Forest Society and Colonialism

The Rise of Commercial Forestry

The Rise of Commercial Forestry

How were the lives of the people affected?

How did Forest Rules affect Cultivation?

Who could hunt? New Trades, New Employments and

New Services

The Rise of Commercial Forestry

1) British needed forest to build ships and railways 2) They were worried about the reckless felling of trees

by local traders 3) British invited a German expert, Dietrich Brandis

and made him the first IG of Forests in India4) Proper system to manage forests and Science of

Conservation5) Rules about the use of Forest Resources 6) Brandis set up the IFS in 1864 and helped formulate

the IFA of 18657) The Imperial Forest Research Institute at Dehradun

in 1906 and ‘Scientific Forestry’ was taught

Dietrich Brandis

The Imperial Forest Research Institute at Dehradun in 1906

The Rise of Commercial Forestry

Scientific Forestry

One type of trees

Trees are planted in straight rows

Natural Forestry

Has lots of different types of trees.

Trees are grown randomly

Process of Scientific Forestry

Planted 1 type

of nurseri

es Plantation was

in a straight

row

Forest Officials surveye

d the forestWorkin

g plans for

Forest Mgnt

Planned how

much of the

plantation area to cut every

year

The area cut was then to

be replante

d

The India Forest Act 1878

Reserved Forest

• The best forests were called reserved forests • Villagers were not allowed to take anything from these

forests

Protected Forest

• Villagers were allowed to take wood for house building or fuel

Village Forest

• Villagers were allowed to take wood for house building or fuel

Idea of good forests

1. Forest Dept wanted trees to build ships and railway s2. They needed trees that could provide hard wood and were tall and straight 3. Only teak and sal were promoted and others were cut.4.

1. Wanted forests with a mixture of species to satisfy different needs2. Villagers were dependent on forest for forest products3. Wood for houses, grazing cattle, collecting fruits and roots, hunting and fishing, 4.Forest Act meant severe hardship for villagers across the nation

Fore

ster

s ide

a of

goo

d fo

rest

Villagers idea of good forest

How were the lives of the people affected?

Cutting wood for building houses, grazing their cattle, collecting fruits and roots, hunting and fishing

People were forced to steal wood form the forests and if they wee caught, they were at the mercy of the forest guards who would take bribes from them.

Police constables and forest guards harassed people by demanding free food from them

Illegal

Steal

Harassment

How did Forest Rules Affect Cultivation?

1. Shifting Cultivation or swidden agriculture is a traditional agricultural practice in many parts of Asia, Africa and South America.

2. Parts of forest are cut and burnt in rotration. 3. Seeds are sown in the ashes after the first monsoon

rains.4. The crop is harvested by Oct-Nov.5. Such plots are cultivated for a couple of years and

then left fallow for 12 to 18 years for the forest to grow back.

6.

Shifting Cultivation

Who could Hunt?

1. People survived by hunting deer, partridges & a variety of small animals

1. Forest Law prohibited hunting2. Those who were caught hunting were punished for poaching

After Forest Laws Before Forest Laws

New Trades, Employments and Services

1. Many communities left their traditional occupations and started trading in forest products. For example, Mundurucu peoples of the Brazilian Amazon.

2. British Govt gave many large European firms the sole right to trade in the forest products of particular areas.

3. Grazing and hunting in local people were restricted.4. Many tribes were forced to work in factories, mines

and plantations under govt supervision.

Made by Abhinandan saini Class - 9th A

Thank you

Abhi