for he forest department in cutting and transporting trees and protecting the forests from fires. Subsequently, these came to be known as ‘forest villages’
6. People some village were displaced without any notice or compensation.
7. Colonials management of forests led to rebellion by the people against the reservation as happened in baster in 1910.
8. Colonials government wanted timber for the Railways and urban population. More land was required for tea, coffee and rubber plantation.
Java:-
1. Dutch enacted forest laws in Java, Introduced forest service.
2. They restricted the villagers’ access to forests.
3. Wood could only be cut for specified purposes like making river boats or constructing house and only from specific forests under close supervision.
4. Villagers were punished for grazing cattle in young stands, transporting wood without a permit, or traveling on forest lands with horse-carts or cattle.
5. The Dutch government imposed rents on land being cultivated in the forests.
6. Some village were exempted from rents on land if they worked collectively to provide free labour and buffaloes for cutting and transporting timber. Latter instead of rent exemption, forest villagers were given small wages. But their right to cultivate forest land wad restricted
7. There was a widespread movement by the Shaminists against the government policy in the late 19th century onwards.
8. The government needed timber for shipbuilding and railways e.g., in1882, 280,000 sleepers were exported from Java alone.