ThinkRankForest Society and Colonialism
Overview
The chapter shows how colonial forest policies changed traditional livelihoods and reshaped ecology and society. It explains why the colonial state wanted control of forests and how local communities responded.
Learning Objectives
- Describe colonial forest laws and their purposes
- Explain impacts on forest communities and their livelihoods
- Identify forms of resistance to colonial control
Key Concepts
Scientific Forestry and Commercialization
Forests were managed for timber revenue, especially for railways and ships, reducing biodiversity and local access.
Restricted Access and Forest Categories
Reserved and protected forests limited grazing, fuel collection, and shifting cultivation, altering daily life.
Forest Laws and Policing
New laws criminalized customary practices like collecting wood or grazing animals without permits, leading to fines and punishment.
Disruption of Shifting Cultivation
Traditional farming cycles were banned or restricted, forcing many communities into new livelihoods.
Impact on Tribal and Forest Communities
Groups that depended on forests for food, fodder, and trade faced loss of livelihood and cultural disruption.
Resistance and Protest
Communities resisted through petitions, protests, and at times open rebellions.
Forest for War and Industry
During World Wars, demand for timber increased sharply, causing intensified extraction.
Ecological Consequences
Commercial extraction caused deforestation and changed forest ecology.
Key Terms
Examples
Forest Laws
New rules limited fuelwood, grazing, and access, criminalizing customary practices.
Local Resistance
Communities organized protests and occasionally revolts to defend their livelihoods.
Railway Expansion
Timber was extracted intensively to build sleepers and ships.
Quick Check
- Why did the colonial state want control over forests?
- How did policies affect everyday life?
- What forms of resistance emerged?